SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: The Internet media industry has joined the ranks of traditional newspapers and magazines with the results of the first Australian Online Readership Survey released today by Sydney based Internet research company, APT Strategies Pty. Ltd.

According to Marc Phillips, Director of APT Strategies "this is the first time that media planners can determine reach and frequency across a broad range of Australian websites. As with traditional newspapers and magazines, the results allow comparison of duplicated and unduplicated readership of 33 websites. This allows more targeted media scheduling allowing buyers to purchase advertising efficiently across multiple websites.

Miles Joyce, Interactive Marketing Manager at FAI, one of the largest online advertisers in Australia says "for the first time Internet advertising buyers will be able to look at the broadest range of Australian Internet titles and determine the reach and frequency of their readership. This will help us target our advertising dollars more effectively."

For example, a media buyer placing advertising on the Australian Stock Exchange website, can now either purchase greater reach (more eyeballs) or frequency (the number of times the audience views the advertisement) across 30 other websites. Buying frequency would direct the media planner to advertise on websites such as Australian Property Monitor and the Australian Cricket Board whereas buying reach or more eyeballs would point to an online cross media purchase on OzEmail or The Trading Post as well as the Australian Stock Exchange website.

With online advertising set to reach $150 million in Australia by the Year 2000, the first Australian Online Readership Survey will instill confidence into the media departments. "Advertising agencies and media planners will now be able to confidently use these third party demographics that can be compared to traditional Roy Morgan readership figures" says Anthony Bertini, Managing Director of Bertini Murray & Associates, Australia's largest broker of Internet advertising space in Australasia

According to Heather Albrecht, Relationship Marketing and New Media Director at Whybin Lawrence TBWA, "with the profiles from these online readership surveys, we can finally target beyond webographics (user's browser, platform, domain) and site content. Demographic and psychographic profiles by website are crucial for both effective targeting and fully integrated media planning with 'offline' media. I would strongly encourage any site serious about selling advertising space to implement regular readership surveys."

Marc Phillips further added "in order to grow the online advertising industry, we need research tools that the media buyers understand. Readership is a currency that all media buyers and planners understand – unlike server based and browser based measurement systems which are often too complicated to comprehend and can alter the technical performance of a website.

3,634 respondents completed the Online Readership Survey. The results were weighted to the 22 million marketable impressions that the 33 websites generate each month.

Other highlights of the survey showed respondents were:

• 54% males, 46% females;
• 64% were the person mainly responsible for making purchase decisions in their household;
• 47% were employed by private enterprise, 23% self employed and 21% by government ;
• 31% lived in non - metropolitan areas, 69% in metropolitan areas;
• 57% did not have children in their household.

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About APT Strategies Pty. Ltd.

APT Strategies Pty. Ltd. is a Sydney based Internet research and online intelligence company established in 1991. APT Strategies have conducted over 100 qualitative and quantitative research projects and over 75 Internet research and electronic commerce studies for leading Australian and international companies including: