How Advertising Differs:

A Content and
Comparative Analysis of
Traditional Print
Advertising and Online
Media Models

Submitted to:

SEMINAR PAPER Prof. Brajesh Bolia

Submitted by:

Saumya Poddar

PGDM – RM

Roll No. - 36
Contents

Contents.......................................................................................................................2

Topic:............................................................................................................................3

Abstract:.......................................................................................................................3

Introduction...................................................................................................................3

Research Objective:.....................................................................................................4

Hypothesis:...................................................................................................................4

Research Process:.......................................................................................................4

Literature Review:........................................................................................................5

Research Methodology..............................................................................................15

Findings & Analysis:...................................................................................................16

Conclusion:.................................................................................................................23

References:................................................................................................................24

Appendix 1..................................................................................................................26

2
Topic:

How Advertising Differs: A Content and Comparative Analysis of Traditional Print

Advertising and Online Media Models

Abstract:

The paper tells about the impact of print media versus online media. A comparative
study between the print media and online media is done. The pros & cons of both the
media’s are seen. The impact of both the media is found out by conducting a survey
using a questionnaire. Print media which is the most traditional media and is been
there since as long 25,000 -30,000 years B.C is been compared & contrasted with
the most modern online media which has come is the existence since the last
decade. The paper also tells us about the strengths and weaknesses of the print and
the online media. It was seen that consumers have a different mindset for both the
print and online media and still most of them found out print media to be more
effective as compared to the online media.

Introduction

The twenty-first century is the age of the Internet. The World Wide Web has
changed many aspects of life considered inconceivable prior to its arrival a mere
twenty years ago. The pace of its acceptance, preference, and profits grow
exponentially each year. Entire industries such as real estate, education, personal
finance and consumer music are in the midst of change because of the perceived
benefits and predilection of consumers to this new form of communication and
commerce.

Online or Perish

No industry is feeling the pressure of this shift more than print media. Circulation of
traditional print publications – newspapers and magazines continue to dwindle as
consumers turn to online sites and PDA’s for news and entertainment. As
consumers’ preference moves towards online media instead of the printed form,
publishers have little choice but to follow the movement or fall to the wayside.

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Industry reports flood in daily (ironically via website) of massive shifts of strategy and
resources to online publication models. The Society of Publishers in Asia has issued
a call to arms in 2006 for print media to shift their business online, or perish
(Anonymous, Media 2006)

The first high profile magazine to fold traditional publication in 2007 is Hachette
Filipacchi Media’s Premiere magazine, announcing that the April issue will be its last.
As this study was nearing completion, the third incarnation of Time Inc’s Life, as well
as Meredith publication Child announced plans to stop traditional print formats.
These three magazines joins a list of prominent titles that ceased print operations in
2006 such as Teen People, Elle Girl, FHM (U.S), Budget Living, Cargo, Weekend,
Shop Etc., For Me, Celebrity Living and Shape en Espanol. Although Premiere, Life
and Child were deemed unprofitable in print the three magazines along with Elle Girl,
Teen People, and FHM will continue being published on the Internet (Ives, 2007).
The idea to simply switch publication to a virtual model makes sense; these titles
have history and brand recognition. Websites that incorporate the brands People,
Elle, Life and Premiere instantly have a leg up on the plethora of unknown websites
rolling out daily.

Research Objective:
To compare and contrast - the impact of print media versus online media.

Hypothesis:
H0: The impact of print media is greater as compared to online media.

H1: The impact of online media is greater as compared to print media.

The conclusion that would be made from the research would either accept Null
hypothesis or Alternative hypothesis.

Research Process:
The research design used will be Descriptive Research. The research attempts to
find out the impact of print media versus online media.

Secondary research is carried out by studying and analyzing peer reviewed articles
and journals from EBSCO and Pro Quest. These articles discuss various aspects
related to ‘print media versus online media’.

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Primary research would be conducted through survey which is a quantitative data
collection method. It is with help of questionnaires that the survey would be carried
out.

Literature Review:

Ever since the first murmurs of electronic media, print media has always felt an
undue threat, first from the radio and then from television. And now the Internet is
seemingly up against the vast and widely spread print media.

