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State-targeted magazine ads may be missing their mark, agency warns

An agency in Melbourne has voiced concern that magazine ads are not reaching their intended local target markets.

According to Gill Walker, MD at Evergreen, publishers selling state ad pages have very different policies when it comes to subscriber copies and media kits are not clear about whether these ads run in subscription or retail copies.

As a result, advertisers may not be getting what they think they’re paying for, she cautioned.

Evergreen placed a campaign for client Royal District Nursing in The Australian Women’s Weekly only to find that the localised ad did not reach subscribers in the desired territory.

Two different ads were intended to run in The Australian Women’s Weekly’s New South Wales and Victoria editions.

“We were quoted rates for each state. We wanted to reach women at home. But we were disappointed to find that the magazine version sent to subscribers in the state we had bought the media for was a generic copy and did not carry our state-based advertising,” said Walker.

Walker estimates that the campaign missed out on 20% of its intended circulation, despite having paid a premium for localised targeting.

ACP’s response to complaints made by Evergreen’s media team was “dismissive” with the magazine’s sales team insisting that the protocol for state-based advertising was “common knowledge”, Walker noted.

The necessary information on state-based advertising is difficult to find in media kits, rate cards and booking confirmations, if it exists at all, Walker added.

She went on to say that publications such as Gardening Australia and Better Homes did send their state subscribers state-based copies, so she took issue with The Australian Women’s Weekly’s response.

The Australian Women’s Weekly’s online ratecard gives prices for state editions, although it doesn’t break down prices for subscription or retail copies. Advertisers are advised to contact sales reps for further information.

Walker cautioned: “Make sure that if you are buying state-based pages, ask the publication representative specifically if the rate includes subscription copies for that state, and ensure that your ad appears in the subscription copies.”

ACP had not returned Mumbrella’s calls at press time.

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