Starch to Offer Insight on Creative Elements that Drive Print Ad Readership

Ad Effectiveness Leader Catalogues Tens of Thousands of Ads

New York, NY, May 24, 2010 - Starch Advertising Research announced today that it is cataloguing the tens of thousands of print advertisements in its database according to the different elements appearing in the ad--such as coupons, recipes and Web URL's--so that marketers can better determine which components of an ad's Creative help generate ad readership and response. 

Among the more than forty-five print ad variables being identified are the use of celebrities, sample/trial offers, scent strips, sweepstakes, telephone numbers, interactive bar codes with which readers can attain more information about the product/service being advertised, recipes and coupons.  In addition, ads with specific words and phrases in their copy, such as "Made in USA", "Limited Offer", "New", "Save" and "Free" are being identified.

"This enhancement to the Starch database makes it simple for our clients to do searches based on specific elements contained within print ads," said Mickey Galin, SVP of Starch Advertising Research.  "We have increased the utility of the Starch database by adding a feature that will deepen advertisers' and agencies' understanding about which Creative elements impact readership and consumer action.

For example, Starch has catalogued almost 1,900 magazine ads (appearing between October 2008 and April 2010) that feature a celebrity spokesperson.  These ads can now be compared to see which were particularly successful in terms of capturing reader attention."

The Got Milk? ad that appeared in the February 23, 2009 issue of Time Magazine and featured Christie Brinkley was one of eight celebrity ads that attained a 90% Noted score, the highest score for all 1,900 ads.

Starch is retroactively cataloguing all ads measured since October 2008 in order to give marketers a historical reference database; future ads measured by Starch will also be catalogued according to these ad variables.  Information by variables is being released on a rolling basis and will be completed by July 2010.

Starch Advertising Research is the country's leading print advertising readership measurement service.  In 2010, the company will measure consumer ad readership of approximately 144,000 print ads in some 3,150 issues of 186 major consumer magazine titles.

About GfK MRI

GfK MRI has a singular goal: to provide the clearest and most detailed view of American consumers--who they are, what they buy, how they think, and the best ways to reach them.  Founded in 1979, GfK MRI is the country's leading provider of magazine audience ratings, multimedia research data and penetrating insights into consumer' behavior and motivations.

When conducting its national Survey of the American Consumer, GfK MRI interviews approximately 26,000 U.S. adults in their homes each year, asking about their use of media, their consumption of more than 6,000 products in 550 categories, their lifestyles and their attitudes.  Because these interviews are structured as an area probability study, the results are projectable to the entire U.S. adult population.  The Survey also serves as a foundation for an array of innovative GfK MRI research products that answer the market's need for granular, cross-media and consumer-focused information.

GfK MRI is part of The GfK Group, based in Nuremberg, Germany.  The Group delivers a range of information and consultancy services in three business sectors: Custom Research, Retail and Technology and Media.  It is the No. 4 market research organization worldwide, operates in more than 100 countries and employs over 10,000 staff, more than 80% of whom are based outside of Germany.

For further information on GfK MRI, visit our website: www.gfkmri.com and follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GfKMRINews.

CONTACTS: Anne Marie Kelly, SVP, Marketing and Strategic Planning, GfK MRI: 212-884-9204, annemarie.kelly@gfkmri.com; Steve Ellwanger, Press Counsel Group: 203-856-8303, steve@presscounselonline.com.