When the radio came in the early 1930s, everybody felt that newspapers would
become obsolete. When television came in the 1950s, people and even experts felt
that nobody would get the time for or feel the attraction of the written word. But
everyone was wrong. Each media has managed to create its own time and space
across cultures and around the world. However, the print media too, be it the
newspapers or books, has been able to hold its own.

Consider this – the circulation figures of major newspapers around the world have
only increased over the years; publishers too come up with a deluge of books and
new magazine titles pop up from nowhere everyday. Alternatively, there are
thousands of TV channels, even more radio stations, and the infinite Internet.

Print Media:

History of print media and written communication follows the progress of

civilization.As long ago as 25,000-30,000 years B.C. first humans painted descriptive
pictures on cave walls.In 1900 B.C. the Chinese independently developed their very
own style of writing. The Roman Acta Diurna, appearing around 59 B.C, is the
earliest recorded “newspaper”. The printing press, invented by Johann Gutenberg in
1447, ushered in the era of the modern newspaper.

The print media consist of all newspapers, newsletters, pamphlets, magazines, and
other printed publications, especially those that sell advertising space for raising

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revenue. Most print media, with the exception of magazines, are local except some
national newspapers and trade publications. Also included in print media category
are directories, yellow pages, yearbooks, and programs at sporting events.

Print media is traditionally used by marketers to promote their products and to reach
target customers.A medium that disseminates printed matter.

Indian Printing Industry has been considered as one of the largest industries, with
the growth of 12.5%.Projected Growth of Indian Printing and Packaging Industry
combined for 2007-08 is 14%.Growth of Indian Label Printing Industry for 2007-08 is
18%.

Ad spend in India

Types of Print advertising:

Newspaper Advertising:
There’s been a huge amount of buzz about the internet in recent years but old
fashioned newspaper advertising can still produce decent results. Newspapers have
large diverse audiences so it tends to be effective when looking to raise awareness
levels. It’s best to go for several smaller adverts displayed over a week than go to in
for a single full page ad.

Magazine Advertising:

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The main advantage of magazine advertising over newspaper advertising is that the
production quality is high and as a result a more compelling branding advert can be
designed. Specific niche groups can be targeted through magazine advertising, and
as a general rule smaller niche magazines instead of general interest magazines is
more impactful. Monthly magazines can have long lead times which aren’t ideal for
small businesses’ cash flow situation.

Directories:

Advertising in directories such as Yellow pages is considerably cheaper than

newspaper or magazine advertising, and customers can be more responsive as they
are actually searching for a service. Directories also tend to be best when advertising
plumbing, carpenters and other skilled professions. One downside is that it’s very
much a ‘me too’ advertising medium in that many people from the same industry will
be advertising in the same directory. Therefore to stand out size really does matter.
As long as you’re sure that potential customers look for your type of business
through directories then pay for the largest ad that you can afford.

Other ideas:

For localized businesses often it’s simply not cost-effective to target a large
geographical area through advertising in magazines or newspapers. So the different
types which are economic for small businesses can be Calendar or Community
magazines, Business cards, Banners, Signs, Pens & Letterhead and Stationery.

Pros of Print media :

Local coverage
Print media provide good coverage of events of the locality from where it is printed.
What is happening locally really affects us in our daily life and is worthwhile to be
informed. The day’s local weather report, roads diverted, train service delays, etc is
equally important to know early in the morning as is Gujarat polls or petrol pump
allotments (in fact the latter can wait for latter part of the day).

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Cheaper
It is cheaper for those who have to pay for internet usage. If you are getting online for
news alone from your home or an internet café, it can pinch you.

Local sales and bargains

It also informs about the local store sales and other sales in town. Some of the online
news sites have local store advertising, but they are more geared toward a wider
audience.

Convenience
You can read your newspaper anywhere – while commuting, while having your
breakfast, while in a restaurant waiting for food to arrive, while in a taxi, etc. Though
it requires some skill to turn pages in a crowded compartment without hitting people
standing next to you with your elbow.

