Inserts and third-party inserts industry report H2 2013

Despite the excitement whenever a new piece of tech arrives it is often the more traditional channels that prove to be the more reliable response drivers. In 2013, the UK saw over 4.9bn inserts (including third-party inserts) in the market and although this represents a decline year on year, against a backdrop of falling circulations this is still a very strong performance. More and more media owners are now offering geo-targeting across their titles so inserts can now compete with any channel by offering even more cost-effective and targeted campaigns. While marketers continue to underestimate the power of print, consumers still find it more trustworthy, authoritative and relevant than many digital channels.

The DMA Inserts Council monitors insert volumes across all major UK magazines, newspapers and, from 2011, third-party mailings. The report is a useful tool used by media owners, media agencies and clients to gauge trends within the inserts industry.

The following report will guide you through the annual trends within the UK inserts market. It looks at trends within magazines, daily newspapers, Sunday newspapers, Saturday and Sunday supplements, and insight into annual and quarterly trends.

Unlike other media channels it is very difficult for media monitoring companies to monitor inserts. Picking up one copy of one magazine or newspaper does not tell the whole story as insert campaigns can be targeted. Many advertisers will insert regionally, some titles let you demographically target and, in extreme cases, you can target by job title.

Even without specific targeting, it is an advantage of inserts that you can test a part-run in order to sense check a campaign and gauge response across a range of titles. This is why the DMA Inserts Council’s Inserts industry report is the most accurate research on insert volumes; as all of the data comes directly from publishers, it takes into account all part and full-run activity.

The DMA Inserts Council is very grateful to all parties who supply their data to the inserts industry reports. If you want to contribute to the industry report, or suggest any improvements, feel free to contact myself or any other member of the DMA Inserts Council.

Nick Barnard
Chair, DMA Inserts Council
Head of Telegraph Reach, TMG

Inserts and third-party inserts industry report H2 2013