Q. and A. With Linda Thomas Brooks
Linda Thomas Brooks, president and CEO of MPA -The Association of Magazine Media, leads the nation’s premier organization for magazine publishers. Established in 1919, MPA represents 265 domestic, associate and international members and is the primary advocate and voice for the magazine media industry, driving thought leadership and game-changing strategies to promote the medium’s vitality, increase revenues and grow market share.
CE: IN 2017, THE MPA’S CONFERENCE CE THEME IS “MAGAZINES WORK.” HOW WELL DO MAGAZINES REALLY WORK? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DATA BEHIND THIS DECLARATION?
LTB: At MPA — The Association of Magazine Media, we have substantial data that demonstrate magazines work, both for consumers and for advertisers. And, it’s important to note, the data and research come from third-party, industry- validated sources. On the consumer side, we have comprehensive research from a compilation of 150 neuroscience studies that proves printed content yields higher emotional involvement, comprehension and recall than information presented in a digital format. Consumers — of all ages — still report a strong pref- erence for print magazines. This does not mean that audiences don’t consume a lot of digital content ... of course they do. However, they consume digital content in addition to printed magazines, not in place of them.
On the advertising side, we are sharing research from Millward Brown Digital, an industry-leading research company that analyzed more than 100 market mix client studies. That print campaign analysis shows magazines increase both upper- and lower-funnel metrics, from awareness through to purchase intent, for all four studied advertiser categories (CPG, auto, entertainment and financial services). In addition, research from Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS), which compiled data from more than 1,400 product studies, showed that magazines had the highest return on advertising spend by a wide margin. For each $1 invested in magazine media, the advertisers averaged a $3.94 return, according to NCS.
All of these studies make clear why and how magazines work. And they give us, as an industry, the confidence to provide a Print Magazine Sales Guarantee, which guarantees a qualified advertiser a positive ROI, or they get space or money back. There have been more than 70 campaigns in this program, and every single one has delivered positive ROI.
CE: WHO’S READING MAGAZINES? TELL US ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF MAGAZINE READERS AND WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN DETERMINING WHAT KIND OF PRINT PUBLICATION TO USE. (AND IS IT TRUE THAT YOUNGER READERS PREFER CONTENT IN DIGITAL AND SOCIAL PLATFORMS RATHER THAN IN PRINT?)
LTB: There is no single magazine reading demographic, simply because each magazine brand has its own distinct audience. Americans of all ages read magazines — especially younger adults. Ninety percent of U.S. adults read magazines, and 95 percent of those under 25 do so. A recent study done by Quad Graphics shows 62 percent of millennials prefer print magazines.
Overall, magazines still are over-represented, relative to other media options, by highly educated and high-income readers. Magazine readers are different from the audience of other media channels because they have chosen to engage with, and in most cases actually pay for, their publications. Generally speaking, consum- ers initiate the relationship with the magazine, and that drives their consumption of and commitment to the magazine. This makes mag- azine media unique from other media, where targeting and data are used to make inferences about consumers and follow them around.
For comparison, the top 10 print magazines deliver greater reach than the top 10 television shows. People magazine delivers more than twice the audience of Sunday Night Football; Better Homes and Gardens delivers twice the audience of Empire; National Geographic delivers more than twice the audience of Big Bang Theory; and on and on ...If we look at the top five automotive magazine brands, each beats all of the automotive shows on television. If Dwell were a TV show, it would be the highest-rated shelter and home décor show.
CE: WHAT’S THE INDUSTRY “GOLD STANDARD” WITH REGARD TO DIGITAL MEDIA? HOW ARE THE BEST TITLES INTEGRATING DIGITAL CONTENT INTO THE MIX IN A WAY THAT PROMOTES THE PRINT PRODUCT?
LTB: Magazine brands are all different in how they program content across platforms because their readers and content are all different. However, all magazine media brands share a common goal, namely to inform, inspire and engage a community around unique content. Generally speaking, magazine brands move to a new platform when they have an indication that their readers want content on that platform. Magazine media have the ability to deliver content to consumers when they want it, how they want it.
Best titles are considering content/story first, and then determining how the elements of that story would be best expressed on social media, in print, on a digital platform, in video, etc. One story may come to life as a slide show, a survey, an interactive graphic, a timeline, a behind-the-scenes secondary story or more. At brands like ESPN, editors from all platforms meet daily to tease out the best way to tell a story across platforms and formats.
In another example, Forbes has created Forbes Under 30 as a social networking app that allows young readers to connect and share with each other outside the pages of the magazine, as well as the Forbes Under 30 Summit, a live event to do the same.
CE: WHY SHOULD RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS EMULATE SECULAR MAGAZINES IN THE WAY THEY APPROACH CONTENT DELIVERY?
LTB: Regardless of category or niche, magazine brands have a deep understanding of their audiences and what their readers enjoy. While every idea is not for every magazine media brand, there are plenty of best practices and success stories that can be shared across titles. When you know your consumers well, you can program your content accordingly, across platforms and formats.
Within our MPA membership, we have independent magazine members who routinely share best practices, business ideas and success stories. Our IMAG group is a constant source of information and inspiration for publishers in, or considering, magazine media.
CE: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO A CATHOLIC DIOCESE THAT IS CONSIDERING THE TRANSITION FROM A NEWSPAPER TO A MAGAZINE?
LTB: Making the transition from a news- paper to a magazine may well be a very smart decision, but moving entirely away from print would eliminate a valuable touchpoint for both existing and new audiences. No matter the subject area, consumers understand that magazines provide a profes- sionally researched, written, edited, produced and curated environment. In a world where so much information is “instant,” consumers continue to count on magazines for a deeper and more thorough content experience. The neuroscience analysis I talked about earlier also showed that print is preferred by the majority of readers — even millennials.
The format of a magazine is a signal to a reader that the content provides considered analysis, information and enjoyment.