Media usage patterns of social media users
Abstract
With growing use of multiple media, firms have to understand the combination of media used by their target segments. This study examines the use of multiple media by two important target segments — individuals who use social media to seek product information, and those who use social media to share product information. The theoretical framework is based on the premise that understanding individuals’ motivations for searching or sharing information can help explain the combination of media they consume. A multiple discrete-continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model that allows use of multiple media is used for the estimation. The study reveals interesting differences in the combination of media consumed by these groups of individuals. Individuals who regularly seek product information spend more time on the internet and less time on television and radio during primetime. Individuals who share product information using social media, however, spend more time on television and internet. The results have important implications for firms’ media plans and communication strategies.
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Author's Biography
Vijay Viswanathan is Assistant Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications, The Medill School, Northwestern University. Prior to obtaining his PhD from Emory University in 2010, Vijay worked with multinational firms managing brands and supply chains. Vijay’s research focuses broadly on consumer decision making in the fast-changing worlds of branding and media, and has been published in various marketing communication journals. He has shared his work at numerous conferences with academics and practitioners.
Don E Schultz is Professor (Emeritus-in-Service) of Integrated Marketing Communications, The Medill School, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL and President of Agora, Inc., a global marketing, communication and branding consulting firm. He consults, lectures and holds seminars on integrated marketing communication, marketing, branding, advertising, sales promotion and communication management, globally. He is the author/co-author of 28 books and over 150 trade, academic and professional articles. He is a featured columnist in Marketing News and Marketing Insights.
Martin Block is a Professor in the Integrated Marketing Communications Division of the Medill School at Northwestern University. Martin is co-author of ‘Understanding China’s Digital Generation’, ‘Media Generations: Media Allocation in a Consumer-Controlled Marketplace’, ‘Retail Communities: Customer Driven Retailing’, ‘Analyzing Sales Promotion’, ‘Business-to-Business Market Research’ (both in their 2nd edition) and ‘Cable Advertising: New Ways to New Business’. He has published in many academic research journals and trade publications and has written several book chapters.
Citation
Viswanathan, Vijay, Schultz, Don E and Block, Martin (2015, July 29). Media usage patterns of social media users. In the Applied Marketing Analytics: The Peer-Reviewed Journal, Volume 1, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.69554/LTGK9812.
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