The survey is based on 5,612 questionnaires taken from subscribers to the following digital magazines: Grand, HipCompass Escapes, HorseLink, Outside Go!, PopSci Genius Guide, Premier Guitar, VIVmag and Winding Road. Nxtbook Media and VIVmag (published by Zinio) sponsored the survey.
Readers Less Likely to Ignore Ads in Digital Editions?
According to the survey, 70 percent of the readers of the digital editions that participated in the study were less likely to ignore display ads in digital editions than on Web sites (30 percent said they were more likely to pay attention to display ads on Web sites).
While Web sites generate more impressions, digital editions tend to promote a longer user experience. Julian Lloyd Evans, managing director of advertising at Dennis Publishing (publisher of online magazine Monkey) told Gordon that on average, interactive magazines are viewed for 20 to 30 minutes while the average Web site visit is eight to nine minutes.
Seventy-one percent of respondents said ads on digital editions were less intrusive than Web sites (where reader action is often very goal-oriented) while 79 percent said ads in digital editions were more credible.
How would you compare your reaction to display ads in digital magazines with banner ads?
|
Digital magazines
|
Web sites
|
|
| Less intrusive: |
71%
|
29%
|
| Easier to read: |
80%
|
20%
|
| More authoritative: |
78%
|
22%
|
| More credible: |
79%
|
21%
|
| Invites involvement: |
80%
|
20%
|
| More trustworthy: |
79%
|
21%
|
| More fun: |
82%
|
18%
|
| More useful info: |
81%
|
19%
|
The study also found that respondents found ads in digital magazines more helpful than ads in other electronic media. Ads in digital magazines were named the most interesting, followed by TV ads (mobile phone ads were ranked the least interesting).
Which forms of electronic advertising do you find helpful or interesting?
Ads in digital magazines: 63.2%
Television ads: 53.8%
Radio ads: 34.8%
E-mails: 22.4%
Ads in e-mail newsletters: 20.6%
Website banner ads: 16.4%
Website pop-up ads: 2.3%
Ads on mobile phone: 1.9%
Reader Experience
According to the survey, 82 percent of respondents say digital magazines were "more engaging" than Web sites with similar content (compared to 18 percent who chose the web sites). In terms of overall reading experience, readers chose digital magazines over Web sites (Gordon notes that in some areas, digital editions are perceived to offer more content than Web sites even though they typically offer less, and that readers of digital editions are more accepting of digital extras, like video and flash animation).
|
Digital magazines
|
Web sites
|
|
| Has more content: |
55%
|
45%
|
| More authoritative: |
65%
|
35%
|
| More trustworthy: |
71%
|
29%
|
| Easier to read: |
73%
|
27%
|
| Better organized: |
78%
|
22%
|
| More focused experience: |
80%
|
20%
|
| Look forward to it more: |
83%
|
17%
|
| More visually appealing: |
83%
|
17%
|
| More fun to read: |
85%
|
15%
|
The Role of Digital Extras
When it comes to reading the digital edition, digital "extras" can often spark interest in an article the reader may have otherwise ignored. About one in five respondents said they play the digital extra before moving on to another article, while 28.1 percent said they will read a bit of the article and then play the digital extra before moving on to the next article. Forty-four percent of respondents said digital extras give articles they had no interest in a second chance to be read.
Which of the following "digital extras" have enhanced your reading experience of digital magazines the most?
Videos: 75%
Extra Photos: 58%
Slide shows: 37.4%
Audio: 35.7%
Flash animation: 30.6%
