The Other 89%

Judy Franks

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 This isn’t a typo. I am not referring to the 99% movement that began to sweep the country last year. But, an important data point was released by GFK/MRI late last year that is worth noting: the 89%! What am I talking about? Back in November, GFK/MRI released its first wave of data that measured both print and digital magazine readership. According to this data, 11% of a magazine’s gross audience is ‘digital-only’. That means the other 89%.... is still a print audience! For now! I am still betting on print, or a hybrid of a print/digital experience. Here’s why…

GFK/MRI released two important numbers related to magazine readership on digital platforms. First, and not surprisingly, the digital-only number (11%) received a lot of attention. In a media ecosystem that has historically favored audience reach; a statistic that demonstrates a growing audience will generate headlines. But, there was another number in the study that is, potentially, even more compelling: what about the 8.5%? According to the GFK/MRI findings, 8.5% of the total gross magazine audience interacted with both digital and print experiences. This number is almost as large as the 11% that opted for digital experience, alone! What can we learn from this 8.5%?

Multiple access points to magazine media will increase gross audience reach. But, multiple access points will also increase the potential for deep and engaging cross-platform content and marketing experiences. The 8.5% suggests a willingness among consumers to engage with magazine media in multiple ways. This may become the true sign of engagement moving forward: I care so much about a brand that I am willing to engage with that brand across multiple access points.

Magazines have always been a medium of engagement. The 8.5% may shed light on what engagement can look like in the future. Magazines have an advantage over most other ‘screen’ media: they can still provide the printed page. What will compel audiences to engage with both print and with screens in the future? I believe that media platforms work in Symbiotic relationships. This is the 2nd of the Five Global Truths that make sense of a messy media world in my book, “Media: From Chaos to Clarity.” Now is the time to explore various options to understand how Transmedia Storytelling across both screen and print platforms will deepen magazine media engagement. If magazines can grow the 8.5% to a meaningful majority, both its print and digital businesses will thrive well into the future.

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