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SUNDAY MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENTS

 The Good:

* You get superior quality color on high quality paper, allowing for effective product presentation, if you are willing to pay top dollar.

* Great for insertions. You know the way it is with all Sunday papers and magazines -- lots of extras which many readers actually buy the publication for in the first place. Many people live to scan and clip coupons.

* You get ample opportunity for long copy. Sunday magazines are among the best place to make a long, detailed pitch.

* As we said, people love to clip coupons, and this is the place people will most likely use any kind of special insertion, from coupons to sweepstakes, contests or surveys.

* Have better chance of repeat exposure to your ad than newspapers, or magazines. People tend to hang onto the Sunday paper longer and also give it a better read because they are more relaxed and have more time on Sunday to linger over the paper.

* Can reach large numbers of people in a short time.

* You can get very creative, as you can with magazines. This means pop-ups, specials inks, scratch-and-sniff -- even insertion of product samples.

* Distribution of the advertisement to possible non readers who might be part of an advertiser's secondary target audience.

* Because of high readership and better repetition factor, can be a good deal for your scarce advertising dollar. * Production costs for your ad will be less than all other media, except for newspaper.

* Can reach people who do not ordinarily read newspapers, or pay attention to other media. Many consider the Sunday paper "special."

* You get immediate delivery to entire audience -- even millions of people -- in just one day.

* They can have national, regional, or local distribution, although national is less likely with most Sundays, except the real biggies, such as the New York Times.

* Sunday publications have higher penetration, and greater local readership, than do competing publications, or other media.

* You can use dealer listings.

 The Bad:

* Ads do not force themselves on readers as in radio or TV. In other words, they are nonintrusive.

* No sound or movement in general.

* Usually require advertising materials well in advance of issue date. Some even have longer lead time than magazines.

* Relatively inflexible for accommodating last minute changes. Most Sunday ads are set in stone after you issue a check. You won't get a refund.

* Frequency is lacking because they only come out on Sundays, and people don't make connections from one Sunday to the next, in most cases.

* Are extremely expensive if you want national or regional coverage.

* Large space ads are very expensive and they are here today and gone tomorrow most of the time.

* Again, they are relatively short-lived, and quickly end up lining a bird cage or wrapping a fish.

* Are not good for delivering ad messages to young people: teens, young adults and children.

* Most often only expose ad to one person at a time, unlike radio or TV, which can deliver a message to a roomful of people all at once.

There you have it. Based on what you have learned above, you should now be in a better position to decide which medium is best for your business, product or service.

Of course, the only perfect way to make a final decision is through test marketing with each medium. You can do that by starting out with small, inexpensive adds in each medium. Those that bring the best results deserve to get your future business and a larger share of your advertising dollar.

Good Luck!

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