Consumers set up a blockbuster holiday season at the Box Office
1/3 of Total European Internet Audience Visited Online Banking Sites in February
Comscore Chairman Gian Fulgoni and SVP Paul Goode to Speak at Valencia Festival of Media
LONDON, U.K., April 16, 2009 – Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its first ever ranking of the most visited online banking properties in Europe, based on February 2009 data from the Comscore World Metrix audience measurement service. In total, 104 million European Internet users visited an online banking property during the month, representing more than one-third of Europe’s total online population.
Credit Agricole Ranks as the Most Popular Online Bank in Europe
In February, the most popular online banking property in Europe was French-owned Credit Agricole, with 8.9 million visitors, followed by two U.K. properties, Lloyds Banking Group plc (7.3 million visitors) and The Royal Bank of Scotland (7 million visitors). HSBC, the world’s most popular non-U.S. banking property, ranked seventh with 5.3 million European visitors.
“Banking has become an important online consumer activity, and this is especially true in these uncertain economic times,” said Comscore co-founder and chairman, Gian Fulgoni. “The global recession has made people more aware of the value of money, more focused on their savings, and more determined than ever to keep a close watch on their spending. Online banking has made personal financial management significantly easier, but it also represents an important channel for banks to be able to manage their customer relationships during a time when maintaining customer trust and loyalty is paramount.”
Top 15 Online Banking PropertiesRanked by Total European Unique Visitors (000)*February 2009Total Europe, Age 15+ - Home & Work LocationsSource: Comscore World Metrix
Property
Total Unique Visitors (000)
Total European Internet Audience
305,653
Banking
103,586
Credit Agricole
8,927
Lloyds Banking Group plc
7,324
The Royal Bank Of Scotland
6,976
Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe
6,679
Societe Generale
6,538
BNP Paribas
5,902
HSBC
5,269
Barclays Bank
5,210
Citigroup
4,842
Swedbank
4,314
Caisse d'Epargne
4,086
UniCredit Group
4,046
Volksbanken-Raiffeisenbanken
3,667
Rabobank Group
3,213
Grupo Santander
3,082
*Excludes traffic from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs.
Online Banking Penetration Highest in Netherlands
Of the 17 European countries individually reported by Comscore MMX, online banking usage was highest in the Netherlands, where more than half (52.9 percent) of the country’s total online population engaged in the activity. Online banking had the lowest reach in Russia, where only 6 percent of the total online population visited an online banking site in February.
Overall, France had the highest share of online banking customers in Europe with 16.9 percent, followed by the U.K. (16.4 percent), Germany (14.3 percent) and Spain (6.2 percent).
European Online Banking Reach By CountryFebruary 2009Total Europe, Age 15+ - Home & Work Locations*Source: Comscore World Metrix
Country
% Reach of Total Country Online Population
% Share of Total European Online Banking Users
Europe
33.9%
100.0%
Netherlands
52.9%
6.1%
France
49.9%
16.9%
Sweden
48.4%
2.7%
United Kingdom
46.1%
16.4%
Belgium
39.0%
2.0%
Germany
38.6%
14.3%
Denmark
36.7%
1.2%
Spain
35.2%
6.2%
Norway
34.4%
1.0%
Finland
33.1%
Ireland
28.4%
0.5%
Turkey
28.0%
4.6%
Italy
26.9%
5.5%
Austria
23.4%
Portugal
17.2%
0.6%
Switzerland
15.9%
0.7%
Russia
6.0%
1.7%
All Other**
N/A
18.0%
*Excludes traffic from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs.**Comscore individually reports on 17 European countries, but has panellists across the continent, which contribute to our European roll-up.
Comscore Chairman and SVP to Speak at Festival of Media, Valencia
Comscore co-founder and chairman, Gian Fulgoni, will speaking at the Festival of Media, Valencia, on Monday 20 April. Mr. Fulgoni will explain how data can provide both the catalyst and the opportunity for dramatic changes in media markets, and he will share some new insights into what is happening in today’s turbulent online advertising industry.
Mr. Goode, Comscore VP, will also be speaking at the event, alongside the GSMA’s Henry Stevens to introduce the joint Comscore GSMA Mobile Media Metrics program. Comscore will also be present in the press room at the event, offering direct data support to reporters covering the digital media industry.
If you are planning on attending and would like to arrange an interview with Mr. Fulgoni or Mr. Goode please contact Jamie Gavin on +44 (0)207 099 1775 or worldpress@comscore.com.
About Comscore Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo
Ayaan MohamudComscore, Inc.+ 44 (0) 207-099-1775worldpress@comscore.com