In a joint research tie-up with Chinadotcom Corporation, 24/7 and
the Modern Advertising Institute of Beijing University's Research
Institute, Grey Interactive has embarked on a three-year Internet
research programme.
With research set to be carried out by the Institute's own student
faculty, topics to be examined include understanding website stickiness,
delving into the habits of the Chinese econsumer and the impact of Web
advertising on these consumers.
"CNNIC is great but its research simply doesn't gauge, with any depth,
how to understand Web consumers in China," said Grey China chairman and
CEO Viveca Chan.
Ms Chan added that global lessons that had been learned about consumers
and advertising on the 'Net would be given the real litmus test in China
as a result of the study.
In addition, she added that research results would provide a valuable
'Net reference resource for China's State Administration of Industry and
Commerce (SAIC), which had a firm eye on assessing the Web's impact in
China.
According to Ms Chan, however, the 10 research topics assigned for the
duration of the study were "a long shot" in terms of completion within
the three-year research window.
With aspects of the study still under wraps, she noted that the two
projects set for completion by year-end would focus in the main on
Internet advertising.
"The real value of this project is that it allows for a classification
of types," said Ms Chan, adding, "who's doing what on the 'Net, and more
importantly what are their detailed attitudes, are some of the million
dollar questions waiting to be answered".
