In the wider context, a lure
needs to attract an audience to ads. Few people seek out ads. Something
has to lure an audience to where the persuasive messages will be seen
or heard. Therefore, the function of the various "media" is
to deliver an audience to the persuaders.
Despite the growth of publishing, relatively speaking, America is becoming a nation of non-readers. Because our population is so large, and we have so many books, newspapers, and magazines available, we often don't realize the great shift which is happening now. Despite the long history (over 200 years) and the importance of newspapers and magazines, Americans now spend only 10% of their "media time" with the print media. The other 90% is spent with TV and radio. Newspapers are regionally based, featuring local news, and supported financially by local advertisers (groceries, department stores, car dealers, house builders). While newspaper editorials are traditionally tough on national political issues, local advertisers have great influence (and the economic leverage of withholding their ads) on local publishers. Seldom do local newspapers bite the hand that feeds. As newspapers lose circulation, they have tried to lure an audience by using "soft news" (features and entertainments) because hard news is "boring" or distressing to many people. Most people get all of their political news from sound bites and headlines on TV. General interest magazines and weekly news magazines are also steadily losing circulation. Although many new "niche magazines" have been created, using targeted mailing lists of consumers, these magazines (like their TV model) are basically "delivery devices" for their ads. This is in sharp contrast to the traditional passion of editors and publishers to be interested primarily in ideas and content. Direct mail (often called "junk mail" by its critics) is alive and well primarily due to two factors: relatively cheap delivery, and very precise targeting of audience. Direct mail uses computer generated mailing lists so that it can be sent to a specific audience, identified by area, by ZIP code, age, gender, home ownership, car ownership, education, careers, hobbies, or whatever item we have ever entered on a form, list, survey, credit card application -- almost anywhere. Direct mail uses the same techniques as other ads, but tends to have more attention-getters such as contests and sweepstakes, and more "response" devices in terms of discount coupons and return postcards. Because these can be so precisely identified, a direct mailing can use small mailings as tests to check their return rate before making a larger mailing. |
