Magazines Top TV and Online As Most Efficient Medium in Driving Consumer Action

October 13, 2009

New York, NY (October 13, 2009)—The results of a new analysis from independent research firm Dynamic Logic reveals magazines’ critical role in the consumer’s purchase decision process, it was announced today by Ellen Oppenheim, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Magazine Publishers of America (MPA).  Dynamic Logic, which specializes in advertising effectiveness research, recently updated their database of client-specific CrossMedia Research™ accountability studies.  Their latest aggregation, which contains 39 studies, continues their work on how television, magazines and online advertising work in combination to impact the attitudes and intended behavior of consumers as they go through five identified stages of the buying process, i.e., the purchase funnel. 

For the first time Dynamic Logic went beyond analyzing advertising effects for magazines, TV and web to look at the cost of generating results for each medium individually and in combination with others, expressed as return on investment (ROI).  Looking at consumers reached by each medium they found:

• Overall, seeing magazine advertising drove consumer attitudes and intended behavior more effectively and efficiently than viewing television advertising alone or TV in combination with online advertising.
  
• Across the 39 studies, adding magazines to TV and online had the greatest impact on consumer attitudes and intended behavior in three out of five stages: aided brand awareness at the top of the purchase funnel, and brand favorability and purchase consideration/intent at the key conversion and action stages at the bottom of the funnel.  For ad awareness, the added effect of magazines and the effect of TV alone virtually tied in their contributions.
   
  • For the consumer packaged goods category (17 studies), magazines, when added to TV and online, were also the largest contributor in three out of five stages: ad awareness, brand favorability and purchase consideration/intent.
    
  • For the non-packaged goods category (22 studies) as with overall results, magazines, when added to TV and online, were the largest contributor for aided brand awareness, brand favorability, and purchase consideration/intent
• Magazines were the most cost-effective medium throughout the purchase funnel, looking two related measures of ROI: people impacted per dollar spent and cost per person. Results from 10 CrossMedia Research™ studies for which these data were available, show the following for people impacted per dollar spent:
   
  • Magazines were the most efficient medium in four out of five stages of the purchase funnel.
     
  • TV+Magazines+Online was most efficient for one of the five stages.

According to Dr. William Havlena of Dynamic Logic, “Findings from this latest CrossMedia Research™ analysis showed that magazine advertising performed strongly and was cost effective throughout all stages of the purchase funnel.  We consistently see that exposure to magazine advertising is a powerful driver of brand familiarity and purchase consideration/intent when added to TV and online.”

“Time and time again, independent research has shown that without magazines, advertisers’ media plans would not have been as effective or cost efficient,” said Ms. Oppenheim. 

The white paper called “Assessing Ad Impact: How TV, Online and Magazines Contribute Throughout the Purchase Funnel,” featuring complete details and data from Dynamic Logic’s latest CrossMedia Research™, is available for download from the MPA website at www.magazine.org/accountability.