Mobile "Apps" For Magazines, Newspapers Nearly Equal In Popularity Among U.S. Adults

Millenials More Likely Than Other Age Groups To Be Print App Readers

New York, NY, December 9, 2010 - Readership of magazines and newspapers by adults via applications or "apps" for cell phones and other mobile devices are nearly equal in popularity, according to the most recent data from GfK MRI.

Four percent of adults ages 18+ report they read a newspaper via a mobile app in the last 30 days, compared to 3.7% of adults who report they read a magazine in this manner.  This represents an active base of adult print app users of 9.2 million and 8.4 million adults, respectively.

The Millenial age group (born between 1977 and 1994) are particularly strong app users: they are almost twice as likely as the average adult to have read a magazine via an app and 73% more likely to have read a newspaper via an app in the last 30 days.  Moreover, Millenials comprised 57.3% of all adults who used a magazine app and 50.1% of all adults who used a newspaper app.  Just 18.4% of Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are magazine app readers and 20% are newspaper app users.

There is a male skew to current magazine app users: of all adults who used a magazine app in the last 30 days, approximately 60% were male and 40% were female.  The same percentages also applied to newspaper app usage.

Print readership via apps is an upscale activity; in fact, adults who read a magazine via an app in the last 30 days are 53% more likely to live in households with incomes greater than $100,000 and adults who read a newspaper via an app in the last 30 days are 69% more likely to live in this type of household.

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 consumers' 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 & 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 Web site www.gfkmri.com.  And, join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GfKMRI) and 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.