This finding is contained in a recent BIGresearch study conducted in the US. The implication of the study is that the correlation between how a person consumes media and that person’s buying habits will be the statistical lynchpin for media planners of the future.

Dr. Joe Pilotta, who co-authored the Simultaneous Media Usage Study (SIMM) said, “That’s what will drive the point home -- the understanding of consumer behaviour. Without it, media planners will be walking all over themselves trying to get a message out, never knowing what is actually getting through to their target audiences.”

The SIMM Survey, published twice annually by BIGresearch, quantifies how the US public consumes media and the impact those patterns have on buying habits. The latest survey, conducted from 25 March to 22 April 2003, included data from 12,230 respondents.

In the study, 2800 respondents said they regularly give advice about the products they buy and where they shop. Of that sample, more than 57 per cent said word of mouth was very important in influencing their own purchasing decisions, while nearly 95 per cent said they regularly or occasionally seek advice from others before purchasing goods or services.

SIMM is in full effect within that sample. Of that same group of people, nearly 40 per cent said they regularly watch television while they’re online. Over 56 per cent said they regularly or occasionally read the newspaper while listening to the radio.

These SIMM consumers also influence where people shop. Of those who said they regularly give advice about the products they buy and where they shop, more than 25 per cent shop for consumer electronics goods at Best Buy, while nearly 35 per cent buy major household appliances at Sears a major departmental store..

BIGresearch is a market intelligence firm providing analysis of the American consumer's behaviour. Its syndicated Consumer Intentions and Actions survey monitors the pulse of more than 8,000 consumers each month to identify opportunities in a fragmented and changing marketplace.