The new assertiveness of magazines

The new assertiveness of magazines: lessons for better media planning WRRS 2007, Vienna Paper n°: 25, 26, 32 & 40

As consumers are increasingly becoming ad avoiders and as new media platforms continue to emerge, marketers are faced with the challenge of understanding “What is the optimum combination of elements in my media mix?”

The concept of media synergy has been suggested as an effective means of improving communications and building brand equity.

Synergy theories

Repetition in different sources Causes less fast wear out compared to repetition of the message in one medium

Multi-source credibility Messages received from different sources are perceived more convincing

Complementary elements Each medium has its own communication abilities, 1+1=3

Memory reinforcement Contact with messages through other media can reinforce the previously gained and stored knowledge

Encoding variability theory Suggests that messages received through different media is encoded in a more complex way in the brain. This enhances the likelihood that information will be recalled accurately

Selective attention People give the most attention to stimuli that are both complex and familiar. Repeating in a multi media campaign enhances familiarity, using more media increases complexity

Synergy in practice?

Which medium is most effective to maximize what response?

What does internet add to synergy?

What is the most effective contact frequency?

Should we plan for minimum or maximum duplication?

Who has an answer to these questions?

Magazine publishers!

How come?

Since the eighties, magazines are under pressure in most mature advertising markets

(Federations of) Magazine Publishers have never ceased researching the role of magazines in the media mix

New ways of looking at the data provide some new, daring lessons

Selected papers

Geography

The Netherlands, France, US and Brazil

Institutes involved

TNS, Dynamic Logic, Millward Brown and Ipsos

Ingredients of media mix studies

Synergy and the purchase funnel

Synergy and the purchase funnel Aggregated data of 32 campaigns, US Magazines>TV>Internet TV>Magazines>Internet

Synergy and the purchase funnel 20 campaigns, The Media Observer, the Netherlands Number of ‘increase’ effects per medium Magazines* Television* Internet* Number of cases 20 16 7 Brand Response Top-of-mind Brand Awareness -- -- -- Spontaneous Brand Awareness -- -- - Prompted Brand Awareness + ++ ++ Brand Likeability + + ++ Brand Proposition + -- - Brand Usage - - -- Buying Intention ++ ++ + Advertising Responses Advertising Exposure ++ ++ ++ Ad Recognition ++ ++ -- Ad Likeability ++ + + * Except 3 campaigns, all media are used in a multimedia schedule -- = 0-25% of all cases - = 26-50% of all cases + = 51-75% of all cases ++ = 76 -100% of all cases

Synergy and online 7 campaigns, The Media Observer, the Netherlands Number of synergy effects Magazines + Online Number of cases 7 Brand Response Top-of-mind Brand Awareness -- Spontaneous Brand Awareness -- Prompted Brand Awareness ++ Brand Likeability ++ Brand Proposition + Brand Usage - Buying Intention + Advertising Responses Advertising Exposure - Ad Recognition ++ Ad Likeability ++ -- = 0-25% of all cases - = 26-50% of all cases + = 51-75% of all cases ++ = 76 -100% of all cases

Synergy and online Case: Jeep Compass, US

Synergy and optimal frequency 12 campaigns, The Media Observer, the Netherlands In 5 out of the 12 campaigns the Actual Contact Frequency of TELEVISION is higher than the Optimal Contact Frequency  overspending Brand Type of product Primary Objective Actual Contact Frequency Optimal Contact Frequency Always Fmcg Buying intention 10.3 6.9 Dr. Oetker Fmcg Brand Likeability 2.5 1.9 Hertog Fmcg Brand Proposition 3.9 2.0 LG IT Buying Intention 7.3 1.4 Vichy Perfume Brand Proposition 4.5 2.7

Synergy and optimal frequency 40 campaigns, Effipresse, France Magazines and multi media campaigns Time frame: ‘previous weeks’

Synergy and optimal frequency 40 campaigns, Effipresse, France Optimum marginal gain 80% of effectiveness reached Maximum saturation

Synergy and optimal frequency 40 campaigns, Effipresse, France Different ‘goals’ need different exposure levels Response Average Maximum Effectiveness score Average Optimal Exposure level Overall campaign recall 41% 5 Innovation 52% 8 Proximity 51% 9 Differentiation 49% 11 Incentive to buy 49% 10 Buying intention 35% 7

Synergy and overlap 51 campaigns – equivalent budgets, Brazil

Synergy and overlap Intention to buy 13% 18% 13% 10% Reach: 88,7% of target* Potential Buyers : TV(88,7% x 13%) = 11,5% of target * Women, upper and Upper-middle classes, 18+, Sao Paulo Reach: 90% of target* Potential Buyers : TV(51,7% x 13%) + Magazines(1,4% x 10%) + TV/Magazines(36,9%x18%) = 13,4% of target 51 campaigns – equivalent budgets, Brazil

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that creating media synergy is effective

New ways of looking at synergy studies start to give useful hints for operational implementation in media planning:

The effectiveness of channels per type of response

Optimal frequency

Overlap

...and first cases on the synergy effects of online and magazines become available

BUT

The focus remains mainly limited to magazines + television

More cases, bigger databases are needed to extract robust guidelines for different product categories, market situations, target groups, communication goals,...