• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, September 27, 2006

The Value of Magazine Readership study, from the Magazine Publishers of America, suggests that many assumptions may not be accurate about the connection between consumers' reaction to magazine advertising and the price paid and circulation source for the magazines that they read. This report shows that:

• Price paid and circulation source do not predict reader engagement or demographics
• Differences in the ways subscribers, newsstand buyers and public place readers respond to magazines and to the advertising in them are often insignificant
• Public place copies generate significant advertising exposure opportunities, often to readers with desirable demographic characteristics

Debbie Solomon Senior Partner, Group Research Director, MindShare, said "What is important is how the reader reads the magazine, not how they obtained the copy or the price they paid..."

The analysis of MRI data by DJG Marketing, and, and Waiting Room Subscription Services shows that in 2006 approximately one-fourth of magazine reading is done in public places, up from 16% in 1996. Rick Jones, of DJG Marketing, notes that "Public place copies are individually addressed and strategically targeted to specific locations. They are third-party auditable copies with proven readership value for the advertiser."

Their research found that "Public place distribution can and frequently does enable advertisers to reach a larger body of readers who are involved, demographically qualified and responsive to their advertising message."

Factor (Public Place/Newsstand) is the multiple of readers per copy that public place copies offer as compared to newsstand copies. For example, among total readers in the titles studied, public place readers per copy are 7.5 times those of newsstand buyers.

McPheters & Company conducted a study in which the subscriber base of multiple magazines was anonymously matched with the base of MRI respondents. According to Rebecca McPheters, who led the analysis, "The price paid by a subscriber for a particular magazine does not predict the quality of the reader nor is reader quality determined by the method by which a reader acquires a magazine. Quality is a function of reader characteristics..."

Mediaedge:cia and Time Inc. conducted a study of six magazines in January 2006 to gain insight into the role and value of magazines in public places and to examine how the source of a copy impacts how people read magazines. The study yielded numerous insights into public place readership, including:

• Reading magazines is the most commonly cited activity in each and every type of public place analyzed (doctor's office, barber shop, business reception, etc.) except for libraries, where it is second to reading books
• Readers revealed a strong emotional connection with public place copies. For example, almost all or 95% of public place readers report that they would be "upset, underserved or bored" if no magazines were available in public places
• Though readers spend less time with public place copies than paid copies, the time spent with public place is more focused. 71 of nonpaid readers read public copies with time devoted to just reading, which exceeds 66% of readers of paid copies
• While 54% of readers are doing other things while reading paid copies, only one-third, or 34%, are multitasking while reading nonpaid copies.

Tom Robinson, Managing Director, Affinity Research LLC, noted: "Based on interviews with more than 60,000 magazine readers in 2006, on average, more than half took or plan to take action as a direct result of exposure to specific print ads. Reader action levels were similar for both paid and nonpaid readers."

For more information about the value of magazine readership, please access this PDF file.