Australian publishers are increasingly looking towards e-commerce platforms as a way to diversify their revenue streams. With the current soft ad market struggling, e-commerce platforms are a way for magazines to offer advertisers a deeper proposition.
Pacific Magazines has hopped on the trend, launching an e-commerce platform for Marie Claire following its sampling offer The Parcel. The platform allows consumers to buy full sizes of the products offered in the sampling box.
According to Marie Claire marketing director Susie Hogan, The Parcel is attractive for advertisers as it provides targeted audience segments and traceable ROI through e-commerce.
“Advertisers are now building [The Parcel] into their plans for 2015. I feel this success is because, like magazines, we are offering very targeted market segments via the individual masthead,” Hogan tells AdNews.
"This, coupled with the editorial curation of the products in each box, delivers a very powerful authoritative halo that advertisers really value. In addition, being able to deliver consumer insights – plus driving sales, whether via e-commerce through The Parcel website or retail sales – is a very compelling package.”
“Because the first box has just gone out and the research is just going out to market, it’s too early to say [how sales went], however, advertisers are seeing a very good ROI. We see [e-commerce] as part of the complete offering that we deliver to the advertiser and it is an important aspect for us.”
Direct-selling platforms are set to continue at Pac Mags, with Girlfriend launching a sampling box this week and Marie Claire Men offering a box for men in 2015.
Earlier this week, media buyers and industry insiders were told by Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner that the company intends to extend e-commerce across its assets in 2015.
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