Chrysler's Jeep division and ad agency, PHD, recently partnered with Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) and Dynamic Logic to conduct research on the effectiveness of media used both independently and in a multichannel campaign. They were able to demonstrate that magazine advertising provides the best cost-efficiency at all stages of the purchase funnel, whether working solo or in combination with other media.

Magazines help put the Jeep Compass in high gear

Marketers are constantly trying to measure the impact that their advertising has on consumers' purchase decisions. Often referred to as the purchase funnel, the term describes the process that buyers go through from initial brand awareness to actual purchase intent. Obviously, one of advertising's key goals is to successfully motivate prospects to purchase the advertised product or service at each decision-making point.

For the purpose of study, the purchase funnel metrics for the new Jeep Compass, a fuel-efficient SUV, was defined as a six-stage process:

• Aided Brand Awareness. Study participants' familiarity with the Jeep Compass name.
• Aided Ad Awareness. Extent of recall of the Jeep Compass advertisements.
• Message Association. Ability to associate the message with the Jeep Compass versus its competitors.
• Brand Imagery. Agreement with certain attributes related to the Jeep Compass.
• Brand Favorability. Overall opinion of the Jeep Compass on a five-point scale from “very favorable” to “very unfavorable.”
• Purchase Consideration. Likelihood to consider purchasing or leasing a Jeep Compass in the future.

Methodology snapshot

During a six-month period, Dynamic Logic conducted online surveys with nearly 4,500 participants concerning their media habits and attitudes toward Jeep Compass' advertising. The research firm selected respondents from websites targeted in the Jeep Compass media plan, and then balanced data between pre-control groups and opportunity-to-see (OTS) groups based on several criteria.

Each respondent cell — TV OTS, Magazine OTS and Online OTS — was unique, meaning that:

• “TV only” group viewed only TV advertising.
• “Magazines and Online” participants viewed only magazine and online advertising.
• “Magazines, TV and Online” respondents viewed advertising in all three media.

The big winner: Magazines!

The good news for marketing in general is that the advertising play still works. It raised brand metrics at each decision-making stage from initial awareness through purchase intent. The study proved that multiple media, in this case magazines, television and online, generate greater results when used together rather than independently.

Here's the really good news for magazines:

• Magazines plus online or magazines plus television delivered nearly the same results as all three used together.
• Magazines alone or magazines combined with other media most consistently produced positive results across the purchase funnel.
• Magazines used solo or in combination with online yielded the best cost-efficiency at every purchasing stage.
• Increasing magazine exposures improved metrics, whether used alone or in combination with television and online.

The case for magazine advertising couldn't really be much stronger.

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