Myth-busting

There are a number of misconceptions about customer magazines that are regularly proffered as reasons for not investing - here we bust those myths.

People don't read customer magazines because they are free
The truth is that consumers do enjoy reading a customer magazine because they are interesting and relevant to them - free or not. Millward Brown research shows that 82% of people spend up to 45 minutes reading a customer magazine, with 64% returning to the title more than once - a higher average readership than newsstand titles. Moreover, according to ABC figures, half of the UK's most widely read magazines are customer titles.

Customer magazines don't offer return on investment
In a survey by Millward Brown, 47% of respondents said that they are more likely to purchase products featured in a customer magazine than in other types of advertising or marketing. Furthermore, 44% claim to have purchased as a result of reading a customer magazine.

Customer magazines have a positive effect on readers' opinion of a company. Milward Brown research shows a 12% average uplift between readers and non readers of a customer magazine:

  • 78% of customers would prefer to read about a product or brand in a customer magazine than any other marketing medium.
  • 93% of readers agree that the company has a good reputation, compared with 80% of non-readers
  • 86% of readers agree the company looks after its customers compared to 72% of non readers
  • 86% of readers believe the company strives to meet its customer needs, compared to 70% of non-readers
  • 89% of readers agree that it is a company you can trust, compared with 73% of non-readers
  • 84% of readers believe that the company provides value for money, compared to 73% of non-readers
  • 79% of readers agree the company is constantly improving its products/services, compared to 68% of non-readers

Customer magazines aren't cost effective
DMIS currently quote the average cost of a direct mail piece to be 66p - an average mailed customer magazine costs only 44p.

Unlike most other forms of customer communication, revenue can come from other sources too. A staggering 55% of customer magazines carry third party advertising and advertising revenue generates more than £75 million additional income for the contract publishing industry.

Most marketers don't value customer magazines
There has been a significant change in the way customer magazines are perceived by Marketing Directors as a valuable addition to a company's marketing collateral:

  • 87% feel they are effective at building relationships
  • 87% feel they generate loyalty
  • 74% feel they aid customer retention
  • 89% think they are an important part of their marketing strategy

ABC
Testament to the success of the medium is the fact that customer magazines continuously take up a number of the top places in the prestigious ABC Consumer Concurrent Release, a report that the whole magazine industry uses to gauge the success of their magazine.

For more information on circulation figures go to www.abc.org.uk