Turks use the Internet for ‘fun,’ new study says

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

TNS Technology and Media Director Dirk Steffen (R) and TNS Turkey General Director Arzu Kumar are seen at the press conference.

Turkish people’s chief motivation in going online is for entertainment and patterns show comparatively higher brand communication and mobile phone Internet use, according to the TNS Digital Life survey, announced Feb. 7 at a press meeting.

Conducted in 60 countries with the participation of 72,000 people, the survey’s primary focus is to reveal the effects of online life on consumers, and their consequent reflections in the world of marketing.

“What the survey indicates about Turkey is striking, because it shows nine out of every ten internet users make online queries about brands, which is above the global average,” said TNS Technology and Media Director Dirk Steffen, adding that Turkey was an attractive country in terms of online marketing and online communication investments.

Some 71 percent of the Turkish internet users go online every day for entertainment purposes.
Another striking result of the survey is that 22 percent of Turkish internet users use their mobile phone to access the internet. The rush hours of mobile connections to the internet coincide with the rush hours of traffic, as well as with the lazy moments before going to sleep.

Most Turkish internet users check Facebook or Twitter just before going to bed, and go online when stuck in the traffic, the survey indicates. The number of “virtual friends” for an average Turk has risen from 191 to 219 over the previous year, the survey reveals, and the country ranks 8th in the digital world.

Facebook: We just love it

Turkish people frequently use social network sites like Facebook, with 36 percent of internet users logging on to these websites every day.

Another result of the survey is that Turkish people love becoming “friends” with local and global brands through social media. Turkey’s average virtual friendship ties with brands are above the global average, the most common reason being to receive discount promotions.

Nearly 2 billion people are online in the 60 countries, the survey said. 1.6 billion people are members of social networks and nearly 770 million of them are becoming “friends” with brands in their social network profiles.

The survey indicates that 1.5 billion people use the internet to search about a service or a product they are considering buying. Nearly 850 million users are writing about brands and 1.4 billion people are reading and being influenced by these entries.