Print offers the best conditions for advertising impact

The findings come from WEMF's latest MACH consumer study (see box). In addition to purchasing and consumer behavior, it also provides information on the frequency with which advertising is viewed by media and how informative, credible or annoying advertising in the individual media types is rated. The study base of over 9400 interviews also allows detailed analyses.

The results show that advertising in print media is viewed particularly positively. This is probably not least due to the fact that advertising in newspapers and magazines is perceived as an integral part of the product. Advertisements belong to the product like the Amen belongs to the church. The positive approval applies to all assessment criteria surveyed. 48.2 percent of respondents described advertising in newspapers as informative. The figure for magazines was 42 percent. Both figures are above average. At 23.3 percent, the information content of television advertising was rated less than half as high. Billboard advertising is rated as informative with 29.6 percent and radio advertising with 26 percent. However, the MACH study also clearly shows that the credibility of advertising tends to be viewed critically. This applies to all types of media, but particularly to electronic media and the Internet. Only 12.9% of the population consider TV advertising to be credible. Newspapers and magazines fare much better, or at least less badly, with 25 percent and 21.8 percent respectively. Advertisements placed in newspapers are rated twice as credible as TV commercials.

The clearest differentiation can be seen in the assessment of advertising acceptance. For 62.1% of the population, TV advertising is perceived as annoying. The figure for radio advertising is still high at 55.1 percent. Advertisements in newspapers and magazines have by far the highest level of acceptance, followed by billboard advertising. Only one in 6 people consider advertising in newspapers to be annoying.

Another indicator that shows how the conditions for advertising impact are presented is the chance of attention by media type. Without contact with the advertising message, there is no impact. Newspapers are in first place in terms of both the widest advertising audience and the frequency of exposure (at least once a week) with 86.8% and 53.6% respectively, followed by television and advertising in magazines.

Otto Meier

MACH Consumer: Largest consumer media study in Switzerland 
MACH Consumer by WEMF, AG für Werbemedienforschung, is the largest continuous consumer study in Switzerland. It provides information on 20 different areas of consumption and shows the purchasing and consumer behavior of the population in German-speaking Switzerland, French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. It includes specific information on over 500 brands. The consumption data is combined with the media usage behavior of the print media from MACH Basic.