The Hard Data on Magazine Engagement

fippinsightWe talk a lot about the connected consumer – those people who engage with our brands in print, on their phones, via tablets and through social media – but what do we really know about how they feel about print?

FIPP Research set out to determine exactly that, and presented their findings in Proof of Performance: Making the Case for Advertising Media. And while the title of the report may be a spoiler, the data is clear:

“…the broad findings and trends are extremely consistent – namely that magazines, compared to most other media, have the most intimate and engaged relationship with their audience; that their audience trusts them more than any other medium; that advertising is seen as a core part of a magazine offering, and accordingly that they deliver brilliant ROI’s for their advertisers.”

The research found a few key elements that make magazines a perfect choice when looking to target specific audiences who are deeply engaged. Readers choose magazines whose personalities and interests closely match their own. This creates a personal relationship, much like a trusted friend, in which ads are seen as part of the content. The magazine experience is often referred to as “me time,” when hyper-connected consumers finally turn off their devices and give their full attention to the magazine experience.

It is this personal relationship that makes magazines such a good place for advertisers.

“I feel that because I am purchasing the magazine that fits in most with my lifestyle, the adverts and articles are more personally directed at me,” said one research respondent.

The report itself is filled with interesting facts that all point to the obvious fact that, as a marketing media, print magazines can deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. Does it get any better than that?