By Desi Tzoneva

“Although the impact of online is growing, in South Africa print is alive, and reading it will not go away,” says Nadine Levin, Commercial Director of DLT Media. Advertising, she comments, will grow beyond television because of the impact of PVRs, and print will remain a strong way of reaching target audiences, especially in targeted areas that receive a lot of traffic, such as waiting rooms.

Levin says that this was confirmed by research findings from a local adaptation of a Harvard University study, titled The McPheters Study. After interviewing 1 000 people from a variety of demographic and LSM segments across South Africa, the study found that the average waiting period in most waiting areas is 19 minutes. During this time, most people chose magazines over watching television.

In fact, the study found that 95% of the respondents took action based on editorial and advertorial content after flipping through magazines in waiting areas, while 65% read more than one magazine while waiting. In addition, 44% used the opportunity of waiting area publications to read and sample magazines different from their habitual read, and 35% said that after sampling various magazines, they would be interested in subscriptions or purchases at later dates. Interestingly, 8% admitted they were tempted to take the magazine home.

With access to such an absorptive audience, DLT Media has strategically placed itself as a marketing arm that not only meets the needs of consumers in waiting areas by offering current and up-to-date content through relevant publications, but also helps publishers ensure that their publications are read by relevant target markets, and secure further reach. With research findings like those mentioned above, DLT Media also reassures advertisers that they reach the right consumers.

Since its launch in South Africa in 2006, DLT Media has secured deals with more than 2 500 businesses. Depending on the nature of the business, whether a bank; a doctor’s waiting area; a hairdresser; a B&B (bed and breakfast); school; library; or car dealership, DLT offers packages of current print publications that are delivered on a monthly basis, and which have been specifically categorised to meet the business’ clientele needs.

Some of the categories and associated titles (local only) offered include: women’s fashion and beauty (Elle; Glamour; Longevity; Cleo; rooi rose; seventeen; Woman&Home; Bona); women’s health (Essentials); home and garden (House&Garden; Home Owner; Garden&Home; Country Life); food and travel (Food&Home; Avocado); family (Your Family; Living&Loving); kids (National Geographic Kids); mens (GQ; SA Rugby; SA Cricket; Prestige); and general interest (The Thinker; Noseweek; Classic Feel).

Due to this approach, despite offering up to 50% less on cover prices; delivering the latest copies of a publication each month; and more certainty about the readership, these subscriptions are now formally counted as business subscriptions, thereby securing readership for publishers.

When asked about placing two competing magazines in the same package in one waiting area, Levin comments that no two publications receive exclusivity. She also mentions that the opportunity to work with samples, lets potential new readers the option to sample other publications, which research reveals they would not have normally done.

“We are trying to encourage print media to be as successful as it has been,” Levin says. “Right now, we’re getting cannibalism between titles because the adverts need to reach people.”

Levin mentions that one way to do so is by advising publishers on where to place their publications to reach the best target market, and at the same time, advise businesses on the titles that would best reach their targeted consumers.

“We also try to get new readers by placing titles in new environments where they can be sampled by people that may not be in a typical target market and take action on advertorial. You’ve got to find readers,” she concludes.