Stealing the famous quote of Mark Twain, ‘the report of my death has been grossly exaggerated’, the same can be said about printed magazines.
For about five years now a couple of so called ‘marketing’ experts have been running around Canberra telling businesses that ‘print is dead’ and ‘a waste of your marketing dollars’. First, these ‘experts’ have been charading as ‘marketing’ experts, when they are nothing of the sort. They know nothing about TV, radio or print, networking or native media. The might know something about ‘social media’, but ‘marketing’ experts they are not. Many local businesses have been conned into blowing their marketing budgets on web based campaigns. They have been bamboozled with reports that show the ‘success’ of their campaigns.
Things such as ‘you received a zillion impressions’ or ‘your campaign attracted a quadrillion page views’. But guess what? Who cares? You still didn’t make any sales, and it cost you a lot of time and money. For some time, I have said that a real ‘marketing’ expert would understand how print, online, TV, radio, networking and native media can work together in a comprehensive marketing plan to assist businesses to grow and meet their goals. So, next time you are approached by a marketing ‘expert’ that only advocates ‘social media’ marketing: tell them to ‘bugger off’.
STATISTICAL PROOF
The MPA (the Association of Magazine Media) has found that:
- Print significantly boosts the effectiveness of cross-platform campaigns.
- PRINT + ONLINE = +10%
- PRINT +TV = +17%
- Print generates highest lift in brand favourability and purchase intent:
Brand favourability and purchace intent:- Print = 11%
- TV = 8%
- Online = 4%
The MPA also found over 100 independent, academic research studies indicate paper-based reading results in:
- More focused attention and slower reading speeds
- Greater impact on readers by engaging sense of touch and motor skills
- Increased stimulation of brain areas associated with emotion and desire; and
- Higher comprehension and recall results.
Tim Benson, Publisher
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