The Reader's Digest Association Inc is a global leader in publishing and direct marketing, whose object is to create and deliver products that inform, enrich, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures. The Company's flagship magazine, Reader's Digest, is published in 48 editions and 19 languages and reaches almost 100 million readers around the works each month. Marion Jobson, Market Research Manager, based in the company's London offices, talks to Phyllis Vangelder about the way market research is structured in the company and how it is used to help strategic and tactical decision-making.
The days towards the end of a century seem to inspire an inflation of forecasts and predictions, and even more so when it comes to the end of a millennium. It is a good opportunity to look into the future, especially for publishing, which faces more and more competition from a growing number of media (which were themselves just a few years ago in the realms of fantasy). The speed of change and innovation is increasing rapidly. Publishing will have to adapt to these innovations if it is to survive.
This paper discusses the use of simulation technology' (multimedia simulation systems) in marketing research for the publishing industry it starts from an investigation of the concept and the essential features of simulation and shows how modern technology has greatly enhanced its use as a tool of marketing research. The paper stresses the fundamental differences between marketing research for the publishing industry and more general research and shows why simulation technology is particularly recommended in this field. An illustration of (the Itaca research method adopted by the authors institute is followed by more general observations on the importance of multimedia research systems in this industry. A case study illustrating the practical application of this research method to the new launch of a monthly maga/iue is then provided. Finally the authors briefly discuss what the future may hold.
Market research bureau Inter/View in Amsterdam has conducted a survey assigned by Weekbladpers, a Dutch publisher of weekly and monthly sports and culture magazines. In this survey an experiment was carried out to test the hypothesis of the contribution of media to recognition as an advertising effect. In a postal survey among SummoScanner respondents photographs of print advertisements and tv commercials of insurance companies were shown to the respondents who were asked to write down how often they had seen the advertisements and commercials. The recognition of advertisements was therefore detennined independent from the specific media titles. The recognition data were linked to the SummoScanner media data. The effectiveness of the media plans of three advertising campaigns was evaluated. A positive relation between campaign pressure and advertising recognition was found indicating the external validity of the indirect measure of recognition. We also found out that people who appreciate tv commercials for entertainment reasons, reach higher levels of commercial recognition. Another conclusion was that respondents who exercise other activities during commercial breaks, showed a poorer advertising recognition. With the results of this survey advertisers and their agencies can optimize media planning without direct measures of advertising recognition.
The Danish Multi Media Index (DMMI) contains a wealth of information on all important aspects of media published in Denmark. This paper describes the methods of the measurements conducted for the individual types of media as well as the highly detailed back- ground information which is collected on a single-source basis, i.e. from the same respondents. The information contained in the DMMI is used via MaWin, a dedicated Windows program which ensures that all types of information and analysis can be used, even by users without much experience.
Much has been said recently about the supposedly all-pervasive nature of video game culture and its impact on young people. Some prognostications have it that today's children, on growing up, will not be interested in the printed word at all. This paper shows that, although children do play video games a lot, they also read extensively. It predicts that the printed word is far from dead, but that publishers will have to concentrate harder than ever on getting it right, both for today's children when they grow into adults and for the young people of the future.
Historically the UK book trade has been poorly served with information about the market - in terms of both actual sales and buyer behaviour and attitudes. There were many assumptions made about the market, for example, who is buying what books, and for whom, and most assumptions were based not on fact but on folklore and trade instinct. Publishers came to realise that if they were to succeed in a climate of ever- increasing competition they needed to be far more aware of the market dynamics, and in particular who their potential buyers were. This paper is basically in four parts: the first looks at what data the market needs; the second at what action was taken to correct the lack of information; the third indicates some of the results, which have changed perceptions of the market; the fourth provides an example of how some of the data were used in practice.
This paper is divided into three sections. The first deals with some of the main points derived from the Adams Readers' Panel which bear on the title. The marketing of books is an order of magnitude more difficult than the marketing of most products, in the sense that each product is different from every other; each package is different; and price and promotion, although more uniform, still vary greatly. What the Panel can do to help is largely to shed fresh types of light on the readers' attitudes to these variables. The second deals with other findings, concerning particularly other book reading and reading of newspapers and magazines. We illustrate the diversity of reading patterns, both of books and journals, and show that, in general, heavy readers of books tend to be heavy readers of printed matter. The third deals with the mechanics of setting up and operating the Panel. We comment on bias accidentally introduced by the choice of incentive (and how changes in wording affected response); on the very high quality of write-in response, in general; the patterns of scoring, within books and within panellists; and the generally satisfactory levels of response and maintenance.
This paper is divided into four parts. The first part provides a brief overview of the free publication market which in the UK represents an estimated 30% of print advertising expenditure, dominated by controlled circulation business titles and local newspapers. The second part provides a case study of a series of pieces of research conducted on behalf of Financial Adviser. This shows how research helped circulation targeting and editorial design improve Financial Adviser's position in its marketplace. The third part makes some general observations about the need for research from the publisher's point of view, how advertisers can judge free publications together with evidence on readers' opinions of two titles. In the last section brief conclusions are drawn about the role of research for free publications, and what might constitute a successful free title.
With the unification of Europe and the rapidly changing political and economic events worldwide, research executives are currently faced with the need for translated, synthesized and analyzed information from the various countries within the EEC and from other parts of the world. Under the new economic system of the EEC, several companies will plan to expand the marketing of their products and services. Consequently, they will have a need for the collection of published information as well as the need to collect quantitative data. During the 90s, senior management will seek answers to specific questions, such as "Is the Eastern European consumer ready for X, Y, or 2 product?" rather than reading large market research reports which do not specifically answer their questions. Within Europe, there are several obstacles to the collection of published information (e.g., from newspapers, the media and journals). Following a detailed discussion of these obstacles, this paper discusses a methodology for the scanning, synthesis, translation and analysis of published information. Within this methodology, the paper is organized into eight parts as follows. Part 1. Obstacles to the collection of published information within the EEC and on a global basis Part 2. The Solution: the need for ongoing tracking systems for published information Part 3. How to define your published information needs Part 4. Sources of international business intelligence Part 5. Design of the database Part 6. Internal staffing versus outsourcing Part 7. Determining the cost/benefits of the system Part 8. The strategic importance of these systems to the unification of Europe. This paper concludes with a discussion of how international and European research managers will experience an increasing need for market trends, competitive intelligence and new product activity information as new trade agreements evolve within and outside of the European continent. The paper also includes a discussion of research needs for Eastern Europe. In summary, the paper focuses on the development of new cost-efficient systems to process this information, rather than utilizing older labor-intensive methods. The paper provides readers with a how-to to develop these systems along with the specifics for costs and staffing.
The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which qualitative research techniques, both group discussions and depth interviews, can be used to assist in the design of a range of different publications in the travel and tourism industries, the research techniques used apply equally to other fields.