Advertisers benefit from the reader-magazine relationship

The affinity between readers and their chosen magazines, established here, greatly benefits advertisers. The powerful intimacy rubs off onto the advertising, awarding it an authority and trustworthiness. There is a positive effect on the perception and absorption of the advertisements. The editorial content delivers a reader in the right frame of mind to be receptive to the advertisers’ messages.

An advertiser quoted by Reader’s Digest [51] was spot on when he said “The editorial/reader relationship is a one-to-one conversation, and in time it creates a bond of trust, of belief, expectation and empathy. It is through the quality of this relationship that an aperture or opening to the reader’s mind and heart is created, through which we advertisers can establish communication.”

Because magazines can serve a niche market, readers of such titles feel a sense of being a member of a ‘closed club’. This aspect of magazine reading means that the advertisers know they are free be cheeky or adventurous or whatever is appropriate for the particular niche, because it is a private conversation among like-minded people.

The bond between readers and their chosen magazines means advertisers can imply to readers that “not only do we have something to sell but we are also part of the fantasy created by the magazine”, as Christine Walker expressed it at the 2002 PPA Conference [52]. She continued “There will always be an unquantifiable quality about magazines. It’s what makes them special. It’s about tying one’s brand into a monthly or weekly statement about how people are living today – in the real world and in their imagination.”

How it works

This rub-off effect was investigated in the qualitative survey “Women & Magazines: The Medium & The Message” published by National Magazines and G+J of the UK [22]. It found that the way an advertisement is perceived in a magazine and the level of involvement between the reader and the advertisement is likely to depend on the reader’s expectations of advertisements in the publication, the advertisement’s degree of compatibility with the magazine as a brand, the strength of the reader’s relationship with the magazine, the advertisement’s positioning relative to editorial, the mode of reading, the intrinsic qualities of the advertisement, and the reader’s historical relationship with the advertised product.

The research report said “The reader approaches the magazine in a frame of mind geared to absorbing that particular magazine’s personality and opinion. The advertising can be absorbed as part of this opinion - provided that it is close in character, style and brand values to the magazine’s personality. The closer the advertisements are to the magazine’s ethos, the more authority they achieve. Compatible advertising will carry the endorsement of the magazine’s personality - a powerful benefit because of the way women identify with the magazine they have chosen.

Thus when an advertisement in a magazine resonates with the character of that magazine’s personality, it is capable of achieving a synergy with the remaining content. When this occurs, the advertising and editorial are mutually reinforcing and promote maximum reader identification with both advertisement as brand and magazine as brand. A dual branding is thus achieved... The stronger the reader’s affiliation with the magazine as a brand, the higher the level of endorsement that the advertising receives from the magazine’s personality.”

It is illuminating to see why the research confirmed the notion that it pays to position advertisements close to relevant editorial. The mood induced by reading the editorial on a topic transfers beneficially to an advertisement nearby on the same topic. It helps induce involvement with the ad, and identification of the ad as being ‘for me’. One of the informants said:

“I think what you read heightens your interest in that particular subject. If I was reading this on fashion design and that Miss Selfridge ad was in it, because I’m already attuned to fashion design I would be that much more aware. It’s the same as Sharwoods. If Sharwoods was in the middle of my catering, in my recipe section, I might actually look up the recipe that it’s advertising.”

A related statement was made by an informant in another survey, the AIM study [53]:

"If there's an article on beauty products, the next page might be an advert on a beauty product and it's almost an addition to the article. It's welcome because it's informative."

Advertising: essential and enjoyable

The “Media Values” survey from IPC Magazines [9] showed that advertisements in magazines are seen as essential and well liked.

Among adult readers of magazines of all types, 65% agreed with the statement “The ads are an essential part of this magazine”. There was naturally some variation according to the type of magazine. Among readers of motoring magazines 80% agreed with the statement as it applied to motoring titles. For motorcycling magazines 76% agreed. For house and home monthlies, and fashion beauty and hair monthlies, 75% agreed. At the other end of the scale, advertisements are just not very relevant for one or two types of magazine. Only 8% of readers of puzzle magazines agreed that the ads are an essential part of the magazine. The next lowest figures were 47%-49% agreeing, for publications such as romantic magazines.

Incidentally, the 65% average for all magazines was a good deal higher than the equivalent figures for any other form of media. For newspapers, colour supplements, commercial television, commercial radio (the runner-up) and cinema the ads were not seen as such an essential part of the medium.

Another “Media Values” statement was “I enjoy the ads in this magazine”. Again there was a high average score for all magazines, with 62% agreeing. This was higher than for any of the other media forms; television was the runner-up.

Women’s style/feature monthlies

The affinity between reader and magazine, and its rub-off onto the advertising, was demonstrated among women’s style and feature monthlies. SouthBank Publishing Group conducted a study called “Today’s Fashionable Values” [54]. 1,650 postal questionnaires were received from readers of three magazines, asking about their interests, lifestyle, and attitudes towards advertisements in their magazine.

