AD MARKETING

In 2008, Ad Marketing focused on demonstrating to the ad community that magazines are the “have to have” medium, especially in the soft economy. MPA compiled independent research to show that magazines are the #1 medium in generating consumer action – boosting purchase intent - with the lowest ROI for that key metric - and leading other media in key areas such as web search, web traffic that leads to purchase and word of mouth.

• Research and Measurement efforts
• Increased outreach, including new Sales Materials, Sales Calls, Advertising and Events geared to the advertising community and MPA members

RESEARCH & MEASUREMENT

Magazines Improve Advertising ROI

Magazines most consistently generated a favorable ROI at critical lower stages of the purchase funnel compared to television or online, accordingly to a 2008 database analysis by Marketing Evolution, commissioned by MPA. Results from an aggregation of 38 client-initiated studies were debuted in October 2008 at the American Magazine Conference in San Francisco:

• For brand familiarity and purchase intent, magazines yielded superior ROI compared to TV and online
• For brand awareness magazines ranked a close second in efficiency to TV
• The overall pattern held across individual categories, although each category examined (automotive, entertainment, electronics and pharmaceuticals) showed a unique profile

The latest insights reinforce earlier work from Marketing Evolution and Dynamic Logic/Millward Brown about the valuable role that magazines play in driving results and the importance of using multiple media in the mix.

Magazines Drive Readers to Websites

At MPA’s request, Affinity’s VISTA Print Effectiveness Rating Service assessed ad impact, which reconfirmed that magazines ads with URLs are more likely to drive readers to advertiser websites than ads without URLs across a range of magazine genres. The findings support earlier analysis showing that, when a URL was included in magazine advertising, the percentage point change in website visits tripled.

Both pieces of research underscore the importance of magazine advertising creative in providing results. MPA uses such research to encourage advertisers to focus on creative development to strengthen ad outcomes.

Improving Magazine Measurement

MPA, working with McKinsey & Company, accomplished its stated goal of providing a framework that research companies could use to strengthen magazine measurement, based on input from the publishing and ad communities. Insights were shared with more than a dozen suppliers.

Six companies expressed interest in playing a role in delivering upon the expressed need to develop magazine ad metrics that are more accountable, timely and comparable to how other media are measured.

As a result of MPA’s catalyst efforts, new measures are emerging. Mediamark Research & Intelligence has announced plans to issue both issue-specific and ad engagement measures.

In early 2009 Affinity Research announced that they, too, will provide audience data, in addition to their extensive ad recall and actions taken data.

MPA works to help members and advertisers understand the implications and utility of the new data, encourages development of efficient planning systems for ease of analysis and offers insights to position magazines’ strengths.

Publishers Information Bureau

MPA oversees the PIB service that measures magazine page and advertising volume. In 2008 PIB added eleven new member publications. In addition, eight titles moved to full digital reporting of their magazine data to TNS-Media Intelligence, the contract supplier for the PIB service. More than half of member titles are now moving towards the goal of fully digital reporting.

SALES MATERIALS

More than 24,000 pieces featuring new research were distributed at events and in ad sales calls and presentations to ad decision-makers and MPA members, including:

• Ad Impact: Busting Popular Media Myths: This new sales tool busts a number of erroneous media myths to answer tough questions about magazines asked by the ad community
• Ad Impact: Improving Ad Results in a Soft Economy: Using third-party research and a straight-forward goal and insight approach, this new piece took six common marketing objectives and demonstrated how magazines are key to achieving them
• Fact Sheets: MPA developed one-sheet summaries of why magazines are essential across 17 ad categories, presenting compelling data from a range of third party sources
• MPA’s Magazine Handbook: This valuable compendium of research on magazine effectiveness was expanded in 2009 to accommodate additional research that spotlights magazines’ strong contributions overall and across several ad categories.

ADVERTISING

MPA’s 2008 tongue-in-cheek yet hard-hitting advertising campaign featured bold visuals and clever copy to tout research findings from third party sources to communicate that magazines are the medium of action. The ads, which ran in print and online, spotlighted consumers who desired leading products—Adidas, Haagen Dazs and MINI Cooper—based on their exposure to magazine ads. People are directed to go to the Accountability section of the MPA website for more information.

Feedback from the magazine and advertising communities was positive, and the campaign generated a 433% increase in traffic to Accountability section.

INCREASED OUTREACH AND EVENTS

The Magazine Marketing Coalition used events, sales calls, and seminars to increase magazines’ visibility in the ad and publishing communities. Feedback was positive, and publishers and ad executives stated that they incorporated many facts into their own presentations.

Coalition rallies showcased industry research and case studies to hundreds of MPA members in New York City, Chicago and Detroit. In addition, MPA participated in Magazine Days held by local advertising clubs in major markets across the country—Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Ft. Worth, Minneapolis and New York.

To demonstrate that people continue to get excited over magazines, MPA again set up a newsstand at the 4A’s Media Conference and Association of National Advertiser’s Annual Conference. Thousands of copies of member magazines were grabbed by the armful, even leading to a mention in the New York Times advertising column.

For the second consecutive year, advertisers engaged with the best magazine advertising online via the virtual MPA Kelly Awards. The specially designed microsite included an interactive gallery featuring winners’ and finalists’ ad executions, their marketplace results, commentary and advice from the elite judging panel and humorous videos submitted by the creative teams on what inspired their magazine campaigns. Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube were also used to promote the site and drive traffic.

The results were as impressive as the ads. Compared to 2007, the site generated a 300% increase in page views, 77% more unique visits, and an average 8:47 minutes spent on the site.