Cons of Print Media:

Lack of timeliness
Newspapers are normally not published more than once a day. So up-to-the minute
news reporting is not possible as on television or Internet.

Waiting
Waiting for newspaper to arrive is a pain. As you wait endlessly for him to arrive, you
might want to go up the curb to your local newspaper stall and buy, but then that
requires the trouble of going and getting it.

Holidays
Newspapers are not printed on national holidays (at least not in India), which could
rob you of the pleasure of leisurely reading news over your cup of coffee.

Waste
All the old newspapers clutter around the house. And then you also have to bother
about recycling or selling them.

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Online Media:

Online media is a form of advertising that uses the Internet and World Wide Web in
order to deliver marketing messages and attract customers. Examples of online
advertising include contextual ads on search engine results pages, banner ads, Rich
Media Ads, Social network advertising, online classified advertising, advertising
networks and e-mail marketing, including e-mail spam. Online advertising has
become popular since the last decade with an increase in the number of people
using the internet.

A major result of online advertising is information and content that is not limited by
geography or time. Online media is much cheaper than print advertising (news
papers and magazines). Small businesses owners find this medium as the most
convenient way to promote their brand as they find print advertising outside their
budget. Compared to newspaper advertising coverage in online advertising is not
limited. The number of people surfing the Web is not limited and thus an advertiser
can reach more customers using online media. Another factor favouring online
advertising is its edge over print advertising as it can give the surfer both visual and
graphic treats. It combines the advantages television and print advertising.

India - first country where Internet adoption and growth rates have been
slower than mobile phones. The report says that the online advertisement industry is
likely to grow at CAGR of 50% between 2005 and 2010. E-commerce revenues
are expected to grow at CAGR of 72% between 2005 and 2010 to $1.8 Billion. The
lack of credible online brands was a bottleneck.

Types of Online Advertising:

Curiosity Arousal:

A curiosity generating strategy that creates or highlights a knowledge gap in product

information that the receiver will “solve” upon clicking the advertisement.

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Goal resolution:

Strategy that presents the receiver with a problem or issue, which they determine
they would like to “solve” upon clicking the advertisement.

Banner Ads:
Banner advertising was the first kind of advertising ever done on the net. A banner
can highlight your product/service/offer and by clicking on it the user will be taken to
your website, where you can create a suitable landing page to provide his further
information. Banner spaces are usually sold by impressions, or banner views, but it
is sometimes sold by click-thru, when you pay only when the user clicks on the
banner.

Pop-up Ads:

It's the thing of the past now. With a variety of pop-up blockers available freely, it
makes no sense in investing in this form of advertising as it irritates the viewer.

Floating Ads:

These ads appear when you first go to a webpage, and they "float" over the page for
five to 30 seconds. While they are on the screen, they obscure your view of the page
you are trying to read, and they often block mouse input as well. These ads appear
each time that page is refreshed.

Interstitial Ads:

Interstitial pages are a form of advertisement on the web that appears between web
pages that the user requests. Because interstitials load in the background, they are a
preferred way of delivering ads that contain large graphics, streaming media, or
applets.

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Unicast Ads:

A unicast ad is basically a TV commercial that runs in the browser window. It has

enriched audio/video content. The ads can last anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds.
These ads have similar branding power as a TV commercial. However, a unicast ad
offers something that TV ads cannot -- the ability to click on the ad for more
information. These ads are getting very effective, as the average click-through rate is
5%.

Takeover Ads:
Viewers visiting the website will see a large ad when they first come, and then the
continuity is maintained by reiterating the same message throughout the site in the
form of banners, side bars or buttons. The approach works very well for branding
because the brand is visible to viewers throughout the visit to the site. Click-through
rates are also high.

Contextual Ads:

Contextual advertising is a type of online advertising commonly used for content-

based websites. With contextual advertising, targeted ads appear based on the
page's actual content. First, a contextual advertising system scans the text of a
webpage for keyword phrases. Then, the system returns specific, targeted ads
based on the content people are viewing. This is becoming very popular as the ads
can be targeted based on the users' interests.

