This PreferenceCentral consumer research study was led by Dr. Karl Lendenmann, Vice President, Marketing & Analytics at Datran Media, and executed in collaboration with Survey Sampling International (SSI), which randomly assigned Internet users, selecting 50% from their existing panel members and 50% from real-time online recruitment. Respondents were screened for age and gender to assure a proportionally-representative sample. Further, the survey was administered across all days of the week and day-parts to prevent potential timing biases. For this sample of 1,050 U.S. Internet users 18 to 64 years of age, the error estimates are +/- 3% at the 95% confidence level.

Survey participants were asked a series of questions in each of the following stages:

• Current-State – Obtain current-state attitudes toward online advertising at start
• Behavioral Targeting Education – Determine impact of awareness of behavioral targeting on consumers' attitudes
• Consumer Control Solution Presentation – Assess interest in a consumer control solution and how its availability affects consumers' attitudes
• Audience Data Education – Determine relative comfort regarding different types of audience data collected online, as well as education on the fact that these data are totally anonymous, non-personally identifiable information

By framing our core preference questions within the context of real-world trade-off options, we were able to gain a much more accurate, complete view of how consumers feel about targeted advertising in their everyday lives.

Specifically, for this research, consumers were asked to indicate what proportion of their time online would they prefer to spend among each of the three trade-off options below? To indicate their preferences they were asked to allocate 100% of their time online between these three trade-off alternatives:

• I prefer to receive free online information and services in exchange for relevant advertising targeted to me
• I prefer to pay for online information and services in exchange for no online advertising
• I prefer to receive free, but somewhat limited online information or less functional services in exchange for untargeted and less relevant advertising