Arbitron/Edison: Digital Divide Is Closing

Advertisers of hi-tech electronic gear may want to sit up and take notice of the trends revealed in “Internet and Multimedia 10: The Emerging Digital Consumer,” the latest Internet and streaming media survey report by research companies Arbitron Inc. and Edison Media Research.
The telephone survey of 2005 randomly selected participants indicated that regular streaming consumers are more interested in digital devices than the general population and that the digital divide of Internet access between Caucasians and minorities is shrinking.
According to the study, 29% of “Monthly Streamies” (consumers who’ve used streaming broadcasts in the last 30 days) are “very interested” in plasma or flat-panel TVs and 22% in HDTVs. The numbers for the general populace are 17% and 12%.
“Considering the high degree of interest in digital devices exhibited by ‘Streamies,’ marketers of consumer electronics would be smart to consider advertising on Internet broadcasting to reach and influence their target audience,” said Bill Rose, VP and GM of Arbitron Internet Broadcast Services.
A decrease in the digital divide can be inferred from the report that 75% of the total population has some access to the Internet, with 74% of blacks and 65% of Hispanics when broken down by ethnic group. However, more minorities get access through public libraries and schools than whites.
The study also showed that the number of people with broadband access has increased from 7% to 18% between January 2001 and 2003, those with high-speed Internet access spend more time online than those without, and broadband users spend more daily media time with the Internet than those using dial-up connections.