Magazines increase web traffic

The MPA (Magazine Publishers of America) published a week ago further proof of the effects of integration of media. I've written about integration before, the various pieces of research confirm with strong evidence that magazines boost traffic to websites. And have a strong effect on purchase intention. The effect on website visits, after having seen an automotive ad in magazines, was strongest, traffic almost doubled. Online media need offline media to generate traffic was confirmed by a survey of BIGresearch. Magazines scored best among the Top 10 media to trigger online search, TV scored second and newspapers third. Internet advertising scored only a ninth place at slightly more than half the score of magazines. Magazine brands are strong brands as another study showed. After having watched an online video ad on a series of sites, consumers turn most to magazine sites for further information, significantly more often than going to online portals.

Integrating media and the interaction between media is making media planning a lot more complex and interesting. Understanding the role of print media in this new media landscape goes beyond readership surveys. Tools need to be put in place to trace the path consumers follow after reading.

One title, one million copies, one country, free

In October 2001 the Mockingbird was the most discussed bird in Chicago. Not the animal but the book by Harper Lee titled To kill a Mockingbird. The book was selected to cultivate the culture of reading and discussion in Chicago and inhabitants were suggested to talk with friends, family and neighbours about the book. The idea was that everybody in Chicago would read the same book at the same time and discuss it.
This idea was picked-up by the Dutch and is now organised for the second year. Talking about this years book will not be too difficult with the title "De gelukkige klas". All public library members can receive a free copy like all fourth graders but on the condition that they read it. A total circulation of almost 1 million free books! (A luxurious copy is also available for € 10). Plenty of activities in 100 cities are organised to get people to read and discuss the book. The popular and sometimes clumsy news anchor Philip Freriks is touring with a theater show, 10.000 people can get a book with a blank cover that they can design and a nostalgic train will tour in Holland.
Last year 725.000 copies of the book "Dubbelspel" were handed out, over 1 million people participated in Nederland Leest and public library visits increased with 20%.

A great marketing idea to boost reading and using different media to announce and stimulate talking about literature.

Print Sells campaign launched

This month partners of the United Print Chain launch a pan-European advertising campaign to support the use of print as an advertising medium. The campaign, that runs in 13 European countries, presents print as the perfect medium to build a brand image. The unique combination of partners from the paper, printing and printing machine industry, magazine publishers, Postal Associations and Cepifine allows industry-wide support and a major investment to change the perception of print media.

Very much like the Life with Print programme from Sappi this campaign combines emotional aspects of printed communications with hard facts and cases about effectiveness.
As perceptions will not change during one advertising wave, it is necessary that the Print Sells campaign continues over a longer period. Advertisers and their agencies are, despite what is often believed, conservative decision makers. And we know that advertising works through repetition.

Systematic creativity?

I joined a workshop about creativity thinking some days ago and became quite impressed. I'll explain you why. The Israeli company SIT developed a methodology for creating innovative ideas based upon the idea that innovations share a certain pattern. (The basis for this thinking comes from a Russian engineer who analysed thousands of patents). Starting as a tool for engineering Systematic Inventive Thinking has now become a tool to the advertising world. It identifies five ways of thinking that explain 70% of all successful innovations. Innovation and creativity can for example be achieved by taking away certain product features, or by combining some. In doing so SIT follows five principles of which "form follows function" is probably the best known.

SIT analysed winning advertising Print campaigns at the Cannes Advertising Festival and came to the conclusion that in 2000 77% could be explained via a SIT tool. In advertising ten creative techniques like extreme result, metaphor, inversion or extreme promise are used to present products. Winning Print campaigns use in 38% of the cases extreme result as technique. Not only does SIT help to be creative and innovative it also helps in analysing creativity. I find it a most helpful tool in my work.

Illiteracy levels boosts direct mail response

The Frankfurter Buchmesse, that just closed its doors, revealed that the illiteracy level in western Europe and developing countries is perceived as one of the biggest threats to the publishing industry. Professional visitors listed the threats to the industry, the list also includes other media competition, over-publishing and piracy.
At the Buchmesse cases of new and traditional media integration were discussed. For example launching new children books via SMS and podcast. Creating a community of children and extending the experience of reading a book proved to help stimulating literacy.
Not taking any action could make this threat a self-fulfilling prophecy. Plenty of research indicates the declining number of young people reading printed information. It should become a task of the government, education and the media industry to develop programs to correct this evolution.
There is however also a positive side to this threat; internet savvy young people seem to be more interested in hard copy direct mail. At the DMA congress in Chicago research was shown that relates high internet usage and response rates to direct mail. It all comes down to the long-known advertising adage: surprise people by standing out.

