Sweet July.....As Sweet As Can Be.

"As we prepare to release the first issue in what could be seen as the most insane time, I'm choosing to see it another way....I think the world needs  a little joy right now, and this first issue is dripping with it."....Ayesha Curry's joy and excitement knew no bounds when she took to Instagram to announce the launch of her very own lifestyle magazine, Sweet July. 

The quarterly food and lifestyle glossy is being launched by Meredith Corporation, the Des Moines, Iowa-based media conglomerate in collaboration with Ayesha Curry. It's a bold move considering that we are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

  

https://adage.com/article/media/meredith-launches-new-magazine-sweet-july-ayesha-curry/2251096

https://etcanada.com/news/619109/ayesha-curry-announces-launch-of-sweet-july-magazine/

One For POSTER-ity.

During these anxious times, we constantly check our hand computers for the latest updates, which make us still more anxious. Before technology allowed us to alarm ourselves with up-to-the-minute information, public-health messages were communicated using a fundamental graphic medium: the poster. Produced and displayed on a massive scale, these posters used a variety of cultural, political, and psychological strategies to steer public behavior with eye-catching and sometimes shocking visuals. And while today’s medium provides options via Instagram that you can print yourself, the message for fighting disease remains uncomfortably the same: Cover your mouth when coughing, stay home when you’re sick, avoid crowds, and don’t poop in the communal stream. Timeless advice, indeed. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/dont-spit-pandemic-posters-through-the-years/609589/?utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR14rsMHTdTDzICQ4Pl6F5n5BRiPnqBhPJ8ZpkAaNSSwfC3wAXMEVXLGunM

Why I Will Never Stop Reading Printed Words.

Samir Datar || “Samir is in the profession of communication for 25 years only because he is amazed with power of words every single day.” || Follow Samir on https://twitter.com/samirdatar?lang=en https://samirdatar.wordpress.com/

“Beautiful medium will continue to enthrall us for a long time to come” is how my friend Naresh put it when he asked me to write something about print.

Back when I was 8 I think, I got hooked. It all started with Enid Blyton and Famous Five. The book, the cover and how story unfolded; it had me hooked. If there is one addiction that I never regret (actually I don’t regret any of my addictions), it is the addiction for books. The sheer ecstasy of laying my hands on a new book, the fragrance of fresh unturned yet pages, the weight of the book, the excitement of turning the page and then getting lost in the words can never be surpassed by anything in the world. Not even the euphoria of falling in love can match this.

You might say that it’s all about the book, the plot and how well the author draws into the story. Trust me, it is more than that. It is the crisp white paper. The neat words with margins on the left and right (like keeping our imagination under reins), the page number at the top right or top left (depending on the page).All the thinking that went into crafting the book. The truth is it is a package. All these elements put together makes reading the book so gripping. How we control the urge to turn the page and read what happens next. That finger restless at the top, ever so eager to turn the page. No tap or swipe on Kindle can even come close to this beautiful ritual. Yes I do own a kindle too but there are certain authors that I will never ever read on kindle. Books by those authors need immersion. They need physical turning of the page. Kindle can never do that. No matter how much it tries to replicate. Kindle will always have the momentariness to reading a book. I tend to read books much faster on Kindle and I do not remember much once I am done reading. Doesn’t happen when I am reading an actual book. The words stay with me for long.

Here comes the kicker though. Everyone might think that I am old school, an old man who doesn’t understand the wonders of the digital world. My kids (17 and 14) are very tech savvy and understand the digital world the way Gen Z understands. But when it comes to books, their preference is physical books. Between the three of us, we have over a 1000 books in our house. There are books everywhere in our house. Yes they get the love for reading from me but books, it is all their own. The entire series of Agatha Christie and many other collections, they have built it over time and they are proud of it and possessive. You can’t get possessive about a book on Kindle. Can you? My daughter obsesses over keeping every book as good as new.

But lest you think it is about books only, let me clarify, it is about printed word on a physical page.

I have been reading newspaper for over 4 decades now and I still prefer reading a newspaper in spite of various apps (and even apps of these newspapers) that gives news at the press of a button. There is something about scanning all the headlines on a page and choosing which one to read. Or slowly leading up to Sports page (the final destination).

People have been writing epitaphs for printed publications (and yes many publications have gone bankrupt) but there is a reality that is emerging and I do believe that we need to take cognizance of it.

There is a generation which was born digital. Their first phone was a smart phone and therefore they have gone through the digital evolution cycle much faster than most of us. They have reached digital maturity in 1/10^th the time it has taken us. This generation is seeking real connects now. They are reaching digital fatigue and want to go beyond the screen. Live the real experience and not something vicarious through Facebook or Instagram or whatever. For this generation, digital world is only a source of staying informed and seeking knowledge. This Generation would want to feel the paper, smell the paper and turn a new leaf. Will we have these pages ready for them? Or would we have killed the pages come the reading hour. Maybe we need to gaze into the crystal ball and see what the future holds. And mind you, it is definitely not the future as tom-tommed by the people who are enamoured by the digital bubble.

