Regional print readership down as readers migrate online

Regional publishers are seeing small average issue readership (AIR) figure dips from the year before, reflecting the effect online news properties are having on print, as seen from Synovate's recent PAX data.

Amongst the top management group in 10 markets excluding Tokyo, CFO Asia and Fortune both dropped 1% reach from last year to this year, the highest drops compared to other regional publications measured.

Nearly all publications under PAX saw readership decreases except Forbes and National Geographic Magazine which rose by 0.1% each.

"It is unfair to look at hardcopy publications alone in today's digital environment because there are significant audiences built by publishers online. A combination of the two audiences will show that the readership has held steady," Steve Garton, global head of media, Synovate, told Marketing. "In broader terms, this does not just apply to print but also to broadcasters as well and there are great opportunities there. My advice to media is to persist because marketers increasingly realize how important online is as a part of the media mix."

MindShare head of strategy for Asia-Pacific James Chadwick agrees, saying, "assuming these comprehensive AIR drops are genuine, and not caused by any methodological alteration, they do suggest a major shift in top management media consumption behaviour. Print will be an important ingredient of the professional's media diet for many years to come, but from here on it will need to defend every inch of its turf from its digital and mobile rivals."

However, OMD's director for insights Florence Oong feels most of the drops are not significant as she sees them "within sampling error tolerance so we cannot conclusively say if there is a drop".

The PAX study also revealed non-traditional TV platforms are growing in weight in Asia Pacific, and many affluent Asians are choosing the "third screen" for their viewing, according to director for media research for Synovate Craig Harvey.

"Advertisers and media planenrs are paying more attention to the so-called ;third screen' - screens on mobile phones, MP4s and other personal portable devices - and our research certainly validates this growing emphasis," he says.

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About media consumption among affluent Singaporeans

• 89% read any local title
• 29% read any regional title
• 4% read any regional daily newspaper
• 13% read any regional weekly magazine
• 3% read any regional bi-weekly magazine
• 22% read any regional monthly magazine
• 94% have watched any TV channel in the past week
• 82% have watched any cable/satellite TV channel in the past week
• 81% have watched any regional cable/satellite TV channel in the past week
• 15% have visited any TV website in the past month
• 6% have visited any print website in the past month

Source: Synovate PAX. Data is from Q3 2006 to Q2 2007.