
How Newspapers and Magazines Drive up ROI
“Newspapers are more effective than people give them credit for…” – Martin Sorrell
The answer to why newspapers and magazines are so effective as a direct response medium lies in the unique way in which they are purchased and consumed.
Unlike virtually every other medium, newspapers are a considered daily purchase and every newspaper has a strong brand identity with which the reader identifies. We all have our own idea of what the difference is between a Daily Telegraph reader and a Daily Mirror reader.
The reader values his newspaper and he engages with it like no other medium. By way of example the average time spent reading a national newspaper is 70 minutes, the average time spent reading a news website is 45 minutes – an increase of 155{da604227c29f8b07b501da89455b3960e59a5b227a8334a6ce58c2eeab8975f7}.
“Advertising that elicits a direct response presupposes that people first see it, grasp what is on offer and then make a decision.” – Colin McDonald “How Advertising Works”
Additionally, there are few digital ad formats that lend themselves to the formula required of a successful direct response ad. Successful direct response ads are invariably sequential in their structure:
Attention – Interest – Desire – Action (AIDA)
It’s difficult to include all of these elements within a banner or mobile format.
Study after study has demonstrated how newspapers are the most effective medium for driving consumers to action:
STUDY 1 – IPA Datamine
Press is the most effective lead medium at delivering hard business effects according to the IPA:
STUDY 2 – Ebiquity Payback
Ebiquity says press is the second most effective medium:
STUDY 3 – Newsworks Effectiveness Study
Newsworks says newspapers make people more likely to act:
STUDY 4 – Millward Brown
According to Millward Brown, newspapers provide a stronger reason to buy: