QRS shows how publications can influence their readers

The latest Quality of Readership Survey includes new data which shows 69 per cent of readers across all paid-for magazines have taken some form of action after reading their chosen publication.

The data also shows that 55 per cent of readers of national newspapers and newspaper supplements behaved in at least one of four ways – picked up ideas, followed some advice given, tried something for the first time or bought an item.

It is the first time that the research, commissioned by the Periodical Publishers Association, has monitored action taken by readers of newspapers and magazines.

As far as the average magazine was concerned, 34 per cent of readers said that they had tried something for the first time and 24 per cent had bought something. But the most common actions were picking up ideas (55 per cent) and following advice given (44 per cent).

The PPA first commissioned the QRS because its members felt it was necessary to monitor quality of reading and that there was insufficient capacity to do so within the National Readership Survey.

The data also shows the percentage of readers that read cover to cover (That’s Life came top of the table with 67 per cent), the minutes spent reading (Yours came top with 91.4 minutes), the proportion of pages opened (25 Beautiful Homes came top with 90.1 per cent), the average exposures per page (Period Living and Brides were both top at 6.07) and the number of times the title was picked up (Cable Guide, top with 11.7 times).