Readers still holding on to sailing magazines

Yet again, news of the demise of print has been disproved, as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council in the United States discovered earlier this month. According to the 1,000+ consumers polled in an online survey, the attraction of print is as strong as ever.

The survey revealed that 67% of respondents feel e-readers have their place, but prefer holding a magazine, and 87% say they will continue to favour their print magazine subscriptions.

While marketers scramble to leverage new platforms like the iPad and other digital readers, consumers are wondering if the advertising will be more intrusion than experience. Only 41% said they would respond to personalised magazine advertising delivered via a digital reader, versus 63% who would opt in for the next step on engagement through a printed subscription.

“The magazine publishing industry isn’t lacking in readers or consumer supporters,” said Liz Miller, Vice President, Programs and Operations of the CMO Council. “Consumers view magazines as part of an overall experience, likely rooted in leisure and relaxation. The advertising within print publications is viewed as part of that experience, similar to the commercials during the Super Bowl. What is telling is that regardless of channel, consumers are demanding a more personalised engagement, not necessarily a more digital one, when it comes to their leisure time publications.”

Of those surveyed, 92% of magazine subscribers receive their magazines in a printed format. When asked about delivery channel preference, 90% indicated they prefer the printed publication to the e-reader or online version, although 24% predicted they will eventually migrate to digital delivery.

To download the full 12-page report, interested parties will first have to complete the CMO registration form. www.cmocouncil.org/resources/form-leveraging-loyalty.asp.

Source: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, May 2010. Author: Philip Jenkinson 19-5-2010.

Here at Yaffa, all three yachting magazines are showing healthy growth in subscriptions while advertisers report a good response to "interactive" marketing via printed advertisements in the magazine and tile ads on the mysailing.com.au website.

According to sales manager Peter Rendle, "The combination of magazines and website is proving much more powerful than website alone. The website gives us immediacy while the magazine delivers longevity. We know from constant reader surveys that each magazine is read by an average of three people, and the magazines are kept for many months and referred to regularly."