The leaders of five major magazine companies (Hearst Magazines, Meredith National Media, Time Inc., Condé Nast and Wenner Media) initiated an ad campaign earlier this year promoting the strength of magazines. These ads have appeared in approximately 100 magazines, reaching 112 million readers per month. The ads feature headlines such as, “We Surf the Internet. We Swim in Magazines.” And “Will the Internet Kill Magazines? Did Instant Coffee Kill Coffee?” Some are accompanied by iconic images lifted from the pages of America’s best-known magazines, while others embed multiple cover images from widely recognized publications into the ad’s text to convey key phrases.
This venture cost the publishers about $90 million, producing 1,400 pages of ads. It is the first time such a large-scale campaign has been conducted by these companies. According to Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines, the campaign’s purpose is to convince the public that there is “no better medium to advertise in than magazines.” As well, they wish to reassure readers that magazines are not dying. In fact, recent data shows that magazine readership is increasing. According to the Magazine Publishers of America, the number of magazine readers has grown more than 4% over the past five years with 93% of adults overall and 96% of adults under age 35 reading magazines.
Can Print and Online Publications Co-Exist?
Of course, the ads have met with some criticism from those who believe the campaign is a waste of money. Others feel that publishers are ignoring the growing number of readers who prefer Internet publications over print media. Both print and online forms have a place and serve a purpose. While a magazine cannot display video or up-to-the-second reader comments, it is extremely portable, easy to use, inexpensive, and easy to share with anyone, regardless of the user’s technical sophistication.
At Trade Press Services, we believe there is tremendous value to be found in both traditional print media and emerging, interactive, online media. The key always has been, and always will be, providing value to the user of the medium, whether that means compelling stories, helpful advice, accurate data, or timely reporting. We routinely help companies place articles in both traditional print journals and online media. At Trade Press Services, content will always be king, and that means well-crafted, thought-provoking, bylined articles submitted to the publications that our clients target. We look forward to the innovations that online publishing will continue to bring and also expect that the traditional print magazine will still command a strong position in the battle for readers’ eyes for a long time to come.
Marketing Tips
Here are 11 intriguing facts about magazines:
- Magazine readership has grown over the past five years. (Source: MRI)
- Average paid subscriptions reached nearly 300 million in 2009. (Source: MPA estimates based on ABC first and second half 2009 data)
- 4 out of 5 adults read magazines. (Source: MRI)
- Magazines deliver more ad impressions than TV or Web in half-hour period. (Source: McPheters & Company)
- Magazine readership in the 18 to 34 segment is growing. (Source: MRI)
- Since Facebook was founded, magazines gained more than one million young adult readers. (Source: MRI)
- The average reader spends 43 minutes reading each issue. (Source: MRI)
- Magazines are the No. 1 medium of engagement — across all dimensions measured. Simmons’ Multi-Media Engagement Study find magazines continue to score significantly higher than TV or the Internet in ad receptivity and all of the other engagement dimensions, including “trustworthy” and “inspirational.” (Source: Simmons Multi-Media Engagement Study)
- Magazines and magazine ads garner the most attention: BIGresearch studies show that when consumers read magazines they are much less likely to engage with other media or to take part in non-media activities compared to the users of TV, radio or the Internet. (Source: BIGresearch Simultaneous Media Usage Study)
- Magazines outperform other media in driving positive shifts in purchase consideration/intent. (Source: Dynamic Logic)
- Magazines rank No. 1 at influencing consumers to start a search online – higher than newer media options. (Source: BIGresearch Simultaneous Media Usage Study)
Recommended Reading
- Business Grammar, Style & Usage: The Most Used Desk Reference for Articulate and Polished Business Writing and Speaking by Executives Worldwide, Alicia Abell.
- Effective Business Writing: (A Guide For Those Who Write On the Job) 2nd Edition Revised and Update, Maryann V. Piotrowski.
- On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, William Zinsser.
- Business Writing: What Works, What Won’t, Wilma Davidson.
- The Elements of Style (4th Edition), William Strunk and E. B. White.
Business Resources
There are many companies that offer professional training on business writing and communication skills. Here are a few resources:
- Writer’s Digest University offers online writing workshops, writing webinars and professional writing critique services, including an online course titled “Essentials of Business Writing.”
- UC Berkeley Extension offers the benefits of education from a world-class institution without actually setting foot on the campus. Their online curriculum contains over 165 online courses, including “Business Writing Review.”
Quarterly Quote
“All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.”
–William Bernbach