Regional magazines face a number of challenges in their quest to reach new subscribers that other magazines often do not. However, with some creative thinking and qualified risk taking, significant breakthroughs in both response and cost savings can be realized.
Often, list universes are limited by U.S. Postal Service sectional center facility (SCF) specifications that keep potential prospect universes low even on core files. In addition, potential test lists that might offer the right audience simply might not be large enough with a magazine’s regional base. Merge duplication rates are high, and SCF selections add additional per-thousand select fees—all of which can make acquisition direct mail cost prohibitive for some publishers.
Regional mailers can take a number of steps to remedy these challenges effectively. To increase the potential mailable universe, regional magazines are testing a national nth from their top performing lists. Even if a small falloff can be assumed, it allows mailers to rest marginal lists that can be mailed in a later campaign and likely respond well. However, many regional mailers have experienced little if any falloff on national segments of their best outside lists. It is a calculated risk that needs to be tested slowly at the top of the mailplan, but likely will eventually include most if not all of the magazine’s top 10% of outside lists.
Another strategy for increasing potential prospect universe that regional magazines have looked to more aggressively of late has been the use of profile models. Large multititle publishers and database owners have made it possible for regional magazines to venture into the world of modeling by eliminating model build fees and significantly lowering volume commitments. Even if a mailer can only tap into the top two or three buckets of a model, it can add significant new list universe at an attractive cost per thousand.
Depending on the modeling partner that is chosen, the potential for additional mailable universe can be several hundred thousand names. There is also the added benefit of considerable audience knowledge that comes out of a model build. The positive and negative attributes that pop in the model will shed considerable light on the lifestyle interests of a magazine’s readership. Many magazines have also discovered valuable data about the demographic makeup of their readership. Often the most positive age variable in a model will not always jive completely with the average age that a magazine is perceived to attract.
No small steps should be ignored either. Regional magazines that are looking to target the most cost-effective prospective readers must also be sure that no potential pockets of names have been missed on core files. Change of address and expire names may yield small quantities on lists when SCF selects are applied, but they can still add valuable universe for a regional title.
The key to all of these strategies is really the ability to negotiate any associated costs. Increasing list universe used by adding a national Nth should position a mailer to negotiate the base list cam. Potential model opportunities must be reviewed to ensure that there are no model build fees required and any volume commitment is minimal at best.
Michael Heaney is vice president, audience development at Specialists Marketing Services Inc.
