Most Vogue readers follow the title and its editors on social media; image courtesy of British Vogue
As media has evolved to include digital content, trusted connections have become all the more important with social media bolstering the reader publication relationship. According to a survey conducted by British Vogue and YouGov, 66 percent of all women, and 79 percent of millennials, follow their favorite magazines and editors on social media, figures that underscore how useful a tool social media has become for publishers. Also, the level of trust readers have in magazine platforms is essential to purchase desire and sales. The tenth annual “Vogue Business Report 2017,” in association with YouGov, examined the evolution of media usage across platforms over a 12-month period. The Vogue Business Report 2017 is the publication’s largest commissioned survey to date, and builds on 20 years of investment and insights. Read all about it Readers lead increasingly busy lives, and the connection she makes are trusted, as she does not have spare time to waste. Per the report, readers place the most trust in magazines and their accompanying Web site than other platforms. Sixty-nine percent of respondents trust fashion magazines just as much as friends and family when making a category-relevant decision, such as purchasing a pair of on-trend shoes. Also, print magazines are 44 percent more trusted than weekend supplements, and are nearly two times as trusted as social media. The Web sites affiliated with monthly magazines are also 50 percent more trusted than lifestyle sites and social media. Since readers trust what they read in their favorite titles, 75 percent of female respondents say they are more focused when reading in print than on another form of media. The relaxed sense of focus has been a key strength unique to print as media consumption has evolved. As for the advertisements seen in print, 67 percent of Vogue’s audience, for example, enjoy the ad space in their favorite magazine. Also, nine out of 10 readers surveyed pay attention to the ad space. Likewise, eight out of 10 respondents notice ads on a magazine’s Web site with 38 percent considering them the units more informative, 50 percent more useful, 47 percent more relevant and 62 percent more influential than when seen on a lifestyle site. Magazine content is often a source of inspiration with 87 percent of respondents saying they have purchased at least one designer or high-street product after seeing an ad in a monthly title. Similarly, 72 percent of respondents have purchased an item after seeing a magazine Web site’s ad.
Vogue’s audience was found to be particularly responsive to its advertising in print and in digital. For example, the survey found that almost 90 percent have bought a product after the item was advertised in the magazine and on the Vogue Web site. Per the report, online and magazine advertising adds 10 percent to the purchase response, while adding print to online causes an uplift of more than 50 percent. The Vogue Business Report 2017 also looked at the Gen Z girls audience, ages 12 to 18, for the first time. Born between 1998 and 2016, Gen Z is the largest consumer group in history, totaling 2.5 billion individuals worldwide. As these consumers come of age, marketers will need to take note of this generation’s values and behaviors that are poised to disrupt some of the core tenets of luxury (see story). Understanding the consumer behavior of the next generation of readers is essential to Vogue and other print title’s plans for the future. In its report, Vogue and YouGov found that Gen Z readers consume content mainly digitally, but the older segment, ages 16 to 18 years old, are forming a print magazine habit. Social media interactions are predominantly on Instagram and Snapchat, with a penchant for celebrity connections, entertainment and source information, namely beauty how-to videos.