Custom Communications Have a Bright Future
A conversation with Brenda White, Media Director, Print Investment Group, Starcom USA
December 02, 2004
Pull Quote:
“Print is poised to deliver in this new marketplace.”
In a world of proliferating and splintering media options, how do you think marketers and consumers define "print?”
“From a media perspective, ‘print’ is a relationship medium. It has many forms, including magazines, newspapers, and custom publishing. From a consumer’s perspective, print is not defined. Consumers do not segment media the way media professionals do. Our research has found that consumers have a special relationship with print. They really trust magazine editors, and they do not classify magazines in specific genres. In my opinion, this is a unique relationship not found in other media, especially electronic.”
What is the role of “print” in brand marketing today, and how has this changed in recent years?
“The media landscape has changed. There are so many choices today. As a result, the consumer is in control. I believe that print is poised to deliver in this new marketplace. Five years ago, everyone predicted magazines would become obsolete because of the Internet, and it didn’t happen. I actually think the Internet is a complement to magazines and can enhance the print relationship as long as the tone and brand essence of the magazine are maintained in the online content. However, there’s still nothing like the tactile experience of reading a magazine. The big challenge for brand marketers today is to ensure that consumers choose to interact with their advertising messages. This means your brand or property has got to be compelling to your target consumer. I believe that Print is in a unique position because of the special reader relationship. If you think about it, that relationship is inherent to the medium. All of us have experienced this relationship.”
What role do custom communications play in this print relationship equation, and why are they important?
“Custom communications have a bright future. Over the last couple of years, my client conversations about custom publishing have greatly increased. I am seeing a lot of custom communications work out in the marketplace. I view CP as a vehicle to provide a service to my clients’ customer bases. In addition, CP can communicate a customized message, offering a great opportunity to enhance or create a consumer relationship. Whether or not I recommend CP to a client really depends on my client’s objective. I don’t define CP solely as a magazine. It could be a four-page insert, it could be a 36-page publication—the question is, is it the right environment for my client’s message? You have to make sure you have the very best connectivity, meaning contact, content, and context alignment, between that message and the consumer. Sometimes, a newsstand magazine is the right place for connectivity, but boy, a custom piece with a singular environment just might be the better thing to do.”
Do you think custom magazines are viable vehicles for third party advertising, and would you invest a client’s media dollars in this way?
“I would certainly look at such opportunities, however, it’s about my client’s objectives and whether a custom magazine offers the reader relationship I’m seeking. The real viability of a CP magazine as an advertising venue depends on several things. You have to consider its subject matter, as well as its look and feel. Is it really just a promotional piece, or is it providing something unique for the reader? National magazines are well-known brands with a certain cachet. Look at the brand essence and equity that magazines like O, The Oprah Magazine and Cosmopolitan have—I’d be looking for the same sort of qualities in considering custom magazines for advertising buys. I’d also assess the magazine’s track record to make sure it’s a quality product with quality distribution before I’d consider advertising in it. In all honesty, a lot of new magazines fold within a few years. I’d want it to demonstrate real staying power.”
Describe the role of print five years from now.
“Things have to change for the print industry to have a bright future. The only way print is going to ‘explode’ is if we, meaning agencies, clients, and the publishing community, improve accountability and move beyond ‘eyeballs.’ We need to shift the measurement paradigm from input-based to output-based. Right now, we use a lot of input-based metrics in making media purchase decisions, such as circulation, comp and coverage, positioning, and added-value. These input factors do tell a story and give us some insight into a magazine and how it performs against the target consumer, but they don’t tell us if the publication’s actually going to deliver for our client. Our accountability conversations need to focus on ROO, or return on objectives. We need to begin to use metrics and measures that tie back to what the goals of the plan are and what our clients are trying to accomplish, such as generating awareness or moving cases off the shelf. We need to figure out effective ROO measurements for print, and this applies to custom magazines, too. You can’t just assume that a reader is engaged with a magazine because it is custom in nature. Bottom line, we need to prove that print works, and we are actively working on all of these challenges at Starcom. I think the way to move beyond ‘eyeballs,’ as I mentioned is through ‘engagement’. We need to stop focusing on maximizing exposure and focus instead on maximizing the consumer experience and the opportunity for engagement. We need to create powerful interactions that consumers choose to experience. In my opinion, engagement will become the new measurement metric.”