Print and Other Traditional Medias Trusted Over Social

Professor of marketing at Melbourne Business School, Mark Ritson, uses Nielsen research to point out the continued trustworthiness of print marketing. As mentioned by Ritson, Nielsen declares that sixty-percent of people still trust print advertising. Fifty-six percent of people trust outdoor billboards and other out-of-home advertisements. However, the percent of trust level drops to forty-six when discussing online and social media ads.

Even millennials, the social media gurus, trust print and television advertising more than online and social. So why is that? Shouldn’t millennials lean towards the new and innovative outlets?

Well, I have no facts for you. No cut and dry numbers to tally. But what I do have is first-hand experience, insight, and opinions from a millennial herself: me. 

Theory 1: We don’t fully trust the internet itself

Millennials are raised being told, “Don’t trust everything you read online”. Well, that carries over directly to advertisements. We’re taught to do our due diligence to verify accuracy or simply take everything we see/read with a grain of salt.

Theory 2: We assume anything with a poor design is a poor product/service

The poor aesthetics of some online ads automatically rule them as a scam, inaccurate, or simply untrustworthy. Again, growing up in the digital world we are taught to be cautious of things we click on and access.

Theory 3: We are bombarded with digital

There are so many online/social ads that they’re an annoyance. With seemingly fewer television and print ads, they make a bigger impact. Expanding on this, growing up we were accustomed to seeing television and print ads. However, since the Internet was relatively new, there were little to no ads online making their entrance into the digital world disruptive.

Theory 4: We still like the attributes of physical print advertising

Direct mail print pieces give us a physical reminder. While digital calendars/coupons/offers are becoming more and more popular, I would still rather get a direct mail piece, disconnect the coupon, put it in my wallet, and make a point to go to the store to take advantage of the special offer.

Theory 5: We think less expensive = cheap quality

Digital ads are cheaper therefore less important. I think the majority of individuals realize that a television ad is more expensive than a display banner ad, therefore since anyone can afford online/social ads; they must not be as quality, prestigious, trustworthy, etc.

Like I said, no facts with sited sources or charts with extensive data, I simply have opinions of a twenty-something millennial living in the media world.

Is Print Marketing a Thing of the Past?

What do you think? Is print marketing a thing of the past or will we continue to utilize the advertising vehicle in the future?

The digital world has emerged, expanded, evolved, and expanded some more. As marketers, we can expect this digital growth to continue as we make-way into the future. However, does that mean print media will be something our great grandchildren only read about in history books? Maybe, but I wouldn’t be too quick to jump to that conclusion.

This graph from Strategy Analytics shows that the digital platform has indeed surpassed the percentage spent on print advertising. Yet, print still holds 15% of the pie, ahead of radio, outdoor, and cinema. 

Elaine Fogel has an interesting article, “Why Print Marketing Materials Are Still Important in 2015” where she compiles statistic after statistic that show the importance of print advertising.

• Forbes reports that 46% of US Internet users read only printed books as opposed to eBooks.
• According to AllBusiness Networks, 56 percent of all consumers put their trust in print advertising above other advertisement types.
• 70% of Americans find direct mail pieces (print) to be more personal than online advertisements.
• Within direct mail marketing, 56% of recipients read postcards making them the direct mail leader according to the 2014 DMA Fact Book.
• The CMO of Adobe’s research shows that on average, readers will spend 20-25 minutes with a branded magazine as opposed to a few minutes on the Web.
• In Business Magazine discovered that for every $1 spent on direct mail, $12.57 was spent by customers in sales.
• Fogel found that people read print text 25% quicker than they do online text.
• Fogel also discovered that 15% of adult Americas do not use the Internet.

Still not convinced that print advertising is still effective today?

Think back to the last time you got a direct mail (print) piece sent to your house. For me, it was a mail piece from Bath and Body Works. It had my name printed directly on the front with fall colors to catch my eye. There were enticing pictures of the new candles, lotions, and hand soaps. So, might as well look inside, right? That’s where I find the “goods”. Coupons right there in the mail, “FREE travel size hand lotion” “$5 hand soap” “3 for $15 body wash”. And just like that, I unstick them from the mail piece and stash them away in my purse. Chances are I spent a few minutes looking over the advertisement and collecting coupons. On the flip side, if I had seen a Bath and Body Works advertisement digitally with a, “click here for coupons” option, I most likely would’ve kept on scrolling through my web browser.

Sound familiar? There’s a good chance that your response, whether recognized or not, is similar to mine when it comes to print advertising.

So, what do you think? Is print marketing a thing of the past?

