Digital magazine ads face resistance

LONDON: Consumers have mixed feelings about the ads embedded in digital versions of magazines, new research suggests.

Figures from the Magazine Publishers' Association, reported by Media Week, show that even though 71% of readers find digital ads annoying, they continue to read magazines electronically as it is an easy way to access the content.

In all, around half of readers told the trade body they see the ads, which appear in magazines' app and web-based properties, as being "relevant" to them.

The figures appear in FIPP's World Digital Media Factbook, which carries research findings from a number of sources, including Warc, on how readers are consuming magazines across digital platforms.

In terms of actual behaviour, the Mobile Magazine Reader survey found that just 14% of consumers usually read or tap on advertisements in electronic magazines.

Just over half, 55%, sometimes read or tap on ads, while 27% never do.

When asked why they chose to read magazines on electronic devices, rather than in print, a majority (53%) cited the medium's portability. Meanwhile, 40% said that features exclusive to the electronic version, such as video extras, were a factor.

Data sourced from Media Week; additional content by Warc staff, 27 September 2012

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