Most Americans today use both television and the Internet on a daily basis, and
studies have shown that many are frequently online or in proximity of a computer
while they are watching television. One result of these multi-platform media use
patterns is a new television advertising effect: Today’s consumer can easily obtain
more information on an advertised product by searching for more information on the
Web. This article demonstrates the measurement of such an effect by introducing a
new metric—a measure of changes in Google search queries—that can show how TV
commercials or sponsorships can trigger Internet searches by consumers. We believe
this metric is a valuable addition to the researcher’s toolkit for assessing
advertising effects and regions of interest as it measures an actual behavioral
advertising response.