Page 214 - DMGT507_SALES AND PROMOTIONS MANAGEMENT

Sales and Promotions Management

Notes Advertising scene in consumer magazines is dominated mostly by large national advertisers,
but they are also important to smaller firms dealing in specialised products and services, such as
mosquito repellents, hand-made paper, specialised protective lighting equipment for computer
users, slimming and beauty care services etc. Special interest magazines target groups of audience
with similar interest or life-style and attract advertisers who desire to reach them efficiently
with little waste circulation. For example, developers of computer games would do well by
advertising in Computer Gaming World. Marketers of herbal beauty care products would find
women and glamour magazines more suited for advertising. The editorial content of such
specialised magazines is very appropriate in creating a suitable advertising environment for
related products and services.

Business Publications

Business magazines include publications such as trade journals meant for specific businesses,
industries, or occupations. They are different from consumer publications and are distinguished
by the editorial focus. The readership is mainly composed of business managers and executives,
businessmen, and business schools, etc. Business publications can be grouped in the following
categories:
1. General business publications
2. Professional publications
3. Trade publications

4. Industrial publications
5. Institutional publications.

Example: There are several business publications focused at different target groups such
as Indian Trade Journal, Industrial Product Finder, Purchase, Chemical Product Finder, Fertilizer,
Journal of the Institute of Engineers, British Medical Journal, Management, Harvard Business
Review, Fortune, Data Quest, Business Today, Advertising Age, Popular Photography etc.
The issue frequency ranges from weekly to monthly, or even quarterly. These publications are
focused on professional people within a particular field of interest and provide relevant
information about occupation, careers, or industry. These business publications are important
to advertisers in reaching a precisely defined target market, such as decision-makers in business
and industry, or industrial buyers.

Advantages

Some characteristics are peculiar to magazines and make them very attractive to advertisers as
a medium. The advantages include their selectivity, excellent reproduction quality, creative
flexibility, permanence, prestige, high involvement of readers, and services they offer to
advertisers.

Selectivity

A major advantage of magazines as a medium is the selectivity or their ability to reach specific
target audience. Except for direct mail and the Internet, magazines are considered as the most
selective of all media. Usually magazines are published for audiences with special interests. For
example, within the last few years a number of new magazines have been introduced which are
targeted at new interests and trends such as, Computer Gaming World, Digit, and Computers @
Home, etc. as a result of increasing usage of computers and popularity of electronic games
played on computers.

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