First of all, let’s look at Display vs Classified. The rule of thumb is that only 40% of the readership read Classified however you pay a heavy price for Display, competing with big brands who don’t worry about ROI (it’s a bidding war). There are, however, ways of buying strategically in Display which we do, such as buying smaller sizes and premium Classified slots and, as in the current climate, where we are getting particularly good rates.
Cover sites are great because we don’t need to rely on environment or editorial, you aren’t fighting to be seen – it’s a numbers game and covers deliver the most exposure; they are seen by every reader. Front covers are the best, followed by Outside Back (OBC) then inside front then inside back. In addition to this it helps if you can keep the reader on the page for as long as possible. For example, the OBC of the Telegraph is a particularly good space because it contains weather and puzzles which increases the dwell time and we see some really strong results here. As we said, these come at a price; in national press and some magazines we are able to get on the covers of supplements which have a similar impact to the main book yet are much cheaper – ultimately everyone sees them regardless of wanting to open the supplement and read what’s inside.
Inside positions adjacent to relevant copy / similar environment are particularly valuable too. This helps to target an engaged reader who is hopefully already interested in the subject/product and the relevant article keeps them on the page and stops them flicking by and missing the ad. This is where having a knowledgeable media buyer who is in regular contact with the publishers is a real bonus, as he or she will be aware of upcoming features, know what’s running where / when and can advise clients accordingly.
Editorial input – We work closely with particular titles to gain editorial for specific products and then we run an advert underneath or alongside this and we have done this for a range of clients – again, associated editorial increases response. Strong past examples include clients in the health and wellbeing sector, Nature’s Best and Wellbeing. We are currently running a DPS in The Garden for ladder specialist Henchman that includes strong editorial content supported by an impressive call to action.
This is a great example of creative and media working closely together to generate the best value from spend. Henchman were keen to gain editorial content in their favourite titles and we suggested an advertorial to do this. We worked closely with our client and The Garden to create a piece that matches the magazine’s style while still incorporating the style and content required by Henchman. Both parties are very happy with the finished piece with the title moving the piece further forward at no extra cost.
Working with new clients
When working with a new client, for the most part we tend to build the schedules / budgets as we go, once we have the learnings to work from. It’s all about keeping the risk as low as possible while we work out creative, sizes and audience. We focus on buying the space as cost effectively as possible and building on the results from there (walking before we can run). Likewise, for clients with smaller budgets, the focus is on cost and value so there is less opportunity to test positions until we are happy that the results are robust. STRATEGY IS EVERYTHING!
If you would like any advice or guidance on the best positions for your own products or services, please contact me: jack@aja.co.uk
Jack Gillett, Media Manager