Updated Ad Sales Video Tool for Magazines

Magazines Canada has updated its Magazines Connect video, which takes key industry research and knowledge, and translates it into quick hits of information.

In two minutes, it lays the groundwork for a magazine ad sales pitch by delivering points about magazine engagement, content, demographics, purchase intent, and the growing relationship with online and digital. And the music and graphics are pretty snazzy too.  

Check out the video on YouTube and share your thoughts. Would it be helpful for your client presentations? For approaching new clients? Re-introducing magazines to old clients? We'd love to know if this sort of resource is useful so let us know!

-- Colleen Seto
AMPA Blogger-in-Residence

Check out the Consumer Mag Fact Book for Ad Sales Support

If you haven't yet seen Magazine Canada's 2010 Consumer Magazine Fact Book, go check it out now. It's chock full of industry info and presented in a way that will help you answer those tough questions about ROI and reader engagement. 

Whether you need some quick facts and figures, or want more in-depth outlooks on trends and research studies about the Canadian consumer magazine industry, you'll find it in this book. It's great fodder for your media kits, and will complement your own numbers for your magazine and readership.

There's also a Fact Book for business/trade mags for those trade pubs out there.

--- Colleen Seto AMPA Blogger-in-Residence

Digital Publishing: Good for Landfills, Bad for Ads? (In Honour of Earth Day)

The landfills may be getting a bit of a break as increasingly more magazines are going paperless in favour of digital. Yet things aren’t always as they seem, and both publishers and advertisers face a dilemma: keep up with the times (and out of the landfills) by going online, or stick to print where advertising remains most effective.

Image source Green Living Blog

Recent studies have shown that consumers pay more attention to print advertisements than they do to online ones. In fact, 55% of U.S. consumers reported that they used advertisements in printed magazines as ways of learning about new products; a significant number when one considers how much time we spend online. So should magazines continue to go increasingly digital, or should they take a step back and let the profits dictate the direction?

For more on the state of consumers and advertising in the good ‘ole print world, go to:

http://www.magazinescanada.ca/advertising_news?news_id=812

---Andrea Cubala
Volunteer AMPA Blogger

Feature Conference Speaker - Sharon McAuley

Meet today's feature conference speaker - Sharon McAuley.

Sharon has more than 23 years of experience as a marketer and publisher, specializing in strategic brand and new business development of both trade and consumer magazines. As vice president and group publisher for the Urban Group at St. Joseph Media, Sharon’s portfolio includes Toronto Life, Ottawa Magazine, Quill and Quire and WHERE Canada.

Intrigued? You won't want to miss her session at the 2011 Alberta Magazines Conference, sponsored by Magazines Canada: 

2B - Ad Sales Toolkit: Show and Tell

To download the conference brochure, with a full itinerary, session descriptions and speaker bios, visit www.albertamagazines.com/conference

Magazines Canada Ad Campaign

Magazines Canada has launched three new advertising campaigns that will remind the advertising community and industry influencers about the power of magazines.

“As today’s consumers and business leaders become harder to reach in meaningful ways, magazines more than ever have powerful stories to tell,” said Gary Garland, Executive Director of Advertising Services at Magazines Canada. “They engage, they connect communities and they sell. Member support of these new ad campaigns will remind the advertising community and industry influencers that magazines are not only open for business but a must-buy.”

The first of these campaigns, a “torn insert,” will run in Marketing and Marketing QC, and is set for release in the November 22 issue (street date November 15). The die-cut insert looks like a ripped page in a magazine. The campaign leverages the high percentage of consumers who tear ads out of magazines for future reference.

The second consumer-based ad campaign features a series of whimsical ads that begin with “Dear Magazine Reader.” The ad then apologizes for magazine ads being so successful at prompting purchase. Each ad ends with, “We’re sorry we’re so engaging.” Members will also be able to create their own customizable version of the ad based on their own experiences.

Transforming the bedroom and bathroom into the new boardroom, the third campaign, geared specifically to business media titles, promotes the power of magazines in keeping business decision makers in the know—wherever they are.

In addition to the print ads, online ads will also be available for the consumer and business media campaigns. An overrun of inserts will also be made available to members on a request basis for use as bookmarks in magazine copies sent to advertisers as comps or proof of performance.

All campaigns have been developed by doug and serge agency in both French and English and will be available for Magazines Canada members under the Members’ Download Library.

Template Teaser 3: Circulation Strategy

Finally, a third post in the "Template Teaser" series, this one from AMPA's 2010 Tiny Template: The Circulation Edition. In her article "Party On! Like Any Good Party, Successful Circulation Requires Best-Laid Plans," Malwina Gudowska turned to Eithne McCredie, vice-president of Abacus Circulations Inc., for her insights on circulation strategy:

"...for new magazines, most are launched out of a passion for an interest area, but McCredie warns that it should never overshadow circulation and distribution planning. She says that no matter how passionately you believe that readers with the same interest will naturally gravitate to your magazine, without the right circulation plan, they won't.

Before launching, do plenty of research on your potential market and count yourself lucky if your magazine has a competitor because then there's already a market. Do the research on the competitor looking at circulation, ad rates and demographics. Once you've figured out your target group and how you can get to it, look at every possible circulation source."

You can learn more about circulation strategy, and gain other valuable information about magazine publishing, in Tiny Template: The Circulation Edition

2010 Consumer Magazine Fact Book

The 2010 edition of the Consumer Magazine Fact Book (from Magazines Canada) is now available, containing 92 pages of new and updated industry trends and research. It's where you'll find the most requested facts for media planners, advertisers and magazine sales professionals.

The 2010 Fact Book includes 13 new research charts and 23 research updates to help inform users of how magazine advertising works. Info is categorized as:

• Industry trends
• Ad positioning
• Ad effectiveness
• Digital and throw to web
• Magazines in a media mix
• Other useful info

The Consumer Magazine Fact Book is available in a pdf version and will soon be available as a digital edition that not only provides live links to additional information, housed on the Magazines Canada website, but is also keyword searchable to help you find what you want quickly and easily. Both editions will soon be available in French.

View the 2010 Consumer Magazine Fact Book now.