Welcome aboard.

A couple of weeks ago, back in article Media Spike #15, we spoke of the importance and relevance of having multiple media touchpoints for recognition. You might also recollect A Day in the Life of article Media Spike #18 on the diversity and omnipresence of media vehicles. Most recently we shared our analogy of media vehicles and golf, in article Media Spike #22.

Tell me dear reader, have you only ever had the same dinner, every day, forever?

One likes to hope not. Change. Variety. Diversity, are keys to health, life, happiness and media. Introduce new players one at a time to see how well they work. Keep the ones that do. Discard the ones that don’t. In several references thus far in this series, I’ve noted how one insurance firm used only two media, but were there all the time. They had done their testing, and these media prevailed and were a foundation of their ongoing marketing efforts.

Several advertisers have plowed forward by sheer brawn of their budgets. They just bought more of whatever media they were using.  While it dwarfed the competition- until budget ran out- it just overwhelmed their target group beyond saturation point and failed to expand their geography long term because too many funds were tied up in one media.

I grant there is merit in having a strong leading media. I would suggest you never have a reliance on any one media for any product or service. Many online purists were startled they had been delisted from the G-man of online due to algorithm changes or an unintended hiccup. More than one client has put everything into a newspaper campaign just as the union goes on strike for three weeks. One United Kingdom client had the misfortune of bankrolling his TV campaign to start on the day of Princess Diana’s tragic car accident, and his campaign was nowhere to be seen in the melee of news reports on the tragedy. That’s a lot of eggs in any one basket.

A minimum of two media is preferred, and five, eight, ten media at a time will certainly help to keep you consistently top of mind.

Sure Dennis, but does it work?  How much difference does it make by adding a secondary media?

To this point in our series, we’ve only touched on magazines intermittently. So let’s give them some deserved attention.

Many advertisers have relied on television as their sole media. It has doubtless worked for many of them as it is a vital part of their messaging strategy. So what happens when you suggest…Instead of buying 100% TV, let’s consider spending 75% on TV and the remaining 25% in magazines?

Study after study, survey after survey, results from 14 aggregated Return on Investment (ROI) studies validate the power of magazines to drive purchase decisions* (Magazines Canada – Consumer Magazine Factbook 2013 Page 116)

If television is our base at 100%, then the addition of onion ads raised the index between 101% and 114%. The addition of magazines to TV and online raised the index between 160% & 175%. This is just in their ability to drive purchase decision.

Magazines demonstrated their great impact of addition to the mix where their biggest influence is felt in Brand Imagery and Purchase Intent at 91% and 81% respectively. Higher than each of TV and Internet.

No less a name than Meredith Corporation, a prominent magazine publisher, created a program to prove advertising with their brands (magazine titles) guarantees a direct increase in sales. After one year, in several product categories, participating advertisers realized an average return of $7.81 return for every dollar spent on ads in these magazines. 781% Return!!!  The Power of Print cannot be overstated.

Would you consider it beneficial to spend the same and increase sales? Then you’ll appreciate this:

The Dutch based firm Unilever proved this ‘multiplier effect’ as they changed spending from 100% TV to 75% TV and 25% Magazine and saw a 6% increase in sales volume.

(The above results are all available for confirmation from this same Magazines Canada Consumer Fact Book 2013 as referenced above.)

If you’re already combining media to further your awareness and increase sales, you have my applause. If you’re still waffling, then test it for yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised at the results, especially when they show up on the bottom line.

Stay tuned.