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Part Five Developing the Integrated Marketing Communications Program
Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
Exhibit 12-9 The MPA has
been promoting the value
of magazines in successful
marketing and brandbuilding
programs with a
series of ads such as the one
shown
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
12. Evaluation of Print
Media
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Permanence Another distinctive advantage offered by magazines is their long
life span. TV and radio are characterized by fleeting messages that have a very short
life span; newspapers are generally discarded soon after being read. Magazines, however,
are generally read over several days and are often kept for reference. They are
retained in the home longer than any other medium and are generally referred to on
several occasions. A study of magazine audiences found that readers devote nearly an
hour over a period of two or three days to reading an average magazine. 6 Studies have
also found that nearly 75 percent of consumers retain magazines for future reference. 7
One benefit of the longer life of magazines is that reading occurs at a less hurried pace
and there is more opportunity to examine ads in considerable detail. This means
ads can use longer and more detailed copy, which can be very important for highinvolvement
and complex products or services. The permanence of magazines also
means readers can be exposed to ads on multiple occasions and can pass magazines
along to other readers.
Prestige Another positive feature of magazine advertising is the prestige the
product or service may gain from advertising in publications with a favorable image.
Companies whose products rely heavily on perceived quality, reputation, and/or image
often buy space in prestigious publications with high-quality editorial content whose
consumers have a high level of interest in the advertising pages. For example, Esquire
and GQ cover men’s fashions in a very favorable environment, and a clothing manufacturer
may advertise its products in these magazines to enhance the prestige of its
lines. Architectural Digest provides an impressive editorial environment that includes
high-quality photography and artwork. The magazine’s upscale readers are likely to
have a favorable image of the publication that may transfer to the products advertised
on its pages. Good Housekeeping provides a unique consumer’s refund or replacement
policy for products that bear the limited warranty seal or advertise in the magazine.
This can increase a consumer’s confidence in a particular brand and reduce the amount
of perceived risk associated with a purchase.
While most media planners recognize that the environment created by a publication
is important, it can be difficult to determine the image a magazine provides. Subjective
estimates based on media planners’ experience are often used to assess a magazine’s
prestige, as are objective measures such as reader opinion surveys. 8
Consumer Receptivity and Involvement With the exception of newspapers,
consumers are more receptive to advertising in magazines than in any other
medium. Magazines are generally purchased because the information they contain
interests the reader, and ads provide additional information that may be
of value in making a purchase decision. The Study of Media Involvement
conducted for the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) found
that magazines are the medium turned to most by consumers for knowledge,
information, and usable ideas (see Figure 12-2). The study found
that magazines are consumers’ primary source of information for a
variety of products and services, including automobiles, beauty and
grooming, clothing and fashion, financial planning, and personal and
business travel. 9 The MPA cites consumer involvement as a reason for
the success of magazine advertising in its “Magazine Plans That Work”
campaign. This campaign consists of a series of ads promoting the
results achieved by advertisers who have made magazines the lead
media vehicle or part of their media mix plan (Exhibit 12-9).
In addition to their relevance, magazine ads are likely to be
received favorably by consumers because, unlike broadcast ads, they
are nonintrusive and can easily be ignored. Studies show that the
majority of magazine readers welcome ads; only a small percentage
have negative attitudes toward magazine advertising. 10 Some magazines,
such as bridal or fashion publications, are purchased as much
for their advertising as for their editorial content. MPA-sponsored
studies have shown that magazine readers are more likely to attend to
and recall ads than are TV viewers.