NEW YORK, NY — (MARKET WIRE) — May 31, 2007 — Through her unparalleled connection with consumers around the world, media titan and television pioneer Oprah Winfrey recently triggered significant buzz and passion for two emerging diets by endorsing them on her television show and in her magazine.
According to Nielsen BuzzMetrics, the global measurement standard in consumer-generated media, citations of the “BestLife Diet” and “YOU: On a Diet” by “early nutrition adopters” on blogs, boards and other online venues increased 196% and 46%, respectively, during January 2007 versus December 2006. Buzz for the two diets increased 241% and 54% during Q1 2007, respectively, versus Q4 2006, which is well above the average increase for the diet category (24%) overall. Nielsen BuzzMetrics defines early nutrition adopters as consumers from sites with a dedicated focus on nutrition, food, dieting, medicine, and health & wellness.
These findings are from the Nutrition*Buzz Q1 2007 report, Nielsen BuzzMetrics’ next generation of buzz analytics delivering forward-looking indications of changing consumer interests in the nutrition sector. According to the latest report, 15% of online conversations during Q1 taking place on blogs, message boards and usenet groups about the aforementioned diets had mentions of Oprah’s involvement.
“Celebrity endorsements can help boost mindshare and market share, as yet another instance of the ‘Oprah Effect’ confirms,” said Jerry Needel, Senior Vice President, Nielsen BuzzMetrics. “Beyond sales, naturally occurring buzz is among the most powerful indicators of consumer engagement. Marketers can observe this natural passion to better understand and leverage where passionate and influential consumers are directing their attention and trust.”
According to Nutrition*Buzz, online discussion for “YOU: On a Diet” immediately soared among early nutrition adopters as well as mainstream consumer segments after the diet was featured on a November 2, 2006 telecast of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Approximately 10.85 million viewers tuned in, according to Nielsen Media Research, to learn how to gain confidence and energy using the official waist-management tools on RealAge.com, the official Web site for “YOU: On a Diet.” RealAge.com was among the top 15 most visited health and wellness channels for Q1, 2007 based on Web visitors, according to Nielsen Net//Ratings. Comparably, nutrition enthusiast and mainstream buzz for “The BestLife Diet” spiked in January 2007 after being featured in both “O,” The Oprah Magazine and on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” as 10.91 million viewers tuned-in to watch the feature program.