Assignment:
Instructions:
Read the "perspective" and then follow the outline for a case analysis in your syllabus. Generally you are analyzing any problems, alternative solutions, your recommendation for solutions and ultimate implementation. Remember to research and support what you think with documented references written in APA format. This is a paper so you will want to write a minimum of 500-1000 words to completely analyze this topic. This is a paper so write in APA format which means double space, 12 pt. font, Times Roman or Courier print. You will want to have a minimum of 4-5 references which are also written in APA format.
Objective: The purpose of this project is for the student to analyze the advertising strategies of an organization by applying concepts learned in the course.
Written Report: Prepare a case study using a case assigned. The case study should be 3-6 typed, double-spaced pages, plus a cover sheet, appendix and bibliography. The cover sheet should include your name, the case study name and the date. Please include any additional material you develop, such as graphs, charts, and diagrams. Be sure to include all resources used in preparing your case as part of the works cited or reference list.
Case studies should include:
Problem (issue) identification
Identify central problem(s) and/or advertising issues
List any important secondary problems/issues
Alternative Development
Develop a minimum of 3 comprehensive alternatives. This means that each alternative must deal with both your stated central problem/issue and any listed secondary problems/issues.
Fully develop each alternative so that the reader can understand exactly what you are suggesting.
Choice and Justification
State which alternative listed is best, restating briefly that alternative.
Then offer justification; tell why this alternative is best.
Implementation Strategy
This section should outline specifically what tasks and responsibilities are necessary to effectively implement the alternative chosen.
Implementation strategy must include discussion of a timetable for completion of the various tasks and some mention of who will be responsible for those tasks.
Magazine Publishers Take on the Internet
Media experts recognize that one of the major advantages of advertising in magazines is the ability of the medium to engage readers and hold their attention. Numerous studies have shown that consumers become involved with magazines when they read them and are also more likely to find ads acceptable, enjoyable, and even a valuable part of the publication. Intrusive media such as television and radio struggle with problems such as inattention and consumers trying to avoid the advertising messages they contain, while consumers often ignore the banner ads that are prevalent on the Internet and rarely click on them. And as advertisers try harder to get their commercials and/or banner ads seen and heard, the more consumers search for ways to tune them out. However, magazine readers recognize that they control the rate and duration of their exposure to editorial content as well as advertisements and view ads as less disruptive to their media consumption experience.
While magazine publishers have always promoted these inherent advantages of magazines as an advertising medium, they recently decided that it was time to go on the offensive and promote them more extensively. In 2010, five leading magazine publishers including Conde Nast, Hearst Magazines, Meredith Corporation, Time Inc., and Wenner Media joined forces and launched one of the largest print campaigns ever created to promote the value of magazines as an advertising medium. The tagline for the campaign is "Magazines, The Power of Print" and was created by Y&R New York is supported by the Association of Magazine Media, the industry association that represents consumer magazines and works closely with them to represent their interest.
The campaign targets the marketing and advertising community including advertisers, media decision makers, and other industry influencers, as well as consumers and seeks to reshape the image of magazines and challenge misperceptions about the medium's relevance and longevity as well as to reinforce their cultural role. The impetus for the campaign was a "manifesto" written in 2009 by Jann Wenner of Wenner Media, whose publications include Rolling Stone, US Weekly, and Men's Journal. Wenner noted that just as TV did not kill magazines, the internet was a threat only to publications that lost focus on what makes magazines unique. He argued that "Magazines have enduring value for readers and advertisers that have gotten a little neglected and misunderstood in the era of Internet instant buzz and chatter. Magazines are beloved and powerful in people's lives for very good reasons that need to be remembered and reinforced. "
The primary goal of the campaign is to promote the vitality of magazines and the idea that they remain an effective advertising medium in the age of the Internet because of the depth and lasting quality of print compared with the fleeting nature of much of the Web's content. The campaign is also designed to remind people that many of the popular digital brands are rooted in print publications which have tremendous cultural and commercial influence. The campaign debuted with four color spreads prominently placed in the front one-fifth of the publishers' top magazines that use iconic images lifted from the pages of the best known publications. For example, the first ad in the campaign featured a photo of swimmer Michael Phelps from ESPN The Magazine with the headline "We Surf the Internet. We Swim in Magzines." The ad is accompanied by copy discussing the appeal of magazines. The second phase of the campaign uses ads that embed multiple cover images from widely recognized publications into the ad's text to convey key phrases. The campaign includes three other essay-type ads as well as three that are more light-hearted. A special "Magazines" logo was also created for the campaign by combining the distinctive typographies of multiple magazine logos: "M" from Time, "A" from Vanity Fair, "G" from Rolling Stone, "A" from Entertainment Weekly, "Z" from Harper's Bazaar, "I" from Marie Claire, "N" from Fortune, and "ES" from Esquire.
The magazine industry will continue to be challenged by the Internet as marketers continue to shift more of their advertising budgets away from traditional media. However, advertising has begun creeping back into magazines after a two year drought which provides the industry with more ammunition to persuade readers and advertisers that the industry is not dying. The publishers cite other metrics in support of campaign's message by 4.3 percent over the past five years, the number of average paid subscriptions reached nearly 300 million in 2009, and magazine effectiveness is growing as ad recall has increased 13 percent over the past five years. Hearst Magazines president Cathie Black notes that "Magazines are the most cost effective and consistent medium at both ends of the purchase funnel. They drive consumer attitudes and intended behavior more effectively and efficiently than television advertising alone or when TV is combined with online advertising."
In his message to his fellow publishers, Wenner argued that the industry sat back for way too long and listened to criticism that magazines were losing their relevance without doing anything about it. His colleagues are definitely heeding his call to action as the five magazine publishers are devoting advertising space valued at more than $90 million to the "Power of Print" campaign. Wenner notes that magazines sit on top of one of the greatest mediums and they plan to tell everyone that they remain relevant, even in the Internet age.