The study showed that readers treat advertisements as an integral part of their magazine, and that the readers’ trust in the magazine is extended to the advertisements in it.

Thus 69% agreed with the statement “I see advertisements in magazines as a source of information”. 69% agreed with the statement “I trust the advertisements in …(magazine)…”. 65% thought “…(magazine)… only carries advertisements for products they approve of”. Thus an endorsement of the ads by the magazine is perceived to some extent.

The advertisements carried by these magazines were seen as good quality, tasteful, and informative - the same qualities that were delivered by the magazines themselves. 72% of readers said they had bought a product as a direct result of seeing it advertised in their magazine. In fact, 55% agreed with the statement “I often buy beauty products I have seen advertised in magazines”, and 47% agreed “I have bought perfume as a result of testing it from a scent strip”. 81% agreed with the statement “A recommendation in a magazine is more likely to make me try a product”. So the readers are wide open to suggestions, whether from an editorial mention or an advertisement.

When the magazine’s brand values are complementary to those of the advertised product, a multiplier effect occurs. The advertising becomes more effective than it would be if seen out of context or in a less appropriate medium.

Women’s domestic monthlies

A survey by RSGB called “The Dynamics of Communication” [55], which interviewed average-issue readers of Prima, Essentials, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping and Woman & Home, underlined the value to advertisers of the strong reader/magazine relationship. The survey found that:

1. The more closely that a reader identifies with a magazine as a brand, the more positively she responds to the contents of the magazine, including the advertising.
2. The more committed and loyal a reader is to her magazine, the more she will value and trust its contents.
3. The greater the degree of involvement that a reader has with her magazine, the more attention she pays to it and the more use she makes of it.
4. If a magazine succeeds in inspiring its readers it will give them new ideas for things to do and to buy.
5. When brand affiliation, commitment, involvement and inspiration are all achieved, the reader’s reaction to the magazine’s contents is especially powerful.

Women’s weeklies

A further piece of research moves us from women’s monthlies to women’s weeklies. IPC’s Weeklies Group commissioned a qualitative study called “The Women’s Weekly Magazine Environment”, carried out by Robert Quayle [57]. This established that readers of IPC’s women’s weeklies perceived their favourite magazine as a dependable and trusted friend, someone the reader could relate to. One reader said “It’s similar to being with one of your friends, having a good chat.” The magazines were frequently read during time deliberately put aside to relax, and were seen as a well deserved indulgence.

Readers’ favourite women’s weekly magazines are sources of advice, guidance and inspiration across a range of subjects. This trust is based on the assumption that the magazine has no reason to be biased for or against any brand or point of view, and that they would research any given area thoroughly and objectively. There was also a sense of continuity of editorial staff which made the magazines seem reliable. This perception of magazines being totally scrupulous editorially extends into a trust in the products advertised within them.

Advertisements were consumed with interest along with the editorial, provided the ads struck a chord. One reader said “Some of the adverts are interesting reading in themselves”. Another said “Even though you don’t think you read the adverts, more often than not you do. And you remember them.” Readers used the advertisements as sources of new ideas. Women used the magazines as a way of keeping up to date with new products, and for this relied as heavily upon the advertising in the titles as they did upon the editorial.

Sometimes they took it that step further and acted upon the information. Most respondents were able to cite examples of products they had bought as a direct result of advertisements they had seen in magazines. Respondents said things like:

“Without realising it you’re taking it in: ‘next time I go to Sainsbury’s I must make sure I get some plasters’ sort of thing.”

“Often you see things you’ve never seen before, new products that come out like furniture polish that smelt like pot pourri, I saw it in a magazine and went and bought it.”

“It’s a good source of knowing what’s about.”

“It’s important to see new food products because when you go out food shopping you actually have in your mind what you want. But if you know there’s a new food product you might look for it. It keeps you really up to date.”

“Beauty products and creams - you’re not going to notice new ones anywhere but in a magazine.”

“I read that advertisement to see if I could get any ideas for Christmas presents. There were a couple of things I thought would make nice presents.”

“If you think about it, that’s where we get most of our information anyway.”

“Quite often adverts can trigger something off, so you can see something in a magazine and think ‘Oh yes, I’ve got to do that’.”

Money-off coupons and free samples could also lead directly to purchase.

Television weeklies

The final verbatim comment quoted above was later adapted as one of an array of agree/disagree statements put to the panel of regular readers of television weeklies run by NOP Solutions for IPC tx [20]. 68% agreed that “Quite often adverts trigger something off; you see it in a magazine and think ‘I’ll try that’.” In another reflection of the rub-off effect from magazines, 71% agreed that “If you know about a product from reading about it, that’s better than just seeing it on the shelves”.

The way a magazine can be seen to endorse a product advertised in it was illustrated when as many as 31% of the panel agreed with the statement “The products in these weekly TV magazines are endorsed by the magazine”.