PPA Launches Research Into Magazine Advertising

TNS will investigate the relationship, between the time exposed to a magazine advert and the actual time at which the sale occurs. The research will also analyse the effect of adding magazines to other media, such as television advertising, as well as exploring how the use of magazines alongside point of sales promotions will affect sale figures.

The study will look at twenty brands from a range of sectors, and will examine them against new reader accumulation data from the National Readership Survey (NRS) to determine how magazine readership takes place in relation to actual sales data.

TNS will explore the data to provide an average sales uplift as a benchmark for what advertisers can expect from their magazine advertising, with conclusions being drawn on the overall way in which magazines can generate sales. This will provide planners with an insight into what makes a successful magazine campaign.

Explaining the reason behind the newly commissioned research, Phil Cutts, director of marketing and communications for PPA Marketing said: “When it comes to proving that magazines can sell products we are not short of research or indeed case studies… What we don’t have is a comprehensive study that gives advertisers complete confidence in magazines as an advertising medium, therefore the PPA has commissioned this research.”

A study completed in September 2004 by research group Dynamic Logic (see Internet Ads Create Brand Awareness But Magazines Persuade Buyers), confirms Cutts’ opinion on the strength of magazine advertising. It showed that magazines came out on top in the advertisement awareness category and had managed to raise campaign effectiveness by 11.1%, along with television which was also very successful at raising awareness, with an 11% growth compared to the internet which was up by only 6%.