There are many other ways in which you can advertise like embedding your ad/brand
in online games, chat rooms, etc. Rich media interactive ads can also be creatively
used in a lot of different ways. Once you get started - you'll be able to explore great
opportunities in this area.

Pros of Online Media:

Timeliness
Online news offers fast, up-to-the-minute news coverage. While the paper is still
reporting the election turnout, the election results would already be available online.
Live update is an important feature of online news.

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Choice
Online helps you to use different newspapers for different purposes. One paper will
give the kind of sports news you want, while another will give the financial news you
find helpful. You can easily read only articles of interest to you instead of hunting and
manually turning through pages of newsprint. You can also access any newspaper
from all over the world, which is not possible with print.

Cheap
You have to pay for your newsprint. However most online papers are free, though
some are limited editions and only include the top stories. [This is ignoring the
telephone charges].

Links
Many newspapers provide links in their online edition. Some link to past articles while
other links to organisations or events related to the article, which you might find very
helpful.

Interactivity
Some newspapers provide forums and message boards where you can interact with
other readers about the news and editorials.

Images and colours

The images and pictures in an online news sites are colourful and enlargeable and
you can in most cases save them.

Archives
Another benefit of online news is that if you missed a story or want to re-read one,
they have archives for some specific period of time.

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Cons of Online Media :

Readability

It is difficult reading a newspaper on the Internet, or for that matter online reading in
general.

Time
If you are dreadfully short of time, you cannot scan a lot of news items at a time
online, because stories only pop up one or two at a time. Whereas, on print, you
scan a page quickly and grasp many news items at a time.

Harm
Computer screen gives off harmful radiations that are bad for your eyes and can also
cause headaches.

Computer problems
Online news requires a computer, which opens up a host of problems. Some people
can’t afford computers, though that number continues to decrease. Some people are
computer illiterates. Then there are the problems of computer crashes and power
outages.

Integrated Advertising - Online Links in Traditional Print Ads

Previous research by Sheehan and Doherty (2001) indicated that there was a lack of
integration employed among traditional print advertisers. While the Internet was a
popular advertising and public relations vehicle in 2001 few advertisers would link the
printed message to online efforts. To test a hypothesis that integration is more
prevalent in 2008, traditional advertisements were coded to measure if they
contained a URL (Internet address) or discussed the website in the advertising copy.

Magazine Ads Online Ratio

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 Link

Forbes 15 14 93.3%

Inc. 16 14 87.5%

Business 31 28 90.4%

Star 13 7 53.8%

US 12 10 83.3%

Celebrity Gossip 25 17 68.6%

Elle 18 5 27.8%

Vogue 15 10 66.7%

Fashion 33 15 47.2%

BestLife 16 8 50.0%

Esquire 19 11 57.9%

Men’s Lifestyle 35 19 53.9%

Newsweek 12 11 91.7%

Time 11 11 100.0%

News Weekly 23 22 95.8%

Family Circle 11 9 81.8%

Woman's Day 16 14 87.5%

Women's G. I. 27 23 84.7%

Total Count 174 124 71.3%

While in 2001 Sheehan and Doherty found only 19% of advertisements correlated
copy to a website, statistics in 2008 show that 71.3% of print advertisements include
a URL or mention of information on a web page. The statistics are even more
impressive for certain categories:

• Business Category - Over 90% of magazine advertisements include mention

of a website.

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 • Newsweekly Category – Over 95% of magazine advertisements include
mention of a website.

A reason for this high percentage may be that the demographics of the reader for
these publications are perceived as high technology users.

Categories that fall below the average include women’s fashion and men’s lifestyle
magazines. Elle magazine was a significant laggard with only 27.8% of coded print
advertisements mentioning or displaying a web address.

Lack of Synchronization in Cross Channel Communications

Internet research firm Jupiter Communications (1999) reported that few marketers
synchronize their online and offline efforts. The study found that two-thirds of
marketers use a separate agency for online creative. Poor communication and a
lack of shared strategy certainly play a factor in poor IMC performance. Sheehan
and Doherty (2001) indicate considerable room for synchronization; only 35 out of
186 advertisements and corresponding websites appeared to be integrated
strategically.

