Newspapers are also targeted, for example, The Sun is targeted at men and therefore had more male readers, FLE can use this information to decide whether a particular newspaper is suitable for them to advertise in. If FLE decide to advertise in a newspaper then they would also be able to demographically segment their market; if FLE found not enough people were visiting their theme park from a particular area of the country, then they could print an advert in a newspaper which is printed there, and this may increase the number of visitors.
Also, as newspapers are quick to print unlike magazines, which are published weekly/monthly, FLE can respond quickly to completion. For example, if another theme park were to print an advert or a promotion in a newspaper then the very next day, FLE could print one of their own. However, the pricing of advertising space in newspapers varies depending on a number of factors, for example, which day FLE would want their advert to appear, which side of the page and where in the newspaper.
Adverts in magazines.
FLE’s objective is to increase visitors, so advertising in magazines may be a good way to promote their park. There a number of general benefits to advertising in magazines, for example: the adverts are printed on glossy paper which last a long time and the images are sharper with more brilliant colours, this is an advantage as it catches the customers’ eyes and overall, the advert appears to be more appealing. This means if FLE were to advertise in magazines, they could include pictures of their main rollercoasters, so their customers can see the actual attractions and this should help them attract more visitors.
There are a number of other advantages to advertising in magazine. PPA researched that customers are more likely to find magazine adverts to be more ‘acceptable’, ‘useful’ and ‘enjoyable’ compared to other advertising in the media. This is probably because adverts in magazines are not a disruption to the readers enjoyment, and the reader has the option to turn the page over if they feel the advert does not interest them. Also, magazines are made to target a specific audience, and if FLE segment their market and advertise their theme park in the right magazine which is likely to be read by their target audience, the chance that the reader would be interested in the advert, which should help increase visitor numbers. This can be good for FLE as customers are not likely to run out of patience with the company, PPA found that customer thought advertising in magazine ‘less interruptive’ and ‘less annoying’. Magazines are read by a wide range of people, the IPC know this as there are 3,666 consumer paid for titles in the UK, the IPC claim many consumers that are difficult to reach, like teenagers and affluent adults, are exposed to adverts in magazines.
There is evidence some customers believe adverts in magazine to be an important part of their reading experience. IPC’s Media Values research reads that, “65% of readers regard adverts as an essential part of their reading experience”, if FLE take this information into consideration it could mean customers will be pleased when seeing an FLE advert which will benefit them. Starcom, an American magazine asked their readers were asked to, “Pull out ten pages that best demonstrate the essence of their favourite magazine.” The results were that three out of every ten pages were adverts; this piece of information would further reinforce IPC’s research in that most readers regard adverts to be the ‘essence’ of the magazine. FLE could take this information as a positive reader to generate interest through magazine as the research suggests customers prefer advertisements in magazine to other forms of advertising.
IPC researched “More than half of USA readers, according to Affinity Research, took action based on a magazine advert or had a more favourable opinion about the advertiser than before exposure.” If FLE were to advertise in magazines then, according to the research, there is more chance the customer will welcome the adverts and if they enjoy the advert, there is more chance of them taking action and visiting the theme park.
IPC claims that advertising in magazine will make the company a lot of profit, they say the long term ROI will return be £2.77 if £1 is invested into advertising in magazines, whilst only £1.79 will be returned if the same amount, £1, is investing into advertising in other outlets. This is good for FLE as they might be able to make a bigger profit when advertise through magazine outlets, and hopefully be able to focus their budget on other things which may help to increase visitor numbers.
The IPC claim that magazines are seen ‘more credible’ by those who read them than any other medium. This could be good for FLE as they want their customers to trust what they say and find their information reliable. If FLE build better relations with their customers, it could result in visitor numbers increasing.
