Consumers holding to channels during the buying process

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 02-Feb-06, 07:00

LONDON - Consumers shopping for holidays and financial products tend to buy using the same channel they use to get quotes, according to research by direct media agency Equi=Media.

Dubbed EMMA, short for E-commerce Media Monitor Analysis, the new research will be repeated every six months to capture changes in consumer preferences in researching products, obtaining quotes and buying them.

The first results show that 70% of respondents who sought quotes face-to-face on the high street also purchased there, while 65% who sought quotes online or by phone purchased through the same channels.

Equi=Media planning director Richard Davies said: "Not only do we now have a better grasp of where to advertise to get the best returns, but we also know where and at what point to expect a consumer to enter into a transactional dialogue and -- most importantly -- how best to convert them."

The research showed that online was the dominant channel for conducting research, and that Google remains essential, with 60% of respondents using it to look for products.

The majority of respondents preferred human contact when getting quotes or making a purchase.

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