To wind up, words fly on a digital page. They are there only till we scroll up. But in books, magazines and newspapers, they stay with you even if you turn the page.

*Image courtesy , The Spinoff | Joe Mull 

But Are All Marketing Touches Created Equal ?

Over the past fifteen years, neuroscience research methods have helped many companies, including Google, measure actual, rather than just self-reported consumer response to ads or products.

Neuroscience research uses eye tracking, sensors, and MRI techniques to assess the visual attention, engagement and brain activity of test subjects. A 2015 study by Temple University Fox Center for Neural Decision Making employed neuroscience to gauge how people respond to physical and digital ads.

During the first phase, they exposed respondents to print and digital ads, and administered a survey to gauge preferences and recall of the ads. For the second phase, the respondents were exposed to new and previously seen ads, and asked whether they had seen the ads and if so, what format.

The neuromarketing tools used revealed interesting observations:

• Respondents spent more time reviewing the print ads
• Print ads yielded higher levels of recall
• Print ads caused more activity in brain areas associated with value and desire, key markers of purchase interest

Why Does the Brain Process Ad Formats Differently?

When it comes to print, neuroscience has shown that we recruit different parts of the brain to encode information that we both see and feel. The deeper ways that the brain engages with print is why paper-based reading is associated with stronger transfer to long-term memory, recall, and overall comprehension.

This added depth of engagement is underscored by the findings of the Temple University Neural Decision-Making study, and 2015 research conducted by MillwardBrown Digital, which found that print achieved the highest levels of brand favorability and purchase intent of any measured media.

How readers engage with on-screen or digital content differs from print. In a study assessing, “Changes in Reading Behavior Over the Past Ten Years,” the author, Dr. Ziming Liu, observed a pattern of online reading characterized as, “skimming and scanning.” This reading pattern is why best-in-class online creative is strategically designed and written to communicate quickly and succinctly. This messaging, powered by data-driven tools, can be highly targeted and continually measured and refined.

Print vs. other media:

• Stronger transfer to long-term memory
• Better recall & comprehension
• Highest levels of purchase intent

Given what neuroscience has revealed, adding print to the media mix would complement a digital effort by helping to increase engagement and purchase interest.

A Multiple Marketing Touch World

Both digital and print offer significant advantages to advertisers, from targetability to deep engagement. A recent study by The Online Marketing Institute found that it takes seven to thirteen touches to deliver a qualified sales lead. All the more reason to leverage the unique strengths of a varied media mix to move prospects from familiarity to preference and finally, to action.

Via https://www.randallreilly.com/advertising-science-the-power-of-print/

Reading Brain in the Digital Age !

When it comes to intensively reading long pieces of plain text, paper and ink may still have the advantage.

People consistently say that when they really want to dive into a text, they read it on paper. In a 2011 survey of graduate students at National Taiwan University, the majority reported browsing a few paragraphs online before printing out the whole text for more in-depth reading. A 2008 survey of millennials (people born between 1980 and the early 2000s) at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island concluded that, "when it comes to reading a book, even they prefer good, old-fashioned print". And in a 2003 study conducted at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, nearly 80 percent of 687 surveyed students preferred to read text on paper as opposed to on a screen in order to "understand it with clarity".

Surveys and consumer reports also suggest that the sensory experiences typically associated with reading—especially tactile experiences—matter to people more than one might assume. Text on a computer, an e-reader and—somewhat ironically—on any touch-screen device is far more intangible than text on paper.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

4 Tips for Creating Attention - Grabbing Covers for the Newsstand

Courtesy : http://www.pubexec.com/
By : http://www.pubexec.com/author/johnmorthanos/

I like to think of the newsstand as one of the best direct marketing tools. It’s all consumer response.

Now more than ever there is a need for niche publishers to realize mainline magazine displays are crowded. A full title retailer like a major U.S. bookstore chain typically has an active file of 5,000 titles. The best magazine racks provide only a few titles with full cover display and the majority of magazines on the mainline receive a display of approximately 4 square inches of the cover’s top left corner.

Why then do many editors and art directors refuse to put copy or bold colors on their covers or on this key piece of real estate? When you drop mail by “traditional methods” you would never send out an attractive photo and no benefit copy on the outer envelope for a new subscription effort. When you’re marketing online, you would not leave an email subject line blank and have no offer, whether it is as simple as a clothing e-tailer or a food magazine. Without a strong subject line offering “Top 16 Must Have Styles For Men under $10″ or “Easy To Make Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie,” why would a recipient open the hard copy or the digital offer?

Looking at a variety of magazine newsstand sales histories a few items are very clear. Issue to issue, unless a title is a very poor seller or it is in a promotion, the number of copies distributed and the number of retail outlets receiving copies do not change.

The one variable issue to issue is the cover image and headlines.

