We like studies here at Download Squad. There's a certain mystique about them. Such cold, hard data. So official-sounding, yet prone to error, prone to being misused as a weapon rather than as a learning tool.

Here's a new study to chew on. According to this study, a meager 6% of people online are contributing 50% of the clicks to display advertisements. Yes, you read that right.

This 6% are a unique bunch. In the study, they are described as "Internet users between the ages of 25-44 and households with an income under $40,000, who are relatively more likely to visit auctions, gambling, and career services sites."

These so-called heavy clickers are turning the online advertising world upside down. A successful online advertising campaign was previously measured by the amount of clicks; according to this data, however, clicks can no longer be used as the ideal measure. The study also found that ad-clicking was no guarantee of brand awareness or brand loyalty.

So what does this mean for the online advertisers? Here's a list of potential reactions:

• Overreact: A study like this often causes a knee-jerk reaction. Could a new pay-per-click scheme arise from the ashes? What would something like that look like?
• Stay the course: This has a high chance of being followed, simply because moving advertisers to action is like steering a humongous barge. You turn the wheel, but it might be a long time before the ship starts to turn.
• Discount the study: Here's what we'd say: "studies of this magnitude are prone to error, human or otherwise, and no study is without its bias. Therefore, we choose to ignore the study and its results completely."

Whatever the reaction, the study is worth a read by the use of catch phrases and new nicknames alone. Where else can you find such monikers as "Natural Born Clickers," or sayings like "the click is dead?"

[via ReadWriteWeb]