How does a media buyer verify that a schedule actually ran?

As a media buyer, there is a lot of interaction between the media vendor and buyer; likewise, the media buyer interacts a lot with his/her client. Part of the job is following up with vendors to verify that the advertising placed actually did run. This is the backend paperwork that is necessary in order to avoid accounting errors and to keep clients updated. Below are a few questions that most media buyers/planners must address for each campaign and define expectations for the client.

How often should I receive online summary reports from my vendor? Some media experts say that monthly reports should be enough to watch online trends. While others, I fall into this category, prefer to see a report every two weeks. That way, if a negative trend is caught, it can hopefully be reversed prior to the end of the month. A buyer should speak to the vendor and client and agree upon a summary report schedule prior to running a campaign.

What should I expect for a proof of posting for an out-of-home campaign? For outdoor billboards, bus signs, train signs, and any signage out-of-home, a proof of posting should be sent to the media buyer. The proof of posting should be a time stamped photograph that verifies the location, panel number, date and time creative was installed. Historically, hard copy pictures were requested; however, nowadays, a .jpg photo is typically fine.

How many tearsheets should I request from the print vendor? Before a campaign starts to run, ask your client if they would like tearsheets of their upcoming ads. If not, request two copies, one for accounting and one for your files. If your client does want a copy, verify how many are needed and notify the vendor. eTearsheets are becoming more and more common place. These are a viable option; however, it is a good idea to let the client know that’s how the tearsheet will be sent.

What is the best way to verify that my spots ran on a broadcast schedule? When a cable, television, or radio schedule runs, a spot log is created. Basically, this is just a listing of each time an ad runs. The report should include the time, date, length, cost, and creative title. A buyer can request this at any time, but it’s typically evaluated when an invoice is submitted by a station.

Print inserts still sought out by consumers

Print is not dead. While many people, consumers and advertisers alike, believe that print is dying, I disagree. It is true that with the addition of digital media, there are so many platforms to choose from when putting together an advertising plan. Sometimes, other media forms have to be cut in the process. Just like every type of media, print has an audience.

One of the unique qualities that print offers and consumers seek out is inserts. eMarketer recently reported on research conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates on behalf of the Newspaper Association of America. The purpose of the study was to see how Americans shopped and spent money in 2014.

Of those surveyed who have used inserts, 70% sought it out to check on special savings or what sales are being run. Another 48% reported that it was easier to review printed inserts than search online for the same information.

The study further broke down which sources were used to find coupons.

·        61% used Sunday newspaper inserts or circulars

·        58% used direct mail advertising

·        46% used weekday newspaper inserts or circulars

·        45% went online to download and print off coupons

·        39% downloaded coupons on a handheld device that could be scanned at the store

·        36% used online coupons to buy something online

·        32% used ads from the regular sections of the newspaper

·        25% used coupons from magazines

More magazines launch vs. close in first half of 2014

According to the online database MediaFinder.com, the first half of 2014 welcomed approximately 93 new magazines in the media landscape. By comparison, 30 magazine titles closed during that time frame.

MediaPost reports that the biggest magazine category that launched was classified as “regional interest.” In addition, of the 93 new titles, approximately 15 of those were business-to-business geared magazines.

Of the publications that closed between January and June of this year, 13 of them were automotive enthusiast niche titles. Two noteworthy magazines ceased publication this year. The first being Jet and it will now just be an annual special print edition. Also, the long-running title Ladies’ Home Journal shut down the monthly print magazine. Instead, it is transitioning to a newsstand-only quarterly publication.

Overall, the total ad pages purchased have seen a 4% decline from 2013. First quarter of 2013 sold about 29,745 pages, and the same time period in 2014 showed 28,567 ad pages.

How coupons performed in 2013

Over the last six years or so, United States consumers have been more aggressively seeking a “good deal” when making a purchase. Coupons, in print and digital form, are one way to do that. Recent research has showed that coupon redemption is slowly decreasing from previous years.

According to MediaPost, various studies produced by NCH Marketing and Valassis have reported the following facts:

·        Coupons produced and distributed by marketers increased by about 3.3% last year. The total distribution is estimated at 315 billion coupons.

·        Total coupon redemption has decreased by about 3.4% to 2.8 billion.

·        The most common reason why consumers said he/she did not use coupons in 2013 was that coupons for products that he/she wanted to buy could not be found. That was the biggest response with 49%.

·        With 28.7% of respondents agreeing, the second most common was that the coupons expired before the consumer could use it.

·        In 2012, the time in which to redeem coupons was an estimated 9.3 weeks. In 2013, that dropped to 8.6 weeks.