As a consultant, I track sales and provide clients with a monthly report showing sales and identifying trends for the title. Do desserts sell better than seafood? Do black covers sell better than bright covers? Does larger type sell better than small type?

So as the new cover is being designed I can comfortably comment that this type treatment (or lack thereof) or image will be a strong newsstand seller (or not). Sometimes I get comments that appreciate my input, most times I hear that “we received a letter that a person is interested in this” (Note: A Person) or “this works for X or Y magazine” (but that magazine is in a different category), and I won’t mention the disparaging remarks about me being a circulator.

My point, we have to reach out to consumers by providing them with:

1. An eye-catching cover that makes the title stand out from the hundreds of other titles on the rack. This might be a burst in the upper left corner, a strong sky bar message, or a bright color that makes the cover pop in the supermarket or bookstore. Someone is scanning the rack for 30 to 60 seconds. Just like your direct response piece, you have to stand out from the rest of the mail received that day before it is put into Trash.

2. A cover that avoids “insider’s” headline. Newsstand is an impulse buy. Not everyone knows the ins and outs of your title. If the cover is designed for subscribers who have committed to the title by subscribing, you may be losing a new reader or the “newsstand subscriber” that buys 2 to 3 issues a year of a magazine. Using myself as an example I subscribed to Esquire for many years — at such a low subscription price why not — but I threw away at least 10 issues a year because I was not interested in the cover subject. I am a “Dubious Achievement Awards” and “Women We Love” subscriber. So I look for, and buy these issues in the store. Maybe, there will be another issue that appeals to me and I’ll buy it but not the other nine. I don’t think I am alone and this can also impact renewals. If the newest issue went directly to the trash pile and the renewal effort is received, will they consider not renewing as well?

3. Cover designs that demonstrate an understanding of your subscriber.The best example I can give is back in 1983, PC Magazine covers tended to be hardware driven. A great photo of a monitor or disk drive and the sales were outstanding. We did a cover, reminiscent of Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” video with a blond model sitting on a desk, cross legged in a provocative pose which we thought was great. Readers responded. Newsstand sales were very soft and subscribers wrote to tell us “DON’T EVER DO THIS AGAIN,” “IF WE WANTED SEXY WOMEN WE’D BUY OTHER MAGAZINES.” Not all subscribers will write in but enough did and the response from the newsstand was so bad, we learned and only put hardware or software packages on the cover for all future issues.

4. Covers that work in the real world. Art directors, one of the draw backs of digital production is you lose sight of how a cover looks in the real world. It’s just you and the monitor. Colors are bright, you’re sitting 12 inches away from the screen and all looks wonderful. You share the image with the editors and staff and get comments, all from a digital perspective of a full cover display. The real world is not like that. Print the cover in color. Have a newsstand rack or shelf in your department. Put the cover on the rack next to competitive titles, and give it a partial display. Step back at least 4 feet from the rack. How does your cover stand out against the others? Can it be read? Is it bright? Would you buy it?

Remember, the newsstand browser does not know the editorial value until they pick up the magazine. The newsstand is direct marketing too. Covers must be bright, bold, and deliver a strong reason to respond.

Print + Digital is the Best Combination of All | The Rules of Attraction Study

Published By : Magazines Canada https://twitter.com/magscanada
http://www.magazinescanada.ca/page/pub:3341/The-Rules-of-Attraction-Study-Print--Digital-is-th

The Rules of Attraction study, launched in May by Magnetic, a new marketing agency for magazine media in the UK, proves that "the page and digital screen nourish each other." The new research explores the relationships that consumers have with their favourite magazine media brands. The study finds that these relationships are "powered by print but increasingly extended and enhanced by digital."

Print has proven to be a resilient advertising medium, and paired with the complementary benefits of digital, "magazines' effectiveness as a consumer experience and as an advertising vehicle is growing." Print magazines have always been portable, and digital's ability to provide the most current information enhanced with media such as photo galleries and video has created "super-users": consumers that love to access magazine content in both print and digital formats. This segment of consumers has deep emotional and functional involvement with their magazine brands; finding them inspirational, pleasurable and relaxing, among many other benefits. The super-users are also an advertisers' dream—they are an even more receptive target audience for advertisers' communications.

Magazine brands have long been known to have strong relationships with their readers, and the new study continues to prove that "consumers' engagement with their magazine brands rubs off onto the advertising the brands carry, and the deeper the engagement the greater the rub-off." 

The super-users are very loyal to the print format—96% said they will be reading printed magazine in the future and not give up print in favour of digital. Meanwhile, almost a third of digital-only readers said they were more likely to read printed magazines in the next 12 months—through websites and social media, digital-only readers are discovering and falling in love magazine branded-content.

Whatever edition magazine readers are entering from, they are accessing content across a wide range of platforms. Consumers continue to trust and value the strength of magazine brands, on both print and digital platforms.

To learn more about the "Six Rules of Attraction," read the entire article on FIPP's website.