Arronson and Zeff (1999) suggest that many advertising agencies are operating
under tremendous time constraints when designing campaigns for websites. Their
conclusion is that critical aspects of integrated marketing and integrated advertising
are ignored.

Research Methodology

A sample size of 100 was taken & an exploratory research was conducted. A simple
random sampling was done, since that would give the most accurate and exhaustive
results that are necessary at this beginning stage of the research process.

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An exhaustive as well as simple questionnaire, consisting 12 questions – 10 are
close ended questions, while two were open ended questions is developed . Hence
questionnaires and schedules were used for the purpose of research and data
collection. After collecting all the responses the data collected has been analysed,
and represented graphically in the form of pie-charts and bar diagrams for quick
understanding of the responses that is generated using the research.

Secondary research is carried out by studying and analyzing peer reviewed articles
and journals from EBSCO and Pro Quest. These articles discuss various aspects
related to ‘print media versus online media’

Findings & Analysis:

1. Respond to print ads?

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Out of the sample size 100, majority of the sample i.e. 64% reacted to print ads and remaining
36% said print ads had no impact on them.

2. Recollect a few print ads:

Majority of the print ads that the respondents could recollect were the discount ads &
promotion ads like the titan 25% off ad, Big Bazaar maha bachat ads etc.

3. After seeing the print ad did you go forward and buy the product?

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The impact of the print media on the sample population was phenomenon. 58% of them said
that they actually went & bought the product after seeing the particular print ad of that
product.

4. When was the last time you went forward & bought the product after seeing it in
the print ad?

Majority of the sample size, about 31% of them said that they watched a print ad and bought
the product in the last 6 months.

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 5. Respond to online ads?

As compared to the print ads respond towards online ads was very less.72% of the sample did
not respond to any sort of print ads. Thus, we can make out that very small percentage of
population actually reacts to online ads.

6. Recollect a few online ads:

Majority of the online ads that respondents could recover were air ticket booking ads and job
site ads. E.g. naukri .com was the one very popular.

7. After seeing the online ad did you go forward and place the order for the product?

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Out of the sample size that reacted to online ads, only 19% of them actually went forward and
bought the brought. This was mostly seen in the hotel booking ads & online air bookings that
the people preferred online mode.

8. When was the last time you went forward & bought the product after seeing it in
the online ad?

As clearly indicated from the graph majority of the sample about 47% said that they had
watched the online ad bought the product in the last 1 yr time period.

9. Print ads are informative:

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Majority of the respondents about 44% of them agreed that print ads are quiet informative
and give them the essential information.

10. Online ads are informative:

For the online ads, majority of the respondents around 40% of them strongly disagreed that
online ads are informative. Most of them were of the opinion that online ads just guide them
to a different web page were they again have to search the information.

11. Print ads are creative:

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As indicated in the graph majority of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed to the fact
that most of the print ads they have seen are creative.

12. Online ads are creative:

According to the survey conducted, majority of the respondents disagreed that online ads
were creative. In comparison between the 2 media’s, print ads were found to be more creative
and thus had a greater impact.

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Conclusion:

According to the primary research & secondary research conducted it was seen that impact of
print media is greater as compared to online media. From the primary research conducted it
was found out that people responded more towards print ad as compared to online ads. After
seeing the print ads most of the respondents went forward and bought the product i.e. the
conversion was higher as compared to the online ads. Most of them rated the print ads more
creative and informative as compared to online ads.

Although from secondary research it was seen that online media has equivalent advantages as
compared to print media but in the actual survey it was seen that impact of print media was
much higher than the online media. Respondents felt that online media is still in its nascent
stage and its impact was very less as compared to print media. Also it is seen that the amount
of money spend by the companies on print media (47%) is much higher as compared to
online media (1%) as the ROI is much higher in print media.

Thus, it can be said that impact of print media is much higher than the online media.

And therefore, the Null Hypothesis is accepted and the Alternative hypothesis is rejected.

Accepted - H0: The impact of print media is greater as compared to online media.

Rejected - H1: The impact of online media is greater as compared to print media.

