August 22, 2002 - WhatTheyThink.com and CAP Ventures have released the monthly Print Buyer Pulse Index. The data is compiled each month from print buyers throughout the United States. The goal of the index is to provide real-time analysis of print demand directly from the end user. The August polling indicated that 34.5% of print buyers expect their print spending to increase over the next 6 months, an improvement over July (29.7%) and June (31.8%) but still down from the high in May (45.3%). The steady improvement in print customer 6-month sentiment, which peaked in the April and May polls, appears to have stabilized at a slightly lower level over the last three months. In August, print customers’ outlook for their print spending over the next 6 months is to increase a modest 1.9% compared with the last 6 months. This level of increase is up from the 0.9% figure in July and the 1.1% figure in June, but down sharply from the robust 4.9% 6-month projected increase in May. The March, April and May outlooks were very positive. Note that the outlook in July for the upcoming 6 months was the lowest level all year. The good news is there is not a continued deterioration in long term print spending plans. The next two months are critical in determining the direction of print buyer activity and health of the print industry. The overall percentage of print customers planning to purchase print increased in August and should continue to rebound in September as many companies gear up fall promotional campaigns. Should the trend continue through the fall, 2002 will likely end on a positive note. Premium Access members at WhatTheyThink.com can view charts, graphs, demographics and complete comparisons with previous months. The complete results also include July actual spending and projected spending for August. The data can be accessed at www.whattheythink.com