According to the study, "The ContentWise and Custom Publishing Council’s 2009 Spending: A Look at How Corporate American Invests in Branded Content,"released by the CPC, marketers spent more on custom and branded content last year than ever before. Highlights of the study include:

• Spending on branded content totaled $1.8 million per company


• 78 percent of respondents reported that branded content is more effective than advertising


• 24 percent expected spending to increase in 2010

At Hammock, each new relationship begins by first understanding our client's goals, and then based on these goals, we make recommendations for the best media strategy and mix to meet those objectives. For us, it's about identifying, creating and distributing the best media or set of media for our clients based on their goals. Today print magazines still play a very dominant role in many of the strategies we develop and execute for our clients because we continue to believe strongly in the power of print magazines for meeting certain business goals. That's why we're big fans of this recent Magazine Publishers of America's "The Twenty Tweetable Truths About Magazines" slideshow. Go magazines!

Many of the clients we work with are associations, and so we are always monitoring research about the latest trends in associations. The type of challenges our association clients are facing right now are closely tied to the state of the economy. That’s why having in-depth knowledge of the latest research about the economy helps us serve our clients best by being able to create solutions that solve their problems in the context of the economic environment.

One of the sources we consistently look to for research is the American Society of Association Executives. This week they released an update to their Beliefs, Behaviors, and Attitudes in Response to the Economy study conducted six months ago about the attitudes of more than 7,000 association members on the state of the economy and how it has and will influence their behavior.

Associations can use focus groups as a valuable research tool. They are often used to test new initiatives or concepts with a sample group of members before rolling them out to the association. Before your association dedicates the time and resources to a focus group, be sure to review our five tips:

State your goals
It's important that you are clear about what you want to accomplish with the focus group before you start the project. Get input from key decision makers and use their input to structure the development of the focus group.

As major magazines are decreasing page counts to deal with the economic downturn, custom publishers and the associations and corporate clients they partner with seem to be doing just the opposite, according to a new study by the Custom Publishing Council.

Released in April, the study—“A Look at the Volume and Type of Custom Publications in America”—found that the average number of pages per issue for custom publications increased last year from 22.2 to 23.2.

The Roper Public Affairs and Media/Custom Publishing Council study -- Americans' Relationship With Customer Publications and the Companies That Provide Them -- was released in March. The 2009 report is an update to a study conducted in 2005 and an examination into Americans' thoughts and feelings about electronic publications.

The good news is that the London company Alchemy Worx has solved one piece of the email puzzle for us—subject line length. According to their research, response rates are highest when the subject lines are in the 50-character range or 80-character range, but they fall in the middle when the length is 60 or 70 characters. To increase open rates, keep these magic numbers in mind next time before you click send.

Soliciting feedback from readers is an important part of a magazine’s research efforts. With a reader panel, a magazine has continual access to a group of readers who they can survey on various topics including past issues, future content and general opinions about the magazine. In addition to these editorial benefits, reader panels also provide an opportunity for advertisers to pose questions to your group of readers. Here are a few tips to help you manage your reader panel:

1. Keep it Short
Don’t be greedy with your panelists’ time. Limit each survey to 10 or fewer questions that can be answered in five minutes or less. Do not send a survey more than once a month or you risk panelist burnout. Remember these are volunteer readers so if you respect their time you are more likely to return a higher response rate.

2. Offer Incentives
Reward participation by giving readers something in exchange for their participation. Select incentives that are appropriate for your audience. Gift cards are a practical option for most groups.

3. Experiment with A/B Test
Segment your panel into two groups and try different subject lines, day of the week, time of day and personalization. Analyze the results to determine the optimal combination for the most successful survey.

The Custom Publishing Council (note: Hammock is a founding member) has just conducted a survey called, “Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume and Type of Custom Publications in America” that indicates custom publishing is thriving. According to the survey, in 2007 a record number of marketers used custom publishing solutions to promote their products and brands – with impressive results. Other industry reports show that spending on alternative media jumped 22%, with more advertisers seeking out new channels. Custom publishing can be expected to grow even more in 2008 with the increase in Internet distribution of content and creative new media solutions.

[After the jump, view statistics and other highlights from the Custom Publications in America survey.]