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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PICISStation web site content

• 67 Additional info about news reports
• 63 Archive of news from station or NPR
• 61 Additional information about music
• 60 Program schedules
• 59 Live, breaking news coverage
• 56 Listings of music played
• 52 Calendar of station events
• 51 Calendar of community events

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PICISE-mail and online newsletters

• 61 interested in e-mail newsletters.
• 41 interested in weekly or more frequent.
• Listeners expect these to be content-rich and
  fairly intelligent to their own interests and
  tastes.

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PICISE-mail and online newsletters

• Listeners want to take advantage of technology to
  enhance their relationship with the station and
  its programming.

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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
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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce
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PICISE-commerce v. on-air

• 69 feel it is okay for stations to raise funds
  by selling items of interest to listeners
• 15 think this is a terrible idea.
• 61 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.
• 36 of listeners feel increased Internet revenue
  would damage editorial credibility.

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PICISE-commerce privacy and security

• 94 of respondents feel information privacy is an
  important consideration.
• 93 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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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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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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PICISOnline membership

• Listeners contribute to stations because of
  programming. Our best opportunity to migrate
  those contributions online is to reinforce a
  sense of purpose that directly or indirectly
  reduces costs and improves the efficient use of
  resources.

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PICISOnline membership

• 42 I didnt know I could support my public radio
  station online
• 7 The online pledge process is too slow, too
  confusing, or does not operate properly.

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PICISOnline membership

• 89 The assurance of security for your credit
  card when pledging online.
• 79 The assurance of privacy for any personal
  information you provide while pledging online

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PICISOnline membership

• 67 Ease and convenience of supporting online
• 37 Being online at the time you decide to pledge

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PICISOnline membership

• 62 An online pledge would help the station to
  meet a challenge grant
• 37 A special gift being offered only for online
  pledges
• 31 A drawing or giveaway offered only for online
  pledges

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PICISOnline membership

• 54 Receive an e-mail reminder from station
• 59 Receiving e-mail membership reminders in
  place of mail or phone reminders.
• 82 Renewing your membership online if this would
  reduce expenses.
• 87 Renewing your membership online if this helps
  reduce the amount of time spent on-air raising
  money

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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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PICISShould we even have a web site?

• Absolutely.

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PICISRole of the Station Website

• Listener expectation
• Integrated into overall public service

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PICISRole of the Station Website

• Better information infrastructure is a required
  part of our online future

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Public InternetConsumer Insight Study

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

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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

• WKSU u Market Trends Research u CPB