Inkjet printing into new applications

I was just reading about an interesting new application for the inkjet printing device we all have at home. As the inkjet head can print micron small dots on different surfaces Panasonic has lodged a patent for an electronic spraying device to apply liquids on skin. This could become an alternative way to apply make-up and would allow for sensational make-up effects comparable to airbrush. Buying blush or foundation will never be the same once the product has been introduced!
But inkjet is also going into very different applications. Most of these applications use electronics. And because inkjet heads can print pico millimeters, integrated electronic circuits can be printed. Printing will go beyond simple colour and coatings printing, but will include printing of electronic conductive materials. In this way circuits and sensors can be printed on various substrates.
Probably the best known application is the integration of RFID on paper or film. When I visited the LabelExpo in Brussels this was one of the highlights of the fair. However most of the RFID tags were still made separately and not immediately printed on the substrate. Inkjet printing will allow to do that directly on the substrate offering higher flexibility and smarter paper. This paper can be used to develop smart products like packaging that integrates diodes that light-up when the date for consumption is approaching or paper that is sensitive to pressure or can light up.
It sounds like a science fiction application but is reality: the elaboration of cells, tissues and so called bio paper for veins in medicine

User generated content: earn money or reward readers by publishing their name?

Consumer or user generated content was a hype the last 12 months. It was considered the new thing in journalism, opened-up new ways to have readers and viewers participate in media and to get access to information close to consumers. However Ohmynews.com or NowPublic.com, the best known user-written publications, are not yet earning money by using consumers providing the news. One might question whether the motivation of readers or viewers of seeing their names in the press is a guarantee for interesting, credible and relevant news. There is quite some research that confirms that Internet news is not perceived as trustworthy as printed news, and consumer generated news might just prove this point. BlueLithium - a research branch of Yahoo - concluded on the basis of 1.7 billion impressions from 716 ads that although the cost-per-conversion was lower for ads placed on user generated sites the conversion level on non-user generated sites was 32% higher. These figures also prove the point of the importance of branded conten.
Newspapers are looking at smarter ways to use consumers as a source of information. I read about the Guardian that is looking for experts among the readers as they know that somewhere on the Internet somebody can provide answers. This might be very helpful for example for travel advice. TED, a Dutch multi-media platform for youngsters - offers a mix of user generated content and journalist content for their free newspaper, interactive online platform and TV channel. The free newspaper has a total circulation of 150.000 and is distributed via "ambassadors" at schools. TED uses the interactivity with readers to the benefit of advertisers who want test new products in TED lab. The largest Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf uses a very different model, it set up a dedicated website for local news, opinions and emotions provided by readers. The site WUZ.nl is a continuation of the readers letters item in the printed newspaper. Access to local news is extremely easy: just type in the postal code. Although an interesting initiative this might also fall short in attracting enough readers and advertisers to make it profitable.

Quote 1

"When paper would have been invented yesterday, everybody would have said: great new technology! Unimaginable!"

Olaf Olafsson, author of best selling books and executive VP TimeWarner

Audi winner of Euro Effie and Sappi Award

At the Euro Effie Awards the special Sappi Print Media Efficiency Award went to the launch campaign for the Audi Q7. The campaign won also a Gold Effie Award.
The Sappi Award goes to Effie winning campaigns that spent a dominant part of their media mix on print media. The Audi campaign integrates print, TV internet and CRM activities with a 40% budget allocated to print. The campaign demonstrates the increased importance of well planned and structured integration of media. Print and TV to create awareness and traffic to the website and highly personalised direct mail to follow-up visitors of the website. This approach resulted in a 10,2% higher sales result than originally planned. When checking the media strategy from the other Effie Gold winners (Adidas and Nike) the point about integration was confirmed. Both campaigns make use of a broad spectrum of media albeit with a lower percentage allocated to print media. But Nike for example achieved over 800 press articles by a very intense PR campaign. When I talked with Marco Eikelenboom, Sappi's European Marketing and Sales Director, he concluded that these results confirm the efficiency of print media.

