We will continue to update research and quotes relating to both electronic and custom publishing below. We believe that electronic custom publishing will lead the way in the era of sustainable and responsible communication and marketing strategies.
Custom publishing marries the marketing ambitions of a company with the information needs of its target audience. This occurs through the delivery of editorial content so intrinsically valuable that it moves the recipient’s behavior in a desired direction. (www.custompublishingcouncil.com)
Custom publishing continues to show strong growth as both funding and the number of new titles increases, according to a study by the Custom Publishing Council in cooperation with Publications Management.
The study — “Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume and Type of Custom Publications in America” — attributes the upward trend in custom publishing to increased spending by corporations, a surge in high-revenue businesses and a consistent move from the newsletter to the magazine format.
In 2006, the magazine format accounted for 41% of the market share and the use of newsletters dropped to 35%. (www.dmnews.com)
Custom publishing is undoubtedly emerging as one of the most effective ways to build brand affinity.
Research conducted by UK-based Millward Brown shows that a reader spends an average of 25 minutes reading a custom magazine. This increases sales by 8% and brand loyalty by 32%.
The UK-based Association of Publishing Agencies (APA) in its Advantage Study published in 2007, says:
29% of readers visit the company's website after reading a custom magazine, compared to 14% for consumer magazines. Another 13% request further information from the company. (www.themedia.co.za)
A survey from Veronis Suhler Stevenson found that custom publishing on both the consumer and b-to-b sides grew 29% in 2005 and that custom publishing is now the eighth-largest media sector. The VSS study also found that:
80% of respondents say they’d rather see marketing information in a collection of articles, rather than in an advertisement. 70% said custom publications make them feel closer to a company. 40% say they are more likely to buy a product from a company that provides custom marketing information.
