‘Standing Up To Be Counted’

IPC Magazine’s advertisement marketing manager, Lisa Pollard, spoke at the MRG conference, on the subject of evaluating magazine advertising effectiveness. Pollard focused on the need for advertisers to understand exactly what their objectives are – namely to either target short-term impact or to develop long-term awareness or both.

Pollard illustrated how the IPC has invested heavily into magazine advertising effectiveness, including input into Ad Track and a Magazine Advertising Sales Effectiveness Study. Ad Track was explained as a measure which resulted from Millward Brown’s ‘Mag Track’ and particularly Gordon Brown’s hypothesis which stated that magazines are more effective at building brand awareness. Ad Track found, in 1994, that awareness of magazine advertising was equal to that of television’s, and cheaper.

As a result of aspirations to make it a standard industry tool April, 1996 saw the advent of the ‘Rolling Ad Track’. Advantages of this include the opportunity for advertisers to join at any time and to make use of economies of scale to enable cost of magazine advertising research to stay within budgets. Over 20 brands which have employed Rolling Ad Track have been surveyed so far and are testament to the fact it aided them in maximizing effectiveness and creativity of the medium.

The Magazine Advertising Sales Effectiveness Study relies on single source data from 10,000 ‘super-panel’ households, comparing buying habits of those heavily exposed, and only lightly exposed, to such advertising. The survey’s aim is to measure magazines’ contribution to shifting products. Pollard highlighted how such testing can address issues like the impact of short-term sales influences and the significance of case studies carried out by number of well-known brands, which revealed immediate sales increases and the upholding of such figures in the medium-term. It was also found that magazine advertising encourages light buyers, gains new buyers and sustains mid-term loyalty.

Pollard forecasts that the future for such surveying lies in ebracing matched sampling technique, establishing common themes for successfully advertised brands and finding out why results occur as they do – namely improving performance diagnosis. The goal is to substantiate what links there are between advertising awareness, purchase propensity and actual sales.