Towards a sustainable world

Last week I was present at the Awards evening of the Euro Effies, where ACT (Advertising Community Together) had an exhibition of their worldwide collection of responsible communication advertisements. ACT believes that advertising is a powerful tool that can change people's behaviour. It promotes therefore responsible communication and practices on sustainability. The exhibition "Taking Care of our Future" showcases work from all over the world on how companies, NGO's and public services use advertising to influence our society for the good cause. Like the above ad from JWT Manila for Greenpeace.

Murdoch Street Journal

It's done. Rupert Murdoch has bought the Wall Street Journal. Today the Wall Street announced the deal that has led to heavy disputes in the Bancroft family. The Bancrofts hold 64% of the Dow Jones controlling stocks and at least two thirds needed to approve of the deal.
It seems that the take-over by media mogul Murdoch had more to do with US newspaper heritage and media sociology than with finance. (Money was probably no issue with a proposed price of $60 per share that represents a 69% premium to the pre-offer stock price).The WSJ is one of the oldest family owned newspapers in the US and now becomes part of the stable of Murdoch including media brands as Fox News, MySpace, National Geographic, Times of London and many others. And becoming part of a media conglomerate that produces content for the masses was probably the biggest hurdle to take for the family. What will become of the WSJ stature once taken over by News Corp? Can it maintain it's position as one of the worldwide references for financial news? These questions relate to an interesting discussion taking place the the media industry: is popular culture bad for us? Is popularised news bad for readers and viewers? Some two years ago Steven Jonhson published "Everything is good for you. How popular culture is making us smarter". This book like the book from Gust de Meyer (De beste smaak is de slechte smaak) demonstrate that the popular culture of videogames, television (including reality-TV), film and Internet has made people more intelligent. The complexity of the media and content is posing new challenges to our minds that make our minds sharper. Interesting to watch how the WSJ will continue to challenge its readers.

Google selling newspapers

Google announced last year a test involving 50 US newspapers and a limited number of advertisers to bid online for advertising space. Today the service called Google Print Ads is available for all advertisers and includes over 225 newspapers (combined circulation of nearly 30 million). The Google sales pitch demonstrates the commitment to integrated media campaigns as it presents 4 reasons to consider newspapers as a "important component of any advertiser's media mix". Newspapers give advertisers significant local reach, they reach an attractive demographic audience, they are a key resource for shopping information that drives offline and online purchases and finally newspapers are relevant throughout the entire purchase cycle.
It will be very interesting to see what Google's initiative will do to the top-line and bottom-line results of the participating newspapers. And also to the reaction of the traditional traders in ad space; the media agencies.

News a la minute

We were traveling in England this weekend and while watching the BBC news we experienced the growing importance of consumer generated content. The news had an item on the evacuation of several Tesco shops in Britain. However the BBC didn't know a great deal about what was going on. Viewers were invited to email what they had seen at the Tesco shops. Within 20 minutes the newsreaders could report on details of 5 Tesco shops, including time, reasons for evacuation, what happened to the staff and pictures.
Prior to BBC journalists viewers delivered the news. The newsreaders were reading the viewer reports from the laptops on their desks, apparently without further checking the facts. The news was really brought to you as it developed, and not by a BBC journalist at the spot but by the "consumers".
Although the strength of consumer generated content is clearly demonstrated it also points at a risk. Does opening the door for live consumer input not jeopardise the quality of the BBC brand? When facts are relayed without control to consumers this might influence the status, credibility and value of the BBC brand?
By the way it appears now that the closure of 14 stores and evacuation of hundred of thousands of customers was a reaction to a day of action of an animal rights group.

Who to trust?

I did a presentation two weeks ago to an international company in Belgium about the impact of Internet channels on their B-t-B media mix. During the discussion we started talking about the way consumers deal with the lack of trust related to news or insights presented via the web. The equation "for free = no value = no trust" holds true for a great number of people. A study from Forrester shows that although trust in traditional media as television, newspapers and magazines reduced over the period 2002-2204 , it is still more than double that of Internet. However consumers develop alternative strategies. When asked who they trust for product information, consumers rate recommendations from friends/family, online consumer opinions and requested email updates higher than advertisements on television, radio or magazines. Other research from Forrester shows that more than 20% of European online consumers sent a link to friends or family and also visited links provided by friends or family. It looks like that word-of-mouth and buzz marketing is the driving force behind the growth of social networks. This could also imply a revival of customer magazines on the condition that customers can participate.