·        Free standing inserts (FSI’s) typically account for 91.2% of coupons distributed and about 50.8% of all redeemed coupons. However, FSI’s in general still have low redemption rates.

·        While digital coupons did see growth in use in 2013, it still only accounts for less than 1% of all coupon distribution.

The takeaway for marketers is coupons are still valid for consumers. However, accessibility and time restraints do play a factor in use.

Consumers still choose to read printed books

We live in an age where accessibility to entertaining content really isn’t a problem. The problem for advertisers lies in how consumers are accessing that content. Pew Research Center’s Internet Project shed some light on how people are specifically consuming the written word.

Recently, the research company conducted a survey asking respondents to report if he/she read a printed book within the last 12 months. According to eMarketer, Pew compared this data to information pulled in 2011 and 2012. Results showed that while printed books had a slight dip in 2012 it is still the dominant choice in reading format.

2011:  71% of consumers read a printed book within the past 12 months

            17% of consumers read an ebook within the past 12 months

2012:  65% of consumers read a printed book within the past 12 months

            23% of consumers read an ebook within the past 12 months

2014:  69% of consumers read a printed book within the past 12 months

            28% of consumers read an ebook within the past 12 months

The study also looked at the rate of adaptation and growth to ereaders and tablets for reading materials vs. other digital devices.

Computers: 42% of ebook readers used computers in December 2011 which has shown decline to 29% in January 2014.

Ereader: In 2011, 41% of ebook readers utilized ereaders. This number has increased to 57% in 2014.

Mobile phone: 28% of ebook readers used mobile phones in 2011 compared to 32% in 2014.

Tablet: The sharpest growth came from tablets with 23% usage in 2011 to 55% usage in 2014.

Overall, it appears that consumers are still interested in reading; it just may come from different formats. The printed word is still the most popular format with ereaders and tablets working to close the gap.

Direct mail may include scannable codes in the near future

As advertisements make strides towards a more digitally inclined focus, there are still traditional vehicles working to stay as a credible source for advertisers. One of those vehicles is the United States Postal Service (USPS) which is a big player with direct mail. In fact, advertising mail was approximately a quarter of its revenue in 2013 at $16.9 billion.

According to MediaPost, the USPS is currently working on options to increase popularity of direct mail. An option to do just that is making the direct mail pieces interactive with consumers; this could translate to a scannable code. These codes could allow the audience access to provide feedback to advertisers, receive coupons, or redeem rewards as a form of motivation.

The thought behind this addition is that it can theoretically help advertisers track the responsive audience quickly, and reduce the “junk mail” to unresponsive households. 

Local newspapers' classified revenues decrease

Media is not a constant, unchanging thing; it is something that is ever-evolving with existing vendors while new vendors enter the scene. What advertisers and media must do alike is figure out how each platform is unique and communicate that to the end user- the customer. MediaPost recently reported about how the free online classifieds site Craigslist has affected local newspapers’ own classified revenues.

A new study, “Responses to Entry in Multi-Sided markets: The Impact of Craigslist on Local Newspapers,” was created by the professors at NYU Stern School of business and Harvard Business School. Results showed that local newspapers reported a $5 billion loss in classified ad revenue between the years 2000 – 2007 when Craigslist came into the marketplace.

Observations of the papers that heavily relied on classified ad sales showed a chain reaction based off of diminishing revenues. These papers attempted to increase subscription prices to make up for the lack of classified, which in turn lead to lower subscribers. This led the papers to really rely on display ad rates.

While this can be taken as a strike towards local newspapers, it can really be the starting ground to refocus on what consumers want from a news product. Advertisers will have to work with news vendors to come up with cost effective and mutually advantageous opportunities to reach target audiences. 

New report shows magazine audience grows from last year

With digital media making a bigger presence in consumers everyday lives, advertisers can benefit in knowing to what degree this is true. MediaPost recently reported on data from GfK MRI that looked into American readership of magazines across the print and digital formats.

Overall, the data showed that print readership has increased since last year. If looking at the print magazine by itself, it increased from 1.19 billion in early 2012 to 1.21 billion in spring 2013. This is about a 2.36% increase in readership.

The digital platform is still new and growing, so its readership is less than print’s. As of this year, it’s approximately 1.4% of the total readership. In fact, the digital audience was 9.2 million in early 2012 and grew to 16.9 million a year later.

In combination of print and digital platforms (not including users on the magazine website), the magazine audience increased by 2.98% from last year.

