Customer publishing prompts discussion says APA

Research from the Association of Publishing Agencies (APA) has revealed that customer magazines play an important role in generating word of mouth for brands.

The Royal Mail APA Advantage Study has shown that customer publishing prompts discussion.

Word of mouth was the second most common responsive action to reading a customer title, with 22 per cent of recipients talking about the magazine with their family and friends.

Visiting a store scored higher at 27 per cent.

14 per cent of customers were driven online, while 13 per cent made a purchase.

12 per cent requested further information and eight per cent used a voucher in the first instance.

Automotive customer magazines and financial titles sparked the most debate with almost half of readers telling their friends about the brand or product.

Julia Hutchison, chief operating officer at the APA, said: 'As the trend for social networking has grown, so has the importance of word of mouth marketing.

'Increasingly consumers are turning to the people in their lives that they respect and trust for information and advice.

'Furthermore the old adage is true that people talk more about the things they dislike, so it is essential for marketers to spark positive conversations about their brands.

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