FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Rebecca McPheters
President
McPheters & Company
212-331-7845
rmcpheters@mcpheters.com

McPheters & Company Announces Results From readership.com –
Their New Issue-By-Issue Magazine Measurement Service

readership.com Provides Ratings For Magazines Comparable To That Of
Electronic Media

June 19th, 2006. New York. McPheters & Company released results today from its Beta test of readership.com - a new print ratings service scheduled to begin continuous measurement of publication audiences this fall. This new method of tracking print audience levels and engagement on an issue by issue basis may change the way in which advertising in magazines and national newspapers is bought and sold, by providing information that is comparable to that of electronic media. “The Beta test proved that continuous measurement of issue-specific audiences that is both timely and credible can be provided at a reasonable cost. This information will enable publishers to provide a level of accountability not previously available, while providing substantial insights into the underlying dynamics by which their publications attract readers,” says Rebecca McPheters, McPheters & Company President.

The study found higher audiences for most magazines and newspapers than are reported by other methods. This was particularly true for titles targeting males, dual audience publications, and those whose readers are more likely to be in professional or managerial occupations. “This new methodology allows the active, time-starved reader to weigh in on his or her reading choices,” says McPheters. “Our surveys are easy to fill out and have no interviewer bias. Because the surveys can be completed at a time and in a manner chosen by the respondent, we are able to get the participation of those not easily accessed by other methodologies.”

Different issues of a title can not only generate different audience levels, but differences in the types of readers attracted as well. Subtle changes can also sometimes be seen issue to issue in engagement measures. Not surprisingly, issues with higher audience levels tend to bring in readers who read the publication less frequently. The study also found that some magazines accumulate their audiences more rapidly than has previously been believed to be the case. On average, weeklies were found to accumulate their full audience in the first four weeks after going on sale.

“Our industry is hungry for audience information that is credible, comparable, and stable,” said Jack Kliger, chairman of The Magazine Publishers Association. “It is essential that the tools advertisers have to evaluate magazines are not only sufficient to meet their needs, but make it as easy as possible for them to understand how effective magazine advertising can be.” By providing ongoing information on how audiences accumulate, readership.com will make it easier to document the effects of print advertising. For the first time, advertisers will have current, readily accessible data of high quality to feed their market mix models.

“In our efforts to best serve the needs of our clients and to better understand what drives advertising effectiveness, we are demanding increased accountability of all media,” said Andrew Swinand, EVP of Starcom USA. Starcom was an early supporter and has been an active participant in the development of readership.com. “Readership.com will allow publications to compete more effectively by offering information and accountability comparable to that which we get from television and the internet. Indeed, media which cannot provide the accountability we need are going to have difficulty competing in this rapidly evolving media environment.”

According to Universal McCann’s SVP, Susan Nathan, “Currently, we use data that is as much as 2 years old by the time it reaches the planners’ desks for evaluation - so this new service could provide the unique opportunity to evaluate magazines on a similar scale to television. While it is way too early to speculate upon how this will impact negotiations - if at all - we do know it can change how we evaluate and schedule advertising in individual titles. Additionally, we will be able to conduct timely post analyses of our schedules. This alone brings a level of accountability previously unavailable to the print medium.”

The Beta test, which was in the field from mid-February through early May, had a nationally representative sample of 8,400 and a response rate of 49%. In addition to measuring consumer magazines by issue, audiences for national newspapers are being measured by section and by day. Each week publications which went on-sale in the previous week are incorporated into the survey. Information available to subscribers will be updated weekly.

The audience Beta test was supported by major publishers and leading agencies. Sponsors include Condé Nast, Time Inc., Hachette, Hearst, Family Circle, TV Guide, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, as well as Starcom USA, GM Planworks, Mediavest and Universal McCann.

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McPheters & Company is a New York-based firm, founded in 1997, which specializes in serving the needs of the publishing and advertising communities regarding metrics relating to audience, distribution, and advertising effectiveness.