Is social media nibbling at the print advertising pie?

With social media advertising options becoming increasingly attractive and readily available to marketeers, will this affect traditional advertising in print publications? We ask two media industry experts to offer their opinion…

“NO” says Mark Pickup, Head of Sales, Hello! Middle East, What’s On & Hype 

“whilst we are in the midst of a digital revolution, magazines still provide an engagement that 140 characters on Twitter can never do”

For a lot of people buying a magazine is a thrill. Feeling the weight of the magazine in their hands, ripping open the plastic, flicking through the glossy pages and inhaling that magical smell – it’s a simple treat that never gets old. Handing over money and taking home a magazine is more exciting than clicking a button that says ‘buy’ or ‘Like’.

A magazine is a style accessory. In buying it you are making a statement: “I read Emirates Woman/Hello/Hype – this is who I am. I believe in this brand and this brand reflects me”. A magazine is an emotional attachment. It’s a relationship. People get sentimental about magazines and buy them for years, never missing an issue. Magazines shape people’s youth, their style, their tastes and set a blueprint in place for the rest of their life. People can’t bear to part with them. There are piles of magazines in corners of bedrooms all over the world – people don’t collect Facebook accounts.

New mediums will always appear – TV didn’t kill radio just as DVDs didn’t kill the cinema – and whilst we are in the midst of a digital revolution, magazines still provide an engagement that 140 characters on Twitter can never do.

When it comes to advertising, social media platforms are great for getting instant interest on short-term offers and they also work well as part of a larger marketing campaign. But just like everything, it’s all about balance. With magazine advertising, there is a certain prestige associated with it, and also an instant trust factor for the reader who has grown with the magazine and values its judgment.

With each print magazine’s instant reader reach increased further via its own social media platforms, as well as associated online publications, advertising in print is no longer just one-dimensional. We are able to offer a fully rounded platform.

“YES” says Managing Partner, The Qode

“Smaller brands who in the past may have taken the next step to advertise in print media will most likely take longer to make that transition”

Social media is now deep-rooted in our way of life and has increasingly become an essential part of any brand’s marketing mix. Brands are developing their social media accounts to allow them to engage and communicate directly with their customers, something that traditional media advertising has not allowed them to do. And with the low costs associated with social media advertising and the benefits of retaining long-term Fans and Followers, it is definitely a high priority when it comes to dividing the marketing spend.

Budgets are being re-allocated to accommodate these new mediums, which in turn does mean a decrease in spend on existing mediums like print publishing. Having said that, the role of traditional media is still an essential part of many larger brands’ marketing spend. So does it affect print advertising? I would say yes, as any new form of advertising does take away from another. Will it be a big enough chunk to have a detrimental effect? I doubt it.

For smaller brands, online advertising and social media are likely to be the only forms of advertising affordable to them. Smaller brands who in the past may have taken the next step to advertise in print media will most likely take longer to make that transition. The tendency is to turn to less expensive alternatives like public relations in conjunction with their social media platforms.

Interestingly, many magazines have seen this pattern evolving and having realised the importance of social media advertising. Many magazines are building up their own followers, not only to promote their publications, but also to offer an additional platform for advertisers to gain more exposure and followers – therefore offering brands an additional incentive to keep advertising.

So with print and social media advertising – does one supersede the other? Definitely not, there’s room for both.