Subscribers Open To Using Agents?

Circulation Management, April 1, 2004

Byline: KEVIN WHELAN

Interest in agents is as great as ever. With the demise of large agents and the growth of online agents, the agent source and new Audit Bureau of Circulations rules, the landscape is changing.

Below see how consumer magazine subscribers who participated in the CircTrack Consumer Survey view subscription marketing by agents.

CM asked Chip Block, president, USAPubs, to comment on the consumer perspective on agents in this column, the fourth in a series.

Sourcing

CM: 34% of magazine subscribers said they had been contacted by a third party to buy or renew a consumer magazine subscription within the past 12 months. 47 % of these were contacted in person; 33% were contacted by phone; and 20 percent were contacted through the mail.

BLOCK: This sounds like a good sample. The in-person contacts would be sponsored agents, such as school plan, as well as field sold. The mail contacts probably include statement stuffers and solicitations for inbound telemarketing.

It is worth noting that reputable agents refrain from attempting to sell renewals unless authorized by the publisher to do so.

CM: 24% of those who were contacted by a third party placed a subscription order, and of those who placed an order: 63% did so via the mail (DTP or BRC); 31% did so via the phone; only 1% of those who placed a subscription order did so "in person." 5% placed an order using the Internet.

BLOCK: This also makes sense since regardless of the original medium of sale, mail is most often used as the response vehicle. It would be interesting to tie the mode of selling to the response vehicle for a comparison in future studies.

CM: Of the 76% who did NOT place a subscription order through a third party, 51% said they would consider doing so.

BLOCK: I don't know exactly what this means other than only a small percentage would never order through a third party. It would be interesting to find out 'why' in future studies done by CircTracka[yen]

Payment

CM: A check was used by 55% of those who ordered a subscription through a third party, followed by a major credit card (32%). 63% of third party orders were paid in full and 37% were paid in installments.

BLOCK: It would be valuable to have this broken down by those who buy a single magazine sub vs. those who buy multiple titles.

Offer

CM: Of those magazine subscribers who ordered a magazine subscription using a third party, 61% were offered a price discount; 11% were offered a gift or product; and 10% were offered an extended-term subscription.

BLOCK: This makes sense since most agents are now authorized at publisher discounted prices rather than the old 'basic' (now, 'suggested') price.

Charity

CM: 34% of consumer magazine subscribers have ordered a magazine through a charitable organization in the past two years. 70% of these "charitable subscribers" were motivated by an effort to support the sponsor/charity; 30% were motivated by the magazines offered.

BLOCK: I think this does a disservice to the appeal of the magazines, since I'm sure a lot of people would answer, "I bought the magazines because I support this cause and was happy to learn I could get a good deal on some magazines I really like."

KEVIN WHELAN is president of KMW Associates, based in Englewood, New Jersey. KMW publishes CircTrack CONSUMER and CircTrack EXECUTIVE (the latter conducted with Dan Capell). Whelan can be reached at 800-567-7706.