MEDIAH offers a series of services to Customer Media Agencies and Advertisers.
Customer media is one of the fastest growing communication channels. 79% of the UK population reads at least one customer magazine title! Over three quarters (78 per cent) of the UK’s most trusted brands regularly publish a customer magazine. In Belgium the agencies member of CUSTO publish some 190 titles, totalling a massive yearly circulation of 100 million copies!
Against the background of changing communication technologies and consumer behaviour, offering content so intrinsically valuable and relevant to customers that it moves their behaviour in a desired direction is a challenge for any company. Customer media marry the marketing ambitions of a company with the information needs of their customers. Just look at the success of search engines and you will understand that consumers today actively search for information before they decide where to spend their money.
By offering customers information they want and can trust, companies can win and hold consumer's attention, probably the toughest thing to do in today's saturated advertising and media environment. International research demonstrates that consumers spend on average 25 minutes reading an issue of customer magazines. Any company in b-to-c or b-to-be should consider developing a content strategy as an important part of the marketing mix.
No need to say that it needs a lot of know how and skills to realize the ultimate content marketing strategy and customer medium.
Building further on 20 years of experience at publishing companies and the more recent experience of working with CUSTO, customer media agencies and running the CUSTO-meter, we can now offer a series of services to both agencies and clients:
1. gathering consumer insights: a good strategy is based upon deep understanding of the needs, likes and dislikes of the target group and translating these insights into strategic options and practical guidelines. Through examining available sources and organising qualitative and quantitative research in collaboration with qualified partners we can put the pieces of the puzzle together.
2. concept or copy testing: the proof of the pudding is in the eating. How do readers see, understand and appreciate the first lay outs of a magazine or website? What elements draw their attention? Does a website pass the usability test? Do visitors easily find the information they are looking for? What elements draw attention or are overlooked?With our partner MediaAnalyzer we offer fast and good value for money AttentionTracking™ and effectiveness surveys.
3. measuring the return on communication objectives: working with an agency, member of CUSTO, gives clients access to the CUSTO-meter methodology and benchmarks.
4. audience measurement of customer magazines: more and more customer magazines carry third party advertisements. A good idea as customer magazines prove to be well read and appreciated. But in advertising sales, reach and profile information is needed to convince media planners to add a title to the media schedule. We believe that our long experience in audience measurement can be useful for customer magazine publishers.