We are a great believer in using multiple channels to get your marketing message across – and it all starts with developing the right strategy. You can’t do everything, so do what you can well within a few channels.

Here’s why print should be in the mix:

Engagement

Magazines are among the most trusted media, which is also translated into the time consumers spend reading a title. As most magazines are read at home or when consumers are relaxed, readers are more receptive to the content and the advertising.

Active Networks’ 2016 survey of nearly 1000 local residents revealed that 41% of readers spend a massive 1 to 3 hours engaged with each issue of Peninsula Living or North Shore Living!

Focus

Magazines are read without distraction – readers do not generally watch or listen to another medium at the same time.

The digital age, on the other hand, has reduced the human attention span to swipes, clickbait and 140-character headlines. Invariably, we are using several media channels at the same time. We may be watching the TV, listening to our music or working on our iPad or PC. We’re just not as attentive when it comes to digital.

However, print readers don’t typically multitask. When they read a magazine, you have their attention – they are focused on the product at hand. Consequently, readers are more receptive to the adverts, leading to an increase in brand recollection and a greater chance that a reader will respond to your advert.

The ‘Halo Effect’

The Halo Effect is a term used to describe a situation where a positive impression of one thing influences people’s perceptions of an associated thing. In relation to print, magazines that consistently offer readers high-quality, relevant and reliable content develop credibility and goodwill. Advertisers in these publications receive the same positive feelings from the magazine’s readers. They benefit from the Halo Effect – meaning your ad can be seen as trustworthy, therefore leading to more sales.

Recall

Do you ever feel like you notice ads in magazines and newspapers more than the digital ones?

A recent study by True Impact Marketing, in Canada, measured the effects of print and digital media on viewers. Researchers tracked the eye movements, brain activity and pupil dilation of 270 participants as they viewed mock ads in both print and digital formats. After exposure to the ads, participants were tested to see how well they remembered the advertising messages.

Their results showed:

  1. Participants recalled the print adverts more readily than the digital adverts.
  2. Brand recall was 70% higher for print media advertising than digital advertising.
  3. Motivation to act was 20% higher for print.

What this means to you is that your target audience is more likely to remember, recall and respond to your print adverts than digital adverts.

Trust

It is true to say that, in advertising, trust leads to action. The higher the trust, the higher the level of action. The following shows you just how powerful print media is when it comes to consumer trust. The numbers come from the 2015 Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Report, which surveyed over 30,000 consumers from 60 countries.

Source of information                                Completely or somewhat trust source

Personal recommendations                                    81%

Editorial                                                                           58%

Print / Radio / TV Ads                                                55%

Search Engine Ads                                                       34%

Banner Ads                                                                    29%

Social Network Ads                                                    29%

Touch and feel

How many times have you heard it? Yes the majority of people like to touch and feel their media. Physically interacting with a printed page engages more of the senses than digital. You can feel the weight of the magazine, see the quality of the page, and view the page in its entirety. It’s convenient, easy to browse and credible. It stands for the hard work of a lot of people. There are no distracting pop ups – it engages and focuses the mind.

Longevity

Compared to websites or national newspapers, magazines enjoy the longest life span. Magazines are designed to hang out on your coffee table. One of the best comments one of my advertisers made was that their magazine “started in the living room, moved to the bedroom and finished in the toilet!” Magazines get passed from family to friends, to customers to colleagues. The success of your advertising relies on how many people see you (REACH), and how often (FREQUENCY). Consistency is key. As a rule of thumb, it takes five to seven impressions for someone to remember your brand. The more familiar buyers are with your brand, the more likely they will buy.

Return on investment

Magazines are a powerful tool in driving sales and provide a high return on investment (ROI). It’s true that one of the hardest things in print advertising is accurate measurement of results.

When you invest time and effort into robust measurement the results might surprise you. Nielsen conducted a study in 2015 to determine the magazine advertising ROI on three fast moving consumer goods. They used data taken across three years from Magazine Audience Performance Predictor.

The outcome? Magazine advertising delivered the highest ROI of all the channels used (online video, digital display and TV) and contributed 23% of sales.

ROI is increased even further when print is layered with other channels such as TV or digital. There are numerous studies that show how using multiple channels will increase the overall ROI. A recent study by NewsMediaWorks looked at the effect of combining print and digital advertising and concluded that including print resulted in a three-fold increase in brand recognition.