Magazine Sampling “Boosts Sales”
If the magazine industry focused on initiatives to encourage more sampling of the wide range of magazine titles it would see an impressive sales uplift, according to new research.
The research was carried out as part of the Periodical Publishers’ Association’s (PPA) Magazine Week initiative, designed to boost sales and increase awareness of the diversity of the magazine industry.
A panel of magazine readers in Guildford agreed to take part in a unique experiment to assess their magazine buying behaviour.
The panel, representing a cross section of the UK population, were provided with vouchers for redemption against any magazine of their choice. In return they agreed to complete a weekly online diary during the month of September, with a final questionnaire one month after the test to explore their settle-down purchasing habits.
The research revealed that 71% of panelists were not aware of the full range of titles available. For those consumers who moved outside their normal range, a significant 57% said they would ‘buy again’.
Of those who ‘occasionally’ bought a particular magazine, 89% said they would ‘buy again’.
Jim Bilton, of Wessenden Marketing and overall project manager for Magazine Week 2008, said: “The research shows that when consumers are made aware of the full range of magazines available and encouraged to sample, they will be brave and go outside their normal repertoire. Left to their own devices many consumers are surprisingly conservative and need some prompts to be more adventurous.
“It is something we have suspected before, but we now have real evidence to show there can be an actual sales uplift if we can somehow encourage sampling. The message for the industry is that we need to look at ways to get the public trying different magazines. This experiment shows that it could be worth the investment.”
The panel felt that two key improvements at retail would encourage their purchase: 1. encouragement of browsing by providing more space and ‘permission’ to flick through the range and 2. more logical tidy magazine displays with clear signage to make the browsing more inviting.
Additionally, more strategic placement of magazines in doctor’s surgeries, libraries and hospitals would encourage sampling.
Magazine Week 2008 is scheduled from September 29 to October 5.
PPA: 020 7404 4166 www.ppa.co.uk