Westerville, OH, November 13, 2008 – Three-quarters of recent television, audio, and home theater equipment purchasers ranked online product reviews and comments from other shoppers as having some or significant influence on their buying decision, according to the Fall 2008 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey.

Consumers were also influenced by information from blogs, manufacturer, and store Web sites prior to buying.

The Ad-ology survey also indicates consumers consider quality, price, and availability the most important factors when purchasing TV, audio, or home theater equipment.

“Considering the importance consumers place on quality, it’s no surprise that product-review Web sites are a major influence on their purchases,” said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research. “Manufacturer Web sites list technical specs, but consumer reviews give real-world experiences – what happens when you get the set home – that consumers feel they can trust,” Smith said.

Despite doing online research for these products, the study shows 80.3 percent of consumers still prefer to purchase TV, audio, and home theater equipment in-person at a store.

Other key findings from the survey:
• One-third of recent TV/Audio/Home Theater purchasers were somewhat or significantly influenced by blog content
• Newspapers, television, and magazines were the most influential traditional media types
• Twenty percent of purchasers say sports marketing is a somewhat or very important factor in their buying decision
• Older consumers (ages 55 to 64) place importance on factors such as product availability, store reputation, and location

The Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey is conducted quarterly by Ad-ology Research to study on- and off-line media influence on buying decisions.

The full report covering “Media Influence on Consumer Choice: TV, Audio, and Home Theater Equipment,” can be purchased online through Ad-ology. The 54-page downloadable report is $495 and features 24 data charts, consumer-spending estimates by market, and additional marketing insights.