Public Internet Consumer Insight Study

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study

• WKSU u Market Trends Research Inc u CPB

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study
CPB Future Fund Grant

• Partner stations
• WUNCChapel Hill, NC
• Michigan RadioAnn Arbor, MI
• KPBSSan Diego, CA
• WKSUCleveland/Akron, OH

• Research Partners
• PRPDPublic Radio Program Directors
• DEIDevelopment Exchange Inc
• PRIPublic Radio International
• NPRNational Public Radio

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study

• Research objectives
• What content do listeners use on a public radio
  Web site? What content do they wish they could
  use? How does public radio fit into their online
  universe?
• How did listeners learn about the public radio
  Website? What would influence them or others to
  return?
• Has the Web influenced how much and/or why they
  listen to public radio? Might it in the future?

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study

• Research objectives
• What are the acceptable limits and thresholds of
  e-commerce and advertising on public radio Web
  sites?
• What is the impact of the Web on individual
  giving, now and in the near future. Can / should
  the Web site provide value-added to givers?

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study

• A project in two phases
• Focus groups conducted in Summer 2000
• Survey conducted in Spring 2001

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PICIS

• Its National Public Radio,not National
  Public Website.
• --Michigan Radio survey respondent

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PICISSurvey Demographics

• Must listen to public radio
• Must have an e-mail address
• Must use the Internet, not just e-mail
• WKSU, WUNC, Michigan Radio, KPBS listeners

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PICISSurvey Demographics

• About half male and half female
• 2 in 3 are 25 - 54
• Over 50 have advanced degrees
• 3 in 4 consider themselves core listeners

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PICISInternet usage

• 56 Using Internet 5 years or more
• 86 Using Internet 3 years or more
• 23 spend 11 or more hours online not including
  e-mail per week
• 30 spend 3 hours or less online per week

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PICISInternet usage

• 32 have shopped or paid bills online more than
  ten times in the last six months
• 14 have never shopped or paid bills online

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PICISOnline audio usage

• 11 listen to their public station streamed on
  the Net
• 18 listen to any online radio or online audio
• 89 listen to public radio exclusively over the
  radio
• 82 do not listen to any online audio

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PICISE-commerce

• The more an e-commerce opportunity is perceived
  as directly relating to programming, the greater
  its acceptance by listeners.

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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce
17
PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce

• As long as its associated with something with a
  show, as long as they dont turn into Amazon.com,
  thats OK.
• This is Michigan Radio selling products
  specifically to support radio I think its a big
  difference, theyre advertising their own store
  rather than somebody elses theyre not
  compromising their principles.
• It doesnt bother me that they sell things, in
  this case, theyre selling music, books or items
  that have been on their program, that doesnt
  bother me.

As heard on
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PICISE-commerce

• Theyre not a commercial radio station, now
  theyre practicing commercial radio practices.
• What does this have to do with anything????!!!!
• If theyre making 2 off a garden tool, Id
  rather give them 102 instead of 100.
• After this, theyre going to start selling
  salmon!

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PICISE-commerce v. on-air

• 66 feel it is okay for stations to raise funds
  by selling items of interest to listeners
• 11 think this is a terrible idea.
• 67 feel selling items on their web sites is a
  fair trade off

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PICISIntegrity issues

• Listeners fear that the pursuit of online
  e-commerce revenue will cause us to violate our
  core values and principles.

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PICISIntegrity issues

• E-commerce influence on editorial
  decision-making.
• Change in importance of listener dollars.
• Squandering of resources.
• 44 of listeners feel increased Internet revenue
  would damage editorial credibility.

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PICISE-commerce privacy and security

• 90 of respondents feel information privacy is an
  important consideration.
• 90 of respondents feel credit card security is
  equally important.

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PICISOther good policy choices

• Clearly display
• Specific information on how much of sale goes to
  station.
• Return policy
• Statement on quality of merchandise
• Information of the company that will fulfill the
  order.

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PICISE-commerce verbatims

• If your web site is an extension of your on-air
  programming, we would like it to reflect that and
  not have it turn into an online store.
• Selling items online is tacit endorsement. WKSU
  should avoid this. Products related to
  programming which are things which WKSU and NPR
  endorse are acceptable for sale.
• To assume that product hustling is not going to
  influence programming decisions is disingenuous
  to say the least.

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PICISE-commerce verbatims

• Privacy, privacy, privacy! Please keep my name
  off mailing or emailing lists, even for other
  non-profits.
• I know public radio needs money, but if you go
  this route please dont kill us with useless junk
  and propaganda.
• Lets not forget what makes public radio
  different from other businessesthe do the right
  thing integritythey dont sell out, they are
  not (Thank goodness) homogenized white bread like
  so many other companies have become because of
  money. Public radio is the last bastion of true
  good sophisticated humor and insight.