Sappi launches new booklet in Life with Print series

Sappi Fine Paper launched at the first Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB) Conference the third booklet in the Life with Print serie. At the European summit of internet interactivity the paper manufacturer presented a point-of-view on how traditional media and new media integrate to the benefit of effectiveness. This booklet covers interviews with leading people from MasterCard Europe, Carlson Marketing, IAB Europe and Philips, includes international cases from Microsoft, Eurostar, Timberland and Napster, views from Joseph Jaffe, Rupert Murdoch and Pelle Törnberg and research on how integration of internet boosts the overall effect of print campaigns.
The Life with Print programme -developed by Frysk- is addressing advertisers, media and creative agencies and underlines the importance of print media as part of the media mix. The programme is used worldwide with emphasis on Europe, USA, South-Africa and Asia. Other booklets in the series are "Direct Mail in the media mix" and "Brochures and Catalogues in the media mix". The booklets can be ordered via LifeWithPrint@sappi.com

How a logo creates epileptic fits

The much criticised logo for the Olympics to be held in London in 2012 has caused some viewers suffer from an epileptic fit. A short animated sequence in a TV commercial contained rapid flashes of colour that have caused these fits. The London professor Graham Harding, who has developed a specific test on TV images, concluded that the material should not be used any longer because of the risks involved.

Digital and screen printing for large formats surging

I visited FESPA, the world's largest trade show on digital printing for large format in Berlin last week. The increase of 20% in visitors demonstrates the growing importance of (screen and digital) large format printing. I listened to a presentation of Bob Holt (Production Link) and Michel Caza (both members of the FESPA Awards) who showed the available printing techniques with screen print. FESPA introduced an inspiration book on this theme called Sensations. This lavishly produced book shows the possibilities with different inks and special effects.
Most exhibitors presented their equipment live at the booths, which made some of these booths look more like small print plants than a branded environment that creates credibility, trust and above all brand preference. Agfa was one of the booths that stood out with a daring colour coding and presented their recently launched C3 concept.

More titles launches to maintain total circulation

Eija Ailasmaa, President and COO of Sanoma Magazines, gave her view on the developments on the magazine markets. Interesting figures about the number of launches (590 new titles in 2005 in UK, 150 in 2006 in Sweden), with declining average circulation figures ( -5,4 % for women magazines in The Netherlands during the period 2000-2006) new introductions remain imperative. But introductions are expensive as Portfolio in the USA shows ( estimates range from $100-150 mio). After free newspapers Ailasmaa also referred to free magazines as a major development, Sport in London is a great example, and also cultural city guides or customer magazines. The growth area is online, Sanoma showed a 42% increase over the last period. However online represent today only 5% of total revenues. Nevertheless it will shape the industry according to Ailasmaa.

Finland invests € 10 mio in Innovative Printing project

I listened last week at the PulPaper conference to a presentation on a unique project: Innovative Printing. This project started last year to support the development of consumer oriented media products. It has a total budget of € 10 mio for 2-3 years and the support and participation of the leaders of the Finnish media industry. Already today research projects have been allocated to 26 different projects. Perspectives on the Innovation Strategy come from very diverse industries, including Bio, Chemicals, ICT and Automation, and will include technologies as micro, nano, screen and material technologies and photonics. The programme has started with the print industry and will expand to the electronic media and mobile services in the next phase. This month a Strategy Team will present the Innovation Strategy till 2010.

Listen to paper

I'm still in Helsinki at the world' largest paper Conference, in the home country of Finnish forest companies that are among the largest in Europe and in the country from which Nokia originates. It might therefore sound as cursing in the church when saying that the future of paper might to some degree be depending on the integration of new technology. My presentation yesterday on the advertising value of print media elaborated on this subject. And yesterday night when checking BBC news I heard about a new form of convergence: paper that can talk to you. The Mid Sweden University has developed a paper with printed integrated electronic circuits and speakers that -when touched- can bring an auditive message. Making posters or packaging interactive. And today's marketing is all about interactivity.
To watch the applications go and watch this video. This 'sounds' very interesting for the paper industry but also for the digital printing industry.