Cross-media distribution significantly increases the reach of media brands
The latest figures from Mach Total Audience 2025-1 show: The reach of media brands increases significantly when content is offered online and in print at the same time. Wemf is currently working on a new methodology to be able to report combined reach in the future.
The intermedia media study Mach Total Audience 2025-1 shows that cross-media strategies of media brands contribute significantly to increasing reach. The study published by Wemf AG für Werbemedienforschung combines data from the Mach Basic print study with online usage data from Mediapulse and thus enables statements to be made about the group of people that a media brand reaches cross-media.
The latest figures show that only 13% of users use both the print and online offerings of a media brand every day. A significantly larger proportion consume content exclusively via one of the two channels. The increase in reach by combining both channels is particularly striking: The daily newspapers in the study increase their overall reach by an average of 58 percent by combining them with the digital offering. Conversely, the digital platforms also benefit: Their reach even increases by an average of 127 percent when print offerings are taken into account.
For media companies, this means that coordinated distribution via print and online makes it possible to reach different user segments and substantially increase overall reach.
The underlying data for the current evaluation is based on Wemf's Mach Basic 2025-1 and Mediapulse's online content audience data for the second half of 2024. As Mediapulse has stopped collecting this online data at the end of 2024, the next edition of the total audience study will be based on a new methodological foundation. Wemf is currently developing a corresponding concept to provide the market with combined reach data in the future. The next edition is scheduled for publication in the fall.