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PICISOnline advertising

• If theyre going to underwrite online, do it
  subtly and attractively.
• I know public radio needs money, but if you go
  this route please dont kill us with useless junk
  and propaganda.
• WKSU and Michigan Radio listener comments

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PICISOnline advertising

• 72 - A bad idea for Website
• 7 - A good idea for Website

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PICISOnline advertising

• 65 - A bad idea for Website
• 13 - A good idea for Website

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PICISOnline advertising

• 45 - A good idea for Website
• 35 - A bad idea for Website
• 17 - Neutral or undecided

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PICISOnline advertising
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PICISOnline advertising

• The more that any ad, credit, or recognition of
  business support on a station Website matches the
  characteristics of underwriting, the greater
  acceptance it will receive from listeners
• Online underwriting should parallel on-air
  underwriting
• Maintain the same values online and offline

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PICISOnline advertising

• Type or Category of Underwriter

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PICISOnline advertising

• Type or Category of Underwriter
• Visual Content Size

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PICISOnline advertising

• Type or Category of Underwriter
• Visual Content
• Use of Language

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PICISOnline advertising

• I certainly wouldnt have any problem with it
  underwriting on a website to the degree that
  its on public radio.
• Most of the time, advertising is trying to push,
  subliminally or otherwise. Underwriting doesnt
  do this, it just describes what the company
  stands for.

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PICISOnline advertising
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PICISOnline ads v. air pledge and underwriting

• I would find it underwriting less intrusive on
  the Website if its on the radio, you have to
  hear it.

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PICISOnline ads v. air pledge and underwriting

• On-air membership campaigns
• 68 good idea, 16 bad idea
• On-air underwriting
• 63 good idea, 22 bad idea
• Online Underwriting
• 55 good idea, 22 bad idea
•  

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PICISOnline ads v. air pledge and underwriting

• On-air membership campaigns
• 84 appropriate, 8 not appropriate
• On-air underwriting
• 73 appropriate, 13 not appropriate
• Website underwriting
• 73 appropriate, 14 not appropriate
•  

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PICISIntegrity issues

• Will Business Support Influence Programming
  Decisions?
• 47 concerned ON AIR underwriting might influence
  programming
• 44 concerned ONLINE underwriting might influence
  programming

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PICISIntegrity issues

• Should the Website Be Used to Help Support
  Programming Itself?
• 50 agree stations should have online
  underwriting to pay for programming
• 57 agree online underwriting is a fair trade off
  for keeping the Web site free

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PICISIntegrity issues

• I trust that local station/NPR will not allow
  businesses who support with underwriting
  announcements to influence programming decisions.
• 67 agreed that they trust local stations not to
  be unduly influenced by businesses that
  underwrite
• 64 agreed that they trust NPR not to be unduly
  influenced by businesses that underwrite

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PICISIntegrity issues

• Most of the world now is saturated with
  advertising, Id like to see some stronghold that
  isnt.
• The commercialization of just about every facet
  of American life is one reason I listen to public
  radio.
• The stations approach to fund raising should
  be consistent across all media.

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PICISExamples
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PICISExamples

• Every order supports WKSU clearly stated

• Help button in top of screen

• Privacy, credit card, and order fulfillment
  information on help page.
• Information on products not linked to programs.

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PICISExamples
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PICISExamples

• Station benefit and credit card not clearly
  stated.
• No privacy policy.
• No link between product and programming.

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PICISExamples

• No examples of
• Station policies about the firewall between
  e-commerce activities and editorial policy.
• Information about policies, quality of
  merchandise, or return policies that were not
  buried in FAQ at least two links away from
  product.
• Specific levels of support station receives from
  transaction.

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PICISHonorary Mention
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PICISAre listeners willing to pay for our web
sites?

• No.

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PICISValue

• If you put a price tag on a station web site,
  what would it be?
• 0

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PICISNext session preview

• In the next session
• Would listeners visit more often is the site
  simply loaded quicker?
• Which draws more listeners customized version of
  NPR programs or a simple program grid?
• Which service do Internet-audio savvy listeners
  listen to more online NPR or CNN?

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PICISNext session preview

• Which is the true dud of public radio web
  sites?
• Discussion forums
• Streaming audio
• Chat rooms
• What is more important to listeners
• Community events calendar
• Bios and pictures of NPR hosts
• Your most powerful online opportunity is not your
  web site.

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PICISNext session preview

• The single phrase that would make 4 out of 5
  listeners more willing to pledge online.

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PICISWeb site

• http//www.wksu.org/picis
• Contains a copy of this presentation, PICIS
  research materials, and all findings released as
  part of the study.

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study

• Questions?
• http//www.wksu.org/picis

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study

• WKSU u Market Trends Research u CPB