The data shows that approximately 62% of the magazines measured audience increases from the year prior. Some of the titles include Diabetes Forecast, Psychology Today, Yoga Journal, Costal Living, and Food Network Magazine.  The publications FamilyFun and PC World were down in readership.

Which is easier to read- print, tablet or e-reader?

What difference does it make whether one media is easier to read than another? It can make a big difference if you want someone to read something long enough to see your advertisement. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany recently did a study to see which print form, print, tablets, or e-readers, are easiest to read.

According to MediaPost, the study divided the research participants into two groups with one being between the ages of 21-34, and the other being 60+. While the groups read from print, tablets and e-readers, researchers were tracking eye movement and brain activity. This was done to determine how much neural power is needed to read the same text but in different formats.

Results showed that there wasn’t much variance between reading formats for the younger-skewing group. However, the older-skewing group did have some differences. This group, on average, read text on an iPad tablet three or four seconds faster than the other forms. Also, when reading the iPad, the same group showed lower level of brain activity. Meaning, it was easier to read than print and e-readers. Researchers reasoned this could be because of the tablet computers’ backlit screens, which can make text stand out more from the page.

Overall, how can advertisers use this to their advantage? It would be extreme to cut out all advertising in print and e-readers all together if the goal is to reach the older-skewing demographic. Instead, it would be recommended to maintain coverage in existing media and possibly expand into other media forms like the iPad.

Do people still read the sports section?

While some may think that the sports section in the local newspaper may not be as popular as a national online component, a new poll begs to differ. M/A/R/C for the Newspaper National Network interviewed men between the ages of 18-54 to see how sports news is consumed.

MediaPost states that the survey took note of regular newspaper readers and non-regular newspaper readers alike. Overall, sports enthusiasts ranked the following media sources for getting news:

76% go to newspaper websites

69% go to the print newspaper

66% go to ESPN.com

46% go to league sites

45% go to Yahoo! Sports page

45% go to ESPN Sports Center

33% listen to sports talk radio

23% go to Sports Illustrated or si.com

These results do point out that even though the online is utilized by a large audience, the print presence has not gone away completely. Therefore, if you are still trying to reach that sports enthusiast who is male and between 18-54, a media mix of the local newspaper sports section and the online counterpart do make sense.

How many coupons were produced in 2012?

Over the last five years, one word has played a significant part in consumer behavior. That word is “recession.” Because of the economic recession in 2008, consumers have based the majority of purchases off of a “need” rather than a “want”. To cope with the changing buyer intention, coupon manufacturers continue strategic sampling to see what shoppers really want.

According to the Center for Media Research, NCH Marketing Services reported that 305 billion coupons were produced by CPG marketers for 2012. This production count is the same as 2011; however, the kind of coupons produced were not the same.

In 2012, there were 4.4% more non-food category coupons than 2011. Some products include medications, personal care and other household items. There was about 6.5% fewer food related coupons in 2012. A reason for the shift could be coupons offer marketers a way to introduce new products and allow consumers to try it out at a lower cost.

It was reported that CPG products had about 2.9 billion coupons redeemed in 2012. This was down 17%; however, 79.8% of consumers reportedly use coupons. What does this mean for advertisers? Shoppers are still interested in coupons, but it’s up to marketers to experiment to see what kind of coupons are going to resonate with its audience and be redeemed. 

Live tweets on a print ad?

Research has proved to advertisers for years that a media mix is one of the most successful ways in creating a strong campaign. Would combining multiple media in one platform make the campaign even stronger?

The CW Television Network recently combined print and social media in a branding effort. According to Mashable Business, the network created a print insert with a small LCD screen in the center. The screen looped a short video and followed up with the most current six tweets from @CW_Network. Approximately 1,000 ads were inserted in Entertainment Weekly in Los Angeles and New York.

The intention was to align the network digitally; therefore, the Twitter feed was monitored to see how often the CW’s tweets were retweeted. Fans could retweet in hopes of making it onto the ad.

This is the first print ad to have a live Twitter feed, and it could lead to more integrated ads in the near future.

2012 shows 133 magazine launches thus far

Being in the media industry, it is common knowledge that vendors come and go whether it be print, online, radio, outdoor, TV, etc. Advertisers are obligated to know what is available for clients at all times.

The online database for U.S. and Canadian print publications MediaFinder.com recently released the number of magazines launched and closed during the first half of 2012.

MediaPost reports that 133 magazines were launched between January and June of 2012. Findings show that a good number of new titles fell into the “food” and “regional interest” categories. For example, Louisiana Kitchen launched.

Another 48 titles were shut down. According to the reports, the number shut down is on a decline. Between January and June of 2011, 74 magazines closed.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

A new shopping holiday?