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References:

1. Feature Advertising: Policies and Attitudes in Print Media, Cameron, Glen T.; Haley,
John Eric, Journal of Advertising; Sep 1992, 21, 3; ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 47

2. The influence of medium and vividness: A print versus online catalog examination
David A Griffith; Robert F Krampf , American Marketing Association. Conference
Proceedings; 1999; 10, ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 53

3. http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2006/11/13/advertising-on-line-pros-and-
cons/

4. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-print-
media.html

5. http://www.contentmanagementsoftwares.net/Benefits_of_advertising_thro
ugh_print_media.htm

6. http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/564558/print-media-owners-meeting-
challenge-online/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH

7. http://pete-stejskal.blogspot.com/

8. http://techcrunch.com/2009/03/22/why-advertising-is-failing-on-the-
internet/

9. Does Web advertising work? Memory for print vs. online media,S Shyam Sundar;
Sunetra Narayan; Rafael Obregon; Charu Uppal,Journalism and Mass Communication
Quarterly; Winter 1998; 75, 4; ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 822

10. Attitude change through visual imagery in advertising, John R Rossiter; Larry Percy
Journal of Advertising (pre-1986); 1980; 9, 000002; ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 10

11. The effects of media context experiences on advertising effectiveness, Edward C

Malthouse; Bobby J Calder; Ajit Tamhane, Journal of Advertising; Fall 2007; 36, 3;
ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 7

12. Fit to print?, Stephen Ellis, Harvard International Review; Spring 2001; 23, 1;
ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 56

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13. The effects of humor on attention in magazine advertising,Thomas J Madden; Marc G
Weinberger ,Journal of Advertising (pre-1986); 1982; 11, 000003; ABI/INFORM
Global, pg. 8

14. Recall and recognition performance for umbrella print advertisements , James H
Leigh, Journal of Advertising (pre-1986); 1984; 13, 000004; ABI/INFORM Global
pg. 5

15. Sports advertising in print media: The case of 2000 Olympic Games,Chris Kambitsis;
Yvonne Harahousou; Nicholas Theodorakis; Giannis Chatzibeis ,Corporate
Communications; 2002; 7, 3; ABI/INFORM Global , pg. 155

16. The responsible reporting of suicide in print journalism,Patrick Jamieson; Kathleen

Hall Jamieson; Daniel Romer , The American Behavioral Scientist; Aug 2003; 46, 12;
ABI/INFORM Global , pg. 1643.

11.Yoon, Sung-Joon, and Kim, Joo-Ho. “Is the Internet More Effective Than Traditional
Media?” Journal of Advertising Research Vol. 41, No. 6 (Nov. 2001): pp. 53-60.

12.Kanso, Ali, and Nelson, Richard Alan. “Internet and Magazine Advertising: Integrated
Partnerships or Not?” Journal of Advertising Research Vol. 44, No. 4 (2004): pp. 71, 14
pgs.

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Appendix 1
Questionnaire

1. Do you respond to print ads?

i. Yes
ii. No

2. If yes, recollect a few print ads you have recently seen?

_______________________________________________________

3. After seeing the print ad did you go forward and buy the product?
i. Yes
ii. No

4. When was the last time you went forward & bought the product after seeing it in the
print ad?
i. last 1 month
ii. last 6 month
iii. last 1 yr
iv. never
5. Do you respond to online ads?
i. Yes
ii. No

6. If yes, recollect a few online ads you have recently seen?

________________________________________________________
7. After seeing the online ad did you go forward and place the order for the product?
i. Yes
ii. No

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 8. When was the last time you went forward & bought the product after seeing it in the
online ad?
v. last 1 month
vi. last 6 months
vii. last 1yr
viii. never

Please specify your options as ( 1. Strongly disagree 2. Disagree 3. Neutral 4. Agree 5.

Strongly agree)

9. Print ads are informative

________________

10. Online ads are informative

_________________

11. Print ads are creative

_________________

12. Online ads are creative

_________________
Personal information:
1. Name: ______________________________

2. Age: i. 15-30yrs ii. 30-45 yrs iii. Above 45 yrs

3. Sex: M/F 4. Occupation: _______________

Thank you for your time and effort!

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