Electronics engineers want print to stay

A study carried out by Chichester University students for Napier found that print magazine articles are still hugely important to European electronics engineers as a source of information.

The survey was completed by 356 engineers, and produced some interesting results that will influence marketing planning in this industry.

In a choice between nine different channels, the 'old fashioned' method of product articles in magazines was voted second most important, just below internet search engines, with 72 per cent of respondents stating that they used magazines for information about new products.

This clearly indicates that even though the internet is a popular choice for research, people are still continuing to use magazine articles as a source of information and the suggestion that online media has killed print could not be further from the truth.

"The University of Chichester did a fabulous job with this important research project," commented Mike Maynard, managing director of Napier.

"Too many marketing plans are based upon prejudice and opinion, rather than an understanding of what the target audience really wants.

"We're thrilled that this research will help marketing managers develop better campaigns".

Not only does print seem to be popular for those wanting to research products but print is also an effective advertising channel: some 49 per cent of respondents said that print ads made them visit a manufacturer's website, whereas only 30 per cent said online adverts did the same.

The full findings of the survey are available from Napier Partnership.

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