Why Magazines Are Different?
- 1. Why Magazines are different
- 2. Advert placement is a subjective matter. Reach, frequency, audience profile and cost all play a part in the ‘art’ of media planning, but the ‘alchemy’ of the profession is based around the questions of … Is it the right place for this communication? Will it be absorbed? Will it work? Research shows that resistance to advertising isn’t equal across all media and that magazines should be considered in a different light since they are not faced with the same issues other media have. Why should magazines be treated differently to other media?
- 3. How magazine advertising excels in engaging consumers Consumers like magazine advertising versus finding it annoying or interruptive Consumers are less likely to multi-task when engaged with magazine advertising Consumers trust magazine advertising more than advertising in other media As a result, consumers consider magazine advertising to be valuable content Each of these points is supported by multiple pieces of research.
- 4. Consumers enjoy magazine ads rather than finding them annoying or intrusive A number of studies show that consumers are more likely to find magazine advertising acceptable and enjoyable compared to advertising in other media: According to a national phone survey conducted by Roper Public Affairs (2005) , consumers are much more likely to feel that advertising adds to the enjoyment of reading magazines compared to listening to the radio, watching cable TV, watching network TV, or using the internet.
- 5. Consumers enjoy magazine ads rather than finding them annoying or intrusive Dynamic Logic (2005) discovered consumers were more likely to have a positive attitude toward advertising in magazines than any other medium, including TV, radio, or the Internet .
- 6. Consumers enjoy magazine ads rather than finding them annoying or intrusive The majority of adults responding to the Hearst Magazines’ Engagement Factor Study (2005) agreed that the advertising in magazines is geared toward the audience involved with the medium, a rate much higher than that for TV commercials or Internet/online advertising.
- 7. Consumers are less likely to multi-task with magazine ads Research demonstrates that both adult and teen magazine readers pay attention to magazine advertising and are much less likely to engage in other activities relative to how they use other media: BIGresearch found that when consumers read magazines, they are much less likely to engage in other activities simultaneously, compared to the Internet, radio, or television.
- 8. Consumers are less likely to multi-task with magazine ads Importantly, this holds true for Millennials, those consumers born between 1977 and 1996. According to MORI Research, Millennials are much more likely to pay attention to magazine advertising compared to advertising in other media such as TV, radio, or the Internet.
- 9. Consumers trust magazine ads Two separate studies show that consumers trust and believe magazine advertising more than advertising in other media: More than one in five adults age 18 to 54 said they trusted advertising in magazines compared to television and the Internet according to the Hearst Magazines’ Engagement Factor Study.
- 10. Consumers trust magazine ads Similar percentages were reported by MORI Research for Millennials, born between 1977 and 1996: one in five trust advertising in magazines, a higher rate of trust than for television, radio, or the Internet.
- 11. Consumers consider magazine content to be valuable What’s the cumulative result of consumer enjoyment, involvement, and trust in magazine advertising? Consumers value magazine advertising and find it adds to the reader experience relative to how ads in other media are perceived: Northwestern University’s Media Management Center uncovered the top 10 experiences overall that drive magazine reading. The #1 descriptor for the magazine experience is “I get value for my time and money.”
- 12. Consumers consider magazine content to be valuable Furthermore, advertising is actually a driver of engagement and has a positive impact on overall readership. Four advertising-related experiences contributed to magazine usage: “ I like some of the ads a lot” “ I relate to the ads” “ I read the ads” “ I want more ad information” Starcom asked readers to pull ten pages that best demonstrate the essence of their favourite magazines: three out of the ten pages pulled were magazine ads.
- 13. Consumers enjoy magazine ads rather than finding them annoying or intrusive Data from the MRI Consumer Innovator Study (Autumn 2006) gives further proof that adults consider magazine advertising useful and valuable. In addition, consumers more strongly attributed negative attributes to advertising in broadcast media, radio, and the Internet, such as views that ads in these media have no credibility, were repeated too often, and appear at inconvenient moments. 26% 39% 56% 50% Ads provide useful info about new products/services 21% 30% 40% 39% Ads provide useful info about product use of other consumers 24% 39% 47% 40% Ads provide me with useful information about bargains Internet Radio TV Magazines Positive Drivers
- 14. Consumers enjoy magazine ads rather than finding them annoying or intrusive MRI Consumer Innovator Study (Autumn 2006) 32% 27% 30% 21% All ads are alike 46% 47% 63% 25% Ads are repeated too often 33% 22% 31% 15% Ads have no credibility 49% 35% 53% 17% Ads appear at inconvenient moments Internet Radio TV Magazines Negative Drivers
- 15. Capitalise on the platform Engagement with a medium does not always translate to advertising engagement. Proposition, creative execution, timing, ad weight, frequency, relevance and advertisers’ brand position all count. To make the best of that, IPC can offer advice, research, case studies and creative testing. To make sure you get the best from magazine advertising and capitalise on the engagement platform, please contact us.