More case history evidence that magazine advertising sells

UK evidence

There is a great deal of further UK evidence showing that magazine-only campaigns can sell products and services. Many publishers and other organisations have been issuing case history material for years, demonstrating the sales effectiveness of magazine advertising. Several sources have produced collections of case histories, and these are particularly valuable in showing that the sales power of magazines is a widespread and general phenomenon applicable to all kinds of products and services, and not confined to special situations.

• PPA’s ‘52 Reasons Why Magazines Make Things Happen’ [76]
• IPC Media’s analyses of TNS Superpanel data [77]
• IPC Media’s 1998 collection of 19 case histories under the title ‘How Magazines Work’ [78]
• IPA’s Advertising Effectiveness Awards, whose entries are held available in a databank [79], and whose winning entries are published in the ‘Advertising Works’ series of books [80].

More case histories can be found here.

International evidence

As with the UK, many other countries have published impressive case history evidence that magazine advertising can sell products and services. Much of this is available through the websites of individual publishers and of national associations (such as the Magazine Publishers of America’s www.magazine.org; or Germany’s www.pz-online.de from VDZ Verband Deutscher Zeitschriftenverleger).

One of the studies from Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) is summarised below as an example:

Nielsen Sales Scan

MPA commissioned A C Nielsen to use their 50,000 Household Scanner Panel to examine the impact of ten magazine campaigns running in the second quarter of 1998 in the USA. The purchases made by households exposed to magazines carrying the ads were compared with purchases by demographically matched households not exposed to those magazines.

Of the households that were exposed to magazines:

• A higher percentage bought the advertised product (for 9 of the 10 products)
• The volume of purchases per household was greater (for 8 of the 10 products)
• The absolute sums of money spent were greater (for 8 of the 10 products)

The MPA concluded that the "findings clearly demonstrate that increased magazine weight results in increased sales for advertisers". The full results were published by MPA in 1999 in a detailed report called "Sales Scan" [81].

FIPP

A substantial single source of information from countries around the world is FIPP, the International Federation of the Periodical Press. FIPP, headquartered in London, represents magazine publishers from almost 100 countries. FIPP published in May 1999 a report by Alan Smith called "Take A Fresh Look At Print" [82] which provided a synopsis of about 20 research studies worldwide which investigated the effectiveness of print advertising (newspapers as well as magazines) when used on its own and in conjunction with television. In 2002 a second edition was published [83], introducing further studies and analyses. Together, this body of research underlines the benefits of creative synergy, enhanced communication and better targeting, resulting in improved return on investment. Both of the “Take A Fresh Look At Print” reports may be downloaded from FIPP’s website.

The FIPP website’s Research section (which I edit) presents a growing collection of summaries of significant research studies from around the world. Visit www.fipp.com/research. There is also a quarterly electronic newsletter, Global Research Update, which presents summaries of some of the latest research studies. To receive the newsletter, free, sign up at www.fipp.com/newsletter.asp