Content Marketing Today

C-Level Execs: Morning Coffee & Newspapers No More

In a recent research study, Forbes.com and Gartner revealed more data that is bound to be disconcerting for the newspaper industry. 

Already battered by dramatic readership declines among younger people, this research about C-level executive behavior continues to paint a very bleak picture for the industry.  As detailed in a MediaPost blog post, the research shows that “the Internet continues to be the most influential and important source of business information for C-level executives around the world.”

Time was when business executives combined their java in the morning with cover to cover readership of the local paper–especially to catch up on local, regional, and national business information.  Virtually every local daily newspaper combined its own coverage of business with wire stories from AP or UPI.  Of course, as recently as 15 years ago, the only other alternative would have been local TV news, which provides little to no business coverage.

Unfortunately, as local newspaper business sections shrink or disappear entirely, online business information is much richer and more compelling.

Today, business executives can get great business information online from trusted sources such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and business specific publications such as Forbes.com.  According to the Forbes/Gartner research, that is exactly what they are doing.

Here are highlights from the research as quoted in the MediaPost blog:

• 67% of c-level execs say the Internet is their most important source of business information. 
• That’s an increase of 37% since 2004.
• First thing in the morning Internet use is up 22%.
• First thing in the morning newspaper readership is down 11%.
• The Web is more important than any other media source among C-level executives at 41%.
• Senior execs research competitors and industry trends online daily.

This continued migration away from newspapers by senior business executives is just one more nail in the coffin of local newspapers.  They have already lost most younger readers.  Now they are losing one of the most desirable and affluent demographics–C-level executives.