A Simmons study examined how this trend might affect advertisers.  According to MarketingCharts, "Viewers are 47% more engaged in ads shown during TV programs shown online than those shown on programs watched on a TV set . . ."

Also, "People are 18% more engaged with ads in online versions of magazines compared with print versions; they are also 15% more engaged in magazine articles online than in print magazines."

So even as the American economy does who-knows-what (and fresh predictions put oil at $200 per barrel), the Web should continue to receive marketers’ money.  Not that this is exactly a new conclusion, but it’s nice to associate some data with the theory.

In the same sense (and on another subject), the Simmons study should provide striking writers with even more reasons to put content online.