Yahoo and OMG study local internet audience

Malaysia - Embracers, an internet user group in Malaysia, tend to trust advertised products more than any other local internet group identified in a recent joint study by Omnicom Media Group (OMG) and Yahoo.

The study, which aimed to reveal consumer insights on Malaysia's internet audience, identified five groups of internet users such as Fun Explorers, Online Transactors, Socials, Info Hounds, and Embracers.

"Internet has definitely impacted the way consumers use the traditional media.  Multitasking has given rise to what I call a generation of multisumers. We expect attention span, level of involvement and engagement with both programs and advertising to be compromised. The challenge is to accept this evolution and seek ways to engage our target audience," Andreas Vogiatzakis, MD for OMG Malaysia, said.

The study also uncovered that newspaper readership still remains strong amongst internet users with nearly 30% also accessing an online version.

"Internet today is no longer an emerging medium. Our study has shown that 61% of the users have more than five years experience online. This medium has matured and so has its audience and we need more than just general demo profile for online targeting," Florence Oong, director of insights for OMG Asia Pac, said.