Magazine Advertising Malaysia

Advertising in magazines in Malaysia is an equally challenging task as compared other forms of mass media like radio, television and newspaper.

This is because there are a wide variety of choices when it comes to magazine and other printed publications.

Similar to newspapers, magazines are categorized mainly based on language. This is because Malaysian readers are made up of very diverse culture and backgrounds.

Most Malaysians are able to converse in more than 2 languages which make the Malaysian economy an attractive market for magazine advertising.

The advantages of advertising in magazines as compared to newspapers are that they have better quality and can be used for a longer period of time.

Newspaper advertising is usually run on a daily basis and since they are printed on newsprint, they do not last for a long time. This means that when a newspaper is circulated and passed around for a while, the quality will deteriorate.

On the other hand, the frequency of magazines printed is lesser where they are usually circulated on a monthly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly or quarterly.

This means that magazines are printed on better quality paper and lasts for a longer time.

How to advertise in magazines

If you are planning to advertise in magazines in Malaysia, you will find that there are a lot of choices and options. The most important factor you must consider prior to advertising in magazines is to determine your target market.

The market segment in Malaysia is very unique where you can target them based on the languages they prefer. Magazines in Malaysia have all types of genre and they come in different languages.

The most common languages that magazines are published in are Bahasa Malaysia, English Language, Chinese and Tamil.

Once you have identified your target market, then you can start short-listing the magazine titles to place your ads in.

This must then be coupled with the frequency that you are planning for your ads.  In most cases, an ad placed in a magazine will cost around RM3,000 to RM8,000 per insertion, depending on the title and circulation.

One rule of thumb when selecting the magazine titles is to use those that have the higher circulation which will then ensure that your ad garners the highest impressions possible.

This can be validated through the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation) which will provide an audited and legal number of magazines printed.

After that, you will have to determine the frequency of your ads. Most magazine titles are published on a monthly basis which means that you can choose to place your ads either through a single insertion or on a certain contract.

Guidelines to publishing magazines in Malaysia

Unlike developed countries like the United States and around Europe, Malaysia has stricter guidelines when it comes to magazine publications.

While the market has hundreds of magazine titles which are both local and international, the laws are not as relaxed as other countries because Malaysia is made up of people from all walks of life with different race, religion and background.

This means that publications that are available in the market must adhere to the guidelines while being sensitive to everyone in the country.

Creativity goes a long way in magazines

However, this does not mean that the magazines in Malaysia are dull and boring. In recent years, there have been more and more magazines that have made their ways into the newsstands which include internationally known titles that have been localised in terms of publication and content. This includes the likes of FHM, Top Gear, New Man and many others.

Difference in advertising in magazines and newspapers

Advertising in magazines is very different from advertising in newspapers. This is because unlike newspapers, magazines are very focused and targeted at a specific group of readers. This makes it easier for the advertiser because they need not have to be too concerned about who will be reading their ads.

Some tips on advertising on magazines:

• Shortlist the titles – The first thing that you need to do is to shortlist the titles of the magazines in your target group. If you are targeting the young and urban reader, you will be looking at magazines about cars, gadgets and those specifically for men. If you are a cosmetic brand owner, then you will surely be looking at the female magazines for sure. Only under certain rare circumstances will you be looking at other titles which are not related to your product group.
• Popularity – Once you have determined the type of magazines that you want to place your ad in, then you will need to identify which title to put them in. The more popular a title is, the more expensive the ad space will be. In this context, it is always better to engage the more popular ones than those that are new or emerging. The international titles which have been localized too would be ideal choices.
• Spot location and frequency – Magazines are unique because you only need to pay once every month (or fortnightly depending on the title). It ranges from RM4,000 to RM15,000 depending on the popularity of the publication. Hence, the location of your ad plays an important role. In most cases, the media owner will have the discretion to place the ad anywhere they wish although they will always try to give you a favourable spot. However, if budget permits, you should pay loading for a better space because the ad will be seen throughout the month.

Several major factors come into play if you are planning to advertise in magazines in Malaysia.

This is because the country has hundreds of titles to choose from while you need to know exactly who your target markets are and what you should do when placing your ads in these publications.

The objective of any advertiser when working with magazines is to capture the attention of the target market for the longest duration possible.

Connecting with readers

Magazines, unlike newspapers offer the best option among readers as they are usually printed on high-quality paper which lasts longer than newspapers. Furthermore, magazines are usually released on a periodical basis of fortnightly, weekly, monthly and so on.

Magazine naturally is known for being able to engage the readers better than newspapers because they are very focused in a specific area.

Top Gear is an internationally renowned title which provides information about cars and automotive, Female is one of the top magazine titles which is targeted for women readers while Stuff is a magazine about gadgets and technology.

Pull vs push technology

One of the highlights about magazine titles is that it has a strong pull factor in which readers actually go out and buy the magazines as they are interested to know about what have been published.

Some even subscribe to them based on the periods that are available. This is one area of this media which is not easily achieved by others like radio and television.

Variety of titles

 To date, there are about 350 magazine titles available in Malaysia, all of which provide interesting articles and information about their own specific areas. These titles generate their income mainly from advertising sales and circulation revenue. As with newspapers, magazines in Malaysia are published in major languages like English Language, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil.

How to advertise in magazines?

The main challenge when advertising in magazines is knowing which title to choose from. Where this is concerned, perhaps the best way is to engage those with the highest circulation and audited by ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation).

Once that is determined, it is important to know the deadlines that are given.

One of the most important elements about advertising in magazines is the dates where you will need to plan a month ahead of the publication.

In most cases, you will need to confirm your insertion with a specific tile 4 to 6 weeks before printing starts. This is a very important area that must be adhered to because it will allow the publisher to design the layout and where your ad will be.

Creativity is totally up to your company while you need to determine the size of your ad before they are printed. This could be either in full page, fractional page like half, quarter and one-sixth, consecutive pages or half-pages respectively, all of which will then determine the rate and impact of your campaign.

Occasionally, there will be special editions like wrap-arounds, pop-ups, gatefolds and many others which will require additional elements like costing and designing that will provide better impact and effectiveness for your advertisements.

Who to approach

In order to have the most effective and impactful advertising campaign using magazines, it is with utmost important that you work with the most reputable and capable media agency.

Advertising.my is one of the leading media planners today, having worked in countless campaigns and projects involving media booking and planning in the past.

Through Advertising.my, you can enjoy the peace of mind when advertising in magazines because we will ensure that your ads are produced with the best quality.

Booking your magazine ads through agencies like Advertising.my will ensure that the ad spaces can be confirmed and more cost effective.

Through a media agency, you will be represented where you can enjoy discounts not available through other means.

This is because Advertising.my has a strong working relationship with media owners in the magazine industry like Catcha, MPH, STP Distributors and many more.

In working with Advertising.my, you will be guided through the entire process of your media booking needs. This include the initial stages of conceptualization and idea derivation.

Advertising.my will be able to provide you with the appropriate advice and consultation on what elements can be used in your ads and for any approval purposes.

After that, the design and creative development of your ad can be carried out. This will include preparing the layout for your approval and subsequently sending them for color separation, which is a requirement needed by the magazine publishers.

Once that is completed, the layout will be sent to the publisher within the deadline to ensure that your ads are published and appear at their designated spaces.

The agency will then monitor the ads to ensure that they are where they should be and provide any feedback to you for future actions.