By Morgan O’Leary
Yesterday The Association of Magazine Media (MPA) released its benchmark “Magazine Mobile Reader” study, which surveyed a group of people who read digital magazines via apps designed for tablets and e-readers. The stats speak for themselves.
Content consumption for this crowd is through the roof. It’s evident that mobile devices have increased owners’ magazine reading habits, with 90% saying they are consuming as much, if not more, content than before.
It doesn’t stop there. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents want more magazine content in digital form, more than half (55%) like to read back issues digitally, and 86% want the chance to share issues or articles.
It’s clear that owning a tablet or e-reader not only significantly increases content consumption, but also increases the likelihood of interacting with the content and publication of choice. Not only can these whiz kids not get enough of their newsstand favorites, but they also want to pass this content along to their friends!
Additionally, a new study from ABC Interactive shows that 59 percent of publishers say they have a “well-developed” plan to support their mobile marketing efforts, up from 28 percent two years ago.
A total of 85 percent of respondents said they produce content for mobile devices, with newspapers (88 percent) most likely to have mobile initiatives in place, followed closely by consumer magazines (83 percent) and business publications (79 percent).
In accordance with the MPA’s study, ABC Interactive revealed that e-readers and tablets are more likely to be the platforms upon which consumers will read content, with smartphones in second place.
With print magazines being continually proven over time to drive purchasing decisions, both studies inevitably touched out the possibility of ecommerce integration into the apps and advertisements that power them. Surprisingly enough, most consumers seemed receptive to the idea:
- 59% want the ability to buy directly from ads.
- 70% stated that they want to be able to purchase products and services directly from editorial features.
- 73% typically engage with digital magazine ads.
These responses caught me off guard. I assumed consumers would be hesitant to engage with mobile advertisements (if not in practice then at least in theory). Perhaps the idea of an editorial balance is keeping this concept palatable. What are your thoughts? Why do you think consumers are so open to this idea? Would you be? Why or why not?
By Morgan O’Leary
