Magazines | Classification | Merits | Demerits | Newspaper vs Magazine
Press Media – Magazines
Magazines are one of the oldest media used by the advertisers. Magazines are the periodicals published weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly and annually. They cover a wide variety of topics providing leisure reading. Thought provoking articles, entertaining items, such as puzzles riddles, cartoons, comics are also featured in magazines.
Classification of Magazines
Magazines can be classified in two ways as special magazines and general magazines.
Special Magazines
The examples of the special magazines are Filmfare, Star and Style, Star-Dust, Femina, Eve’s-weekly, Health-care, Architect, Dentist, Executive, Industrial Times and Business India. They cater to the needs of specialized people.
Eve’s Weekly catering to the needs of women, give information on cooking, home decoration, child care, entertainment, gardening, etc.
General Magazines
General type of magazines do not concentrate on a particular topic or subject but cover a wide range of topics such as articles on politics, sports, film, business, etc. The example are Frontline, India Today, The week, etc.
Women’s magazines cater to the needs of women — both career-oriented and housewives. Products on food products, cosmetics, beauty-aids, household appliances, apparels, house furnishings are advertised in women’s magazines.
Business, trade, industrial and professional magazines, are specially meant for circulation among businessmen, industrialists, and professionals.
Magazines are used by advertisers who desire broad geographical representation and who desire a good visibility of their advertisements because of superior paper used in magazines and ‘colour’ advertisements.
Merits of Magazine Media
1. Magazine has longer life
A magazine has a longer life when compared to newspaper. From the advertiser’s point of view, magazine provides enough time for the prospects to ponder over an advertisement. An impression thus formed could be a lasting one. People take more time in reading a magazine than a newspaper.
2. Better Quality
Due to the high quality paper and superior printing technology, magazine offers advertisers quality printing, excellent picture reproduction and true to life colour image. The advertisement message gets toned up because of detailed information, illustrations and colour combinations.
3. Selectivity
People with specific interests buy magazines that serve their interests. Invariably, magazines covers a variety of topics, thus offering something to every reader. Hence, an advertiser can reach any market segment in terms of differing demographic variables like age, sex, income, occupation, educational level, etc.
4. Affluent Readers
Generally, majority of the people who buy magazines hail from middle class and affluent families. Hence, an advertiser can feel happy with the fact that his target audience has the ‘purchasing power’ and the advertiser is assured of a good return.
Demerits of Magazine Media
1. Limited readership
While it is a habit of most of the educated people to read a newspaper, the same is not the case with magazines, which is not widely read. Hence, the readership in magazines is rather limited.
2. Price
Magazines are costlier when compared with price of newspapers. Therefore not many buy them.
3. Restricted frequency
Magazines are published weekly, fortnightly and monthly, etc., unlike newspapers. Hence, advertiser cannot communicate with the consumers frequently as he could do in newspapers, radio and television.
Differences between Newspapers and Magazines
1. Life
In case of newspapers, the life is the shortest ranging from hours to minutes, while in case of magazines, the life is much longer ranging from several weeks to even months.
2. Social Acceptance
In case of newspapers, they enjoy chance less social acceptance. Each section of society has accepted newspaper as quite essential. However, reading magazines is still regarded optional.
3. Suitability
Newspapers are more suitable for advertisements regarding launching of new products, announcing modifications in existing products, public announcements, tenders, public notices and job vacancies. On the other hand, magazines, are suitable for consumer durable, industrial products and institutional advertising.
4. Reach
Newspapers have much wider reach and deeper impact as advertisements are regularly inserted. It enjoys wider coverage while magazines have limited reach and the impact is much less.
5. Attractiveness of Advertisements
In case of newspapers, the advertisements are mostly black and white; even if they are in colour, they may not be captivating because of the coarse paper used. However, in case of magazines; majority of advertisements are in colour and are lively due to superior paper, and printing technology.
6. Impression
Newspaper advertising is more suitable for those type of Copies which are short and crisp with attractive headlines to impress the readers at once. In case of magazines, mostly the Copies are much longer, with detailed text and illustrations, featuring the product’s superiority.
