Online Search Drove Nearly 10 Million UK Travel Purchases between December 2005 and February 2006

New Research from Comscore MMX, Media Contacts and Yahoo! Search Marketing Ties Multi-Channel Travel Transactions to Web Search

LONDON, July 25, 2006 – Comscore MMX, Yahoo! Search Marketing and Media Contacts today jointly released new research that quantifies the impact of Web search on UK travel purchases. The research identified consumers who make travel-related searches, analysed their online travel search and buying behaviour and surveyed them for additional insight into their attitudes and offline purchase behaviour.

The results showed the three-month period from December 2005 through February 2006 generated 9.8 million travel purchases by 7.5 million UK consumers using Web searches to help plan their trip. Eighty-five percent of travel searchers reported that they completed a travel purchase either online or offline within 90 days of their initial search.

“The findings from this study are particularly significant given its focus on the UK market,” said Bob Ivins, managing director of Comscore Europe. “Based on comparisons to research Comscore has previously conducted in the U.S., this study demonstrates that search is even more important to UK travel planners than to their counterparts in the U.S. Forty percent of all searchers in the UK conducted a travel search during the analysis period compared to a lower 27 percent in a comparable study conducted among U.S. consumers.”

Study Quantifies Latent Impact of Web Search on Travel Purchases

When examining the online behaviour of UK Internet users in December 2005, only 10 percent of online travel transactions linked to search occurred immediately following the initial search referral, while the remaining 90 percent took place in subsequent days and weeks (considered latent purchases). Indeed, fully 45 percent of the purchases actually occurred more than four weeks later. Latent purchasing was even more dramatic among those who initially searched on destination-related terms, with 95 percent of purchasing taking place after the initial search referral.

“This research proves that the value of Web search marketing extends beyond direct marketing,” commented Paul Frampton, head of digital at Media Contacts UK. “The more fragmented nature of the online travel sector in the UK compared to the U.S., combined with more varied travel options available for UK travellers, make for a more intensive planning process, and an even stronger latent purchasing effect. To fully measure ROI, marketers must consider the latent and offline value of their search marketing campaigns and employ a measurement and optimisation methodology which accounts for delayed purchase behaviour.”

“The study clearly shows consumers consider search highly valuable in the travel planning process,” said Nick Jones, category development director at Yahoo! Search Marketing. “Marketers need to consider the strategic aspects of Web search as a method of discovery for new brands and services, and a key means of gathering information among travel planning consumers.”

Web Search is a Key Resource for Travel Planners and Directly Influences Behaviour

Results from the survey portion of the study indicate that Web search is a highly relevant and important tool in comparison to other resources, with 80 percent of consumers considering search more valuable for travel research than traditional offline resources.

Additionally, search results were proven successful in affecting UK travel consumers’ behaviour. According to the study, 39 percent of respondents said they visited a travel related site they did not previously plan to visit, and 25 percent said they considered a brand not originally in their consideration set because of the brand’s placement at the top of the search results.

Methodology Summary

Population: UK consumers using search engines to research travel

Time period: Analysis focused on the 90 days ending February 2006 with data organized as follows:

Initial search query: First observed travel search query between December 1 – 31, 2005

Time-aligned analysis: All consumers identified in December 2005 were time-aligned to a “common” start point based on their initial query in the period, with 8 weeks of analysis following their initial query. As a result, final observation ranges between January 26 – February 25, 2006. The time-aligned analysis was used to understand latent purchase behaviour.

Search engines tracked: All major search engines in the U.K. including, but not limited to, Yahoo!, Google, MSN, AOL, Ask Jeeves.

Search term categorisation: Categorisation was developed jointly by Yahoo! Search and Comscore with tens of thousands of queries categorized by Yahoo! search. These terms were then matched against the Comscore qSearch database of search terms to produce the underlying data set.

Measures and key definitions:

Searches: The distinct number of search queries observed

Searcher: The distinct number of unique searchers

Buyer Conversion: Total buyers as a percent of total searchers

Direct Conversion: Conversion occurring as a direct result of a search referral

Latent Conversion: Conversion occurring outside the search referral Internet session, but clearly linked to a consumer observed searching on travel related terms

Sample sizes:

Online Searchers: More than 7,500 searchers

Offline Survey Respondents: 300 respondents

About Comscore Networks

Comscore Networks is a global leader in measuring the digital age. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given Comscore 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 proprietary 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 AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Verizon, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Tribune Interactive, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, MBNA, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Merck and Expedia. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.

About Media Contacts

Media Contacts (“MC”) is the global interactive media network of Media Planning Group (“MPG”) - the media division of HAVAS. MC provides media solutions across all digital, direct response and relationship-based channels. MC brings together professional expertise, proven strategic insight, and Artemis™, MC’s advanced proprietary technology platform, to maximize impact for the advertiser interactive media investment. Since 1997, and in 20 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia & Oceania, Media Contacts is the trusted partner of more than 400 clients, including the market leaders in many industries. To learn more, please visit www.mediacontacts.com.

About Yahoo! Search Marketing

Yahoo! Search Marketing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yahoo! Inc., offers essential marketing services for companies doing business online. The company's search-based products and tools help businesses connect with highly motivated customers. Yahoo! Search Marketing has offices across Europe, Asia, Australia and South-America. For more information, visit http://searchmarketing.yahoo.co.uk

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