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: