Page 213 - DMGT507_SALES AND PROMOTIONS MANAGEMENT

Unit 12: Media Planning and Strategy

Notes
3. Member-papers shall take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the advertising
accepted by them is legal, clean, honest and truthful, and that such advertising is in
respect of reputable goods and services.
4. The Society has a system of granting accreditation to advertising agencies, and only
such agencies are entitled to certain privileges.

12.1.2 Magazines

The magazines published in the later half of the nineteenth century were targeted at special
interest audiences and carried very little advertising. Most magazines of this time were either
literary, or religious in content. Before the advent of radio, magazines were an important
advertising medium for many businesses.
Magazines are considered as the most specialized of all the advertising media. The magazine
industry has often been described as "survival of the discriminating." The number of magazines
has increased steadily to serve the educational, informational, entertainment and other specialized
needs of consumers, business, and industry.

Example: There are some general interest magazines with mass appeal, such as India
Today, Reader's Digest, Outlook, The Week, and Frontline, but most magazines are targeted at
specific interest audience in terms of demographics, interests, activities, life-style, or fascination.

Example: Femina, Society, Savvy, Grihshobha and Women's Era are women's magazines
targeted at specific audience segments based on demographics and life-style. Business India,
Business Today, Business World, and Intelligent Investor target audiences interested in business
and investment.

As pointed out earlier, the role of magazines is different in the media plan of an advertiser.
Magazines allow the presentation of detailed ad messages along with beautiful reproduction of
photographs, graphics, and colours. Magazines are comparatively a more high-involvement
form of print medium than newspapers, as they are read in a leisurely manner and are not
dumped or thrown after reading as happens in case of newspapers.
Consumer Magazines

These magazines are bought and read by general public for entertainment or information.
Consumer magazines represent the major part of the magazine industry and attract the largest
share of total money spent in magazine advertising. This group of magazines is particularly
suited to advertisers who want to reach general consumers of products and services and are also
very suitable to reach specific target audiences. The most frequently advertised product categories
include cosmetics and toiletries, laundry products, dress materials, fashion garments, consumer
durable goods, and business and consumer services. Magazines of this class can also be put
under categories, such as:
1. General interest magazines (India Today, Reader's Digest, Front Line, Outlook)

2. Women/life-style magazines (Femina, Savvy, Women's Era, New Woman)
3. Glamour magazines (Gentleman, Debonair, Fantasy)
4. Film magazines (Filmfare, Stardust, Cine Blitz, Screen)
5. Special interest magazines (Auto India, Digit, Competition Success Review)

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