Oprah Giveaway Drives Massive Traffic Increase at Oprah and Pontiac Sites, According to Comscore Networks

Web Searches for Oprah and Pontiac Jump by 1,000 Percent

RESTON, Va., Sept. 17, 2004 – Comscore Networks today released a late-breaking analysis of Web visitation related to Oprah’s heavily publicized giveaway of 276 Pontiac G6 automobiles to audience members on September 13. Comscore data revealed that following broad media coverage of the event, well over 600,000 Americans visited Oprah.com on Tuesday, September 14 alone, representing an increase of more than 800 percent versus the previous four Tuesdays. Pontiac.com saw an increase in visitation of more than 600 percent compared to the daily average, drawing more than 140,000 visitors on Tuesday.

Comscore also found that these traffic spikes were particularly pronounced among workplace users. More than 370,000 Americans visited Oprah.com from work on Tuesday, accounting for approximately 60 percent of visitors, compared to an average of 50 percent during the typical weekday. Similarly, nearly 100,000 workplace Internet users visited Pontiac.com on Tuesday. This represents approximately 70 percent of total visitors compared to less than 50 percent on a typical weekday.

“The giveaway buzz was clearly a winner in breaking through the clutter on every media channel and in the workplace, where word-of-mouth is a particularly valuable marketing tool,” said Dan Hess, senior vice president of Comscore Networks. “With the majority of new car buyers researching online before they buy, the impact of this event in drawing Americans – including those in-market for a new car – to Pontiac online can’t be overlooked.”

An analysis of online search engine usage found a similar increase in interest surrounding the Pontiac giveaway. On Tuesday, U.S. Internet users conducted more than 500,000 searches containing either “Oprah” or “Pontiac,” an increase of more than 1,000% versus the prior week.

Note: Sum of search counts may not add to total due to rounding

Comscore Networks delivers insight into competitive performance and consumer behavior, supporting leading marketers in Automotive, Media and other key industries. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.

*Searches containing both “Pontiac” and “Oprah” are included in “Pontiac” counts

About Comscore Networks
Comscore Networks provides unparalleled insight into consumer behavior and attitudes. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given Comscore explicit permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. Comscore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its patent-pending technology, Comscore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes. Comscore consultants apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. Comscore services are used by global leaders such as Microsoft, Verizon, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Knight Ridder Digital, Nestlé, Wells Fargo & Company, GlaxoSmithKline, and Orbitz. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.

Press
Bill Daddi
Daddi Brand Communications
646-370-1341
press@comscore.com