Americans know when to expect good deals on retail shopping like on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. The print publication Teen Vogue is looking to add another shopping holiday on the calendar called Back-to-School Saturday.

According to the New York Times, August 11^th is the set date and is intended to be a full blown event for shoppers with sales, samples and events in the stores and/or malls. Teen Vogue has gotten many of its advertisers, like American Eagle Outfitters, Express, H&M, Cover Girl, Olay, and Staples, to participate.

The magazine will be rolling out with a strong print and digital initiative in July. One of the digital plans will be an iPhone app called the Teen Vogue Insider.

The push behind the event is to help the magazine and retailers get in front of their core audience in a relevant way. Executives believe that Americans are showing growing interest in event-based shopping. The intention is to get Back-to-School Saturday recognized as a national holiday.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

A positive turn-around for the magazine industry.

When the economy took a hit, so did the media. Slowly, media, including print magazines, has come back. According to MediaPost, more magazines launched during the first quarter 2012 than magazines that closed.

The online database MediaFinder.com reported that 52 titles debuted during the first quarter while only 12 titles discontinued publishing. At the same time last year, the numbers were 54 and 24 respectively. By comparison, the magazine industry suffered 596 closures during the entire 2009 year while only 275 were launched.

Restaurants/Dining was the top category of this year’s launches. Hunting and fishing were the next big categories. Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade and Spa were among the magazines that closed.

Acknowledging the positive aspects of the magazine industry, advertisers should be aware that with more selection comes clutter. This is why it is important to be careful when choosing the publication to carry your ad. By doing your research, it can help assure that your message is reaching your brand’s specific target audience effectively.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Are local newspapers still relevant for its community?

There is some big news for the small newspapers. According to MediaPost, a study completed by the Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Center for Advanced Social Research and the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism on behalf of the National Newspaper Association found that local newspapers draw a comparatively large and loyal audience.

The study concluded that 74% of the respondents, ages 18 and over, read local newspapers at least once a week, with 48% reading once a week and 11% reading them every day. This result is more notable because 86% of the newspapers in question are weeklies and are only distributed once per week.

Advertisers can take some valuable consumer insight from the study. The majority of respondents who read local newspapers skewed older, more educated, and lived within the community longer. The study surveyed 500 adults living in areas served by newspapers with less than a 15,000 circulation. In addition, 92% of readers paid for his/her paper (67% subscribe and 33% buying it by issue).

Respondents disclosed his/her motivations for reading the local newspapers: 83.2% do so primarily as a source for news; although, 69.2% agreed that the newspapers contain valuable local information for shopping and advertising. Time spent reading is an average of 39 minutes a week. As an advertiser, if your target audience matches older, educated, and long-time residents, you might want your ad to be part of those 39 minutes. Strategically, buying this type of media could be very beneficial.


Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Economy and print magazines

The status of the economy will always be a forefront concern for advertisers. Keeping a pulse on it enables advertisers to navigate the media landscape. Affinity and Experian Simmons recently ran two studies to see how print and digital magazine readers view the current financial situation.

According to MediaPost, the studies showed that Americans are divided on predictions for the economy. About a third believes the economy will worsen within the next year, a third think it will stay the same, and a third think it will improve.

People who read print magazines over digital magazines had a higher proportion of optimists. In fact, readers of Essence, Ebony, Jet and Black Enterprise had the highest percentages of optimism with being close to 50%. Other titles that had positive readers were Elle Décor, New York Magazine, Men’s Journal, Life & Style Weekly, Tennis, and Veranda.

How can this study help advertisers? It can be inferred that if print magazine readers are optimistic of the economy, they will continue to purchase and read print materials. Therefore, presence in print publications is not a waste but a good foundation in a campaign.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Will the tablet destroy the print industry?

This year’s American Magazine Conference, which took place October 4^th and 5^th, touched on how tablet technology can help the print industry rather than make it obsolete.

According to MediaPost, a panel made up of top magazine executives stressed how tablets can be beneficial to print publications. One executive made mention that digital is brining in new and sometimes younger customers. In addition, digital has allowed publications to adjust pricing without much backlash from readers. Meaning, a price increase in newsstand issues can be met with resistance; however, changes in monthly online subscriptions or pay-per-click is commonly more accepted.

In general, it appears that magazine executives have embraced the tablets as positive addition to the traditional print titles. In fact, most major magazines are working on advertising opportunities specifically crafted for tablet users. Therefore, the tablet is not a replacement rather an additional source of revenue with traditional media.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...