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Marketing departments are under pressure to demonstrate a return on investment for every activity. With well conceived and executed client magazines, the proof is compelling.
Return on investment is now something no marketing manager can afford to ignore. No matter how well conceived and executed a project, how brilliant the design or the copy, the most pressing question will always be ‘Was it worth it?’ For client magazines, this has resulted in a drive towards reader research, investigating the effectiveness of publications in order to evaluate whether they represent a worthwhile investment. The results prove conclusively that they are.
On an industry-wide basis much of the research comes from the Association of Publishing Agencies (APA). It has some valuable headline results, showing that 32% of readers feel more committed to a company from which they receive a magazine, that they spend an average of 25 minutes reading it, and that 44% interact in some way with the brand as a direct result.
Tailored research projects
But while generalised figures are a useful indication that the medium can be effective, marketing departments of professional services firms really need hard proof their own magazines are delivering. Grist has recently initiated a number of research programmes for clients to examine our portfolio of client magazines.
The research involves a combination of different approaches, from online questionnaires, to individual interviews that drill down into the detail of the headline responses. These are then drawn together to demonstrate both the quantitative and qualitative returns on investment. The approach is tailored to the needs of the client, depending on the initial objectives and the kind of information they would find most useful within their reporting structures.
The Grist research has found that the magazines we create on behalf of professional services firms are effective in reinforcing the brand. Some 92% of readers think the magazines they receive from our clients are either good or excellent, and 86% of them think they address important issues affecting their business.
Balanced content
For ACE’s client magazine the results were even stronger, with 100% saying they would pass it onto a colleague and 92% saying it addresses important issues affecting their business. Miles Russell, Communications Director at ACE European Group says: “This reflects our robust editorial process, which ensures that the articles deliver value to readers on the issues that most concern them. The magazine contains essential marketing messages, but not at the cost of the integrity of the editorial.”
Relevant and insightful editorial that covers the most pressing issues the readers are facing is an essential component of successful magazines. It is clear from APA figures that this is not always attained across the spectrum of client magazines. It found that on average around 60% of readers see the content of client magazines as being either very or quite relevant to them.
This balance is key, and is something Grist builds into its editorial processes to ensure our client magazines deliver value to both readers and clients. The success is measurable and demonstrable. The research shows that overall 67% of readers think our client magazines effectively demonstrate how the organisation can help their business.
Return on investment
Raising your profile with readers, and developing an understanding of your expertise and what you have to offer are clearly valuable benefits for the business which have a clear place in any calculation of return on investment. However, there is one final finding which is often the most compelling, at least from the finance department’s perspective. Some 49% of readers say they are more likely to do business with the organisation based on the magazine.
Research is a vital part of the process for producing any magazine. These figures are not just a clear indication that the magazines are effective, for a dynamic client magazine they also feed into what we do. We carry out the top line research and drill down into what works best for readers in order to ensure we deliver what they need.
James Huckle, Commercial Director for Holman Fenwick Willan adds: “We conducted the research immediately after the first issue was sent out. We would be foolish to invest in marketing collateral unless we were absolutely certain it was effective and producing a return for the firm. The headline results indicated that the approach was working, while the more detailed individual responses provided useful input into the editorial agenda.
Research has always been part of the Grist approach, and increasingly this is chiming with the prevailing attitude within marketing departments. The question is why anyone would invest in this kind of marketing collateral without backing it up with robust research insights. The answer is that increasingly, they won’t.
Key findings of Grist research
- 92% of readers think our client magazines are good or excellent
- 86% think they address important issues affecting their business
- 49% say they are more likely to do business based on the magazine
Longer, more frequent magazines work better
More specialist B2B research from the APA found that on average client magazines tend to be 36 pages long and are sent quarterly. It found that deviating from the formula could yield interesting results. Longer magazines, for example, are read more, so 63% read more than half, compared to 47% of their shorter counterparts. In addition, 54% responded to calls to action when the publication was over 50 pages long, a 23% increase on shorter magazines. More frequent publication also proved a boon, with 62% reading half or more of the magazine if it was published more than quarterly: a 10% uplift from less frequently published titles.
Source: Grist
January 2011
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