Newspaper readers outspend TV viewers

by Staff, Media Week 08-Apr-08, 09:00

Regular readers of national newspapers spend more money on Christmas presents than the biggest watchers of commercial television, claims new research.

The Newspaper Marketing Agency found that newspapers readers outspent TV viewers in the Christmas run-up across a range of categories, including groceries, alcoholic drinks, household goods and confectionery. It also claims newspaper readers' spend more than TV watchers in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

In addition, the research found newspaper readers outspend TV viewers across certain product categories. They spent 28.8% of their total shopping budget on alcohol, while TV viewers spent 25%. Newspaper readers spent 27.9% of their budget on chilled foods, compared to the 23% spent by TV viewers.

The NMA is calling on brands to allocate more spend on "well-designed" national newspaper advertising, which it claims will give them an advantage during the pre-Christmas trading period.