“None of the detail actually
matters. What is important is
that a traditional media
industry, like many others
facing enormous challenges,
has at least dedicated some
money to finding solutions.”
Ray Snoddy, media pundit (above).
ADDINGVALUE
RETAIL SUPPORT
Magazine Week found support
among a huge variety of retailers
from in store promotions in
multiples likes Tesco and
WHSmith to individual shop refits
in independent newsagents. The
initiative gained some £100,000
of free marketing exposure.
RESEARCH
PPA’s groundbreaking Magazine
Week initiative started with wide
press coverage for a hitwise survey,
which revealed that 23 per cent of
people spend more than £10 a
month on magazines and that 82
per cent of women regularly read
a magazine while 69 per cent of men
do. The survey also revealed that
40 per cent of women admitted
that their spouses regularly read
magazines that they’ve bought
for themselves.
PPA Annual Review 2007-08
FLASHMOB
PPA carried out a guerilla marketing
stunt in the form of a‘flashmob’
(pictured above) to promote the
week. The mob gathered under the
clock at Waterloo station for a two
minute silent magazine read during
the rush hour in what is believed to
be the first ever use of a flashmob for
PR purposes in the UK.
MAGAZINE SCHOOL
Conor McNicholas, editor of NME,
and Celia Duncan, ex-Cosmo Girl
editor, visited Rodborough
Technology College‘Magazine
School’to speak about magazines
as a medium as well as a career
choice. The day began with a careers
assembly followed by two focus
groups and a magazine masterclass.
MAGAZINE TOWN
Guildford was chosen as‘the
Magazine Town’for a unique
research project to coincide with the
week. Panellists completed a month
FIT FOR THE FUTURE
long project during which they are
encouraged to try new magazines
outside of their normal repertoire and
keep an online diary of their purchasing
and reading habits. Magazine Town was
carried out by PPA in association with
Wessenden Marketing and is planned to
continue as an ongoing project after its
launch during Magazine Week.
PRESS COVERAGE
PR was achieved throughout the week.
Press Gazette, Campaign, Brand Republic,
Retail Newsagent, Asian Trader and
Independent Retail News were some of
the publications that provided coverage.
In the national press, the Observer,
the Guardian and the Independent all
featured the event, while a host of radio
stations from Heart FM and Five Live to
a host of BBC regional radio stations all
alerted their listeners to the event. The
PR value alone more than justified any
cost outlay.
MAGAZINE WEEK / 31
MAGAZINE WEEK 2008 was given the
go ahead by the PPA Board following
the presentation of the initial
results of 2007’s event. It was
suggested that a core consumer
message should continue to be the
huge breadth of the magazine
offering in the UK today. According
to PPA chief executive Ian Locks:
“Everyone benefits when the
industry unites in this way, but let’s
not forget this is only the first step
in the long journey to have
Magazine Week etched into the
national consciousness, in the same
way World Book Day has so
successfully managed. Building on
this platform let’s make Magazine
Week 2008 even bigger and better.”
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