In another piece of research that validates the influence of the Internet on offline consumer behavior, MediaPost writes about a Google-Nielsen study of the behavior of 2,000 summer film goers in the U.S. and the Internet’s impact on their decision-making. According to the survey, exposure to promotion on TV remained (by 2 percent) slightly more influential in the decision to see a particular film than any other medium. Next in line, however, was the Internet — almost tied with TV. Print publications and radio were considerably less influential than TV and the Internet.

Search in particular was an important channel in the decision to see a particular film, with 62 percent of survey respondents saying they had conducted a search prior to seeing a movie. In many cases, users had seen ads in traditional media about a movie and then used search and the Internet to learn more. As you would also expect online movie trailers and previews were a significant influence on moviegoers’ decisions to see a particular film.

The methodology of the survey is not explained in the article. But the results are very consistent with other research, showing consumers using the Internet to conduct specific research prior to a purchase or as a discovery mechanism to learn about new offerings. In addition, the use of search, after having seen an “offline” ad, is also a well-documented user behavior.

Related Topics: Stats: Search Behavior

About The Author: Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog Screenwerk, about SoLoMo issues and connecting the dots between online and offline. He also posts at Internet2Go, which is focused on the mobile Internet. Follow him @gsterling. See more articles by Greg Sterling