In a market which is becoming increasingly narrow for the print media, certain future directions are recognisable, all of which require increased target group research. New magazines devoted to new target groups are developed from editorial sections written only for sections of a larger readership. Further developments will lie in the complete utilisation of modern magazine publishing principles, with intensive coverage of articles of reader interest, service/advice articles and/or an optimal visual presentation, often in colour. These magazines are on the borderline of becoming books or bound picture volumes. Generally, the following possibilities are, amongst others, available to publishing houses: relaunch of existing magazines, addition of supplements, development of new low-priced publications, magazine/television cooperation. The basis for these entire developments, however, remains the extensive as well as the intensive target group research into the constantly more highly-refined media requirements of the audience. For this purpose, the "Affinity Index" and research into separating "Communications Target Groups" were jointly developed by Gruner+Jahr's Market Research Department, research institutes and free-lance experts.
The budgetary allocation of many product groups is made long before the responsible advertising managers have decided on the allocation of sales promotion and advertising expenditures. This is the case with branded articles. With such goods both retailers - who prefer sales promotions - and the manufacturers - who prefer classical advertising - influence the budgetary allocation. With branded articles the stronger influence is obviously to be found with trade since two thirds or more of the total turnover of such products depend on such promotion activities. This paper will try to answer the following question: what is the economic situation of the retailers? why do retailers prefer promotions? what advantages do retailers actually receive with a power-shift to their advantage? what does such a power-shift imply for the industry? what advantages does brand advertising offer? what is the consumers attitude towards branded articles?
The research for this colour magazine a supplement of DIE ZEIT (weekly) started in 1965/66, four years before it was launched, and the research activities are still going on. At the beginning of the planning phase prior to the development of ZEIT magazin the then available market research data were discussed and analysed at great length with the editor-in-chief and his staff. Market research 1966 revealed certain gaps between editorial arid wishes of readership In 1966, a survey by the Allensbach Institute for Demoographics had broadly covered the ZEIT readers' interest in various editorial themes and copy tests had also been carried out on two issues of DIE ZEIT.