Search Engine Marketing is Vital for Consumer Packaged Goods Companies
comScore has released a joint study with Proctor and Gamble, SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization), and Yahoo!, revealing that the opportunity that search engine marketing represents for marketing Consumer Packaged Goods.
The findings released are from a major research study that analyzed the role of online search in generating Web site traffic and visitors for a number of consumer packaged goods (”CPG”) categories, including baby care, personal care, home care, and packaged food. The study is entitled “The Digital Shelf: the Opportunity for Search Marketing in Consumer Packaged Goods”.
The goal of the study was to help the CPG industry better understand the opportunity to grow their sales using search engine marketing.
Search represents a huge marketing opportunity for CPG brands. The study ultimately found that a majority of consumers in the USA visited Web sites for CPG product categories during the three months ending April 2007, with search driving a significant percentage of visitors in all the categories. Food products represented the largest search engine marketing opportunity with nearly 44 million category site visitors searching. Baby products attracted 15.7 million searchers, followed by personal care products with 9.8 million and household products with 1.7 million.
The study also found that a substantial percentage of the visitors to category Web sites arrived as a result of a search query. Among visitors to baby products sites, 60 percent arrived via search, followed by 47 percent in food products, 27 percent in personal care products, and 23 percent in household products.
Search as a Driver of Traffic to CPG Web Sites
February 2007 - April 2007
Total U.S. Market
Source: comScore Digital Shelf Study (Behavioral)
Percent of
Unique
Unique Category
Visitors Visitors
Unique that Used that Used
Visitors to Search to Search to
Category Reach Reach
Web Site Sites Category Category
Category (MM) Sites (MM) Sites
Food Products 93.7 43.8 47 %
Personal Care Products 35.9 9.8 27 %
Baby Products 26 15.7 60 %
Household Products 7.3 1.7 23 %
According to the study, CPG searchers are researching and seeking help with their purchase decisions.
As part of the study, comScore conducted a survey to determine the attitudes of visitors to CPG Web sites, dividing respondents into two segments: those who use search to find these sites and those who do not. The survey revealed that searchers were significantly more involved in obtaining information and demonstrated higher category engagement than non-searchers.
Specifically, 73 percent of searchers were motivated by product research, 64 percent were seeking help with the purchase decision, 47 percent were looking for promotions and just 29 percent were specifically looking for the company website. Conversely, non-searchers’ top motivation was to obtain information on promotions (59 percent), to conduct product research (58 percent) or to obtain help with their purchase decision (44 percent).
Q: "What motivated you to visit this site?" February 2007 - April 2007 Total U.S. Market Source: comScore Digital Shelf Study (Survey) Motivation for Visiting the CPG Site Searchers Non-Searchers Information & Help 73 % 58 % Find more information about products 48 % 36 % Learn about new products 44 % 38 % Compare competitive products 26 % 10 % Consumer and professional reviews 21 % 10 % Purchase Decision 64 % 44 % Help me make a purchase decision 40 % 28 % Get/compare products 36 % 23 % Find where to buy/local places 31 % 15 % Promotion 47 % 59 % Find out about special offers 40 % 47 % See official company website 29 % 22 %
The study shows that CPG searchers spend more than the average person. In addition to quantifying the extent of search activity and measuring consumer motivations, the study also profiled consumers across a variety of dimensions, including category purchasing, attitudes, and demographics. On every dimension analyzed, packaged goods category searchers represented a highly attractive target segment. Perhaps most compelling, searchers spent approximately 20 percent more than non-searchers across the four categories studied, further confirming the importance of search as a potential driver of offline purchase behavior.
CPG Product Category Spending: Searchers vs. Non-Searchers
February 2007 - April 2007
Total U.S. Market
Source: comScore Digital Shelf Study (Survey)
Category Searchers Non-Searchers
Food Products $51.91 $41.69
Personal Care Products $40.30 $32.34
Baby Products $52.19 $46.36
Household Products $62.56 $52.09
The study results shows that a huge opportunity exists. Full results of the study will be presented in various upcoming industry events and in a webinar for marketers and leaders in the search industry.
To learn more, requests for invitations to the webinars on the study should be directed to TheDigitalShelf@comScore.com .
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