Ad-Gage Readership Research Norms
Highest Average Readership
 This is a measure of the single best
read editorial or feature in the gauged issue of the
individual magazine based on respondents who indicated
they recalled
seeing or reading the articles which were
listed by headlines. As the percentages are only for the
top
single article in each issue, they do not represent
averages for the entire magazine. The number of
articles
per study varied from a high of 46 to a low
of 6, with an
average number in any Ad-Gage study being 14.
Pass-Along Readership
 This is a measure of the average number
of readers, including the subscriber who read a given
issue of a magazine. This average is then taken and
multiplied against the entire circulation for the total
readership reach of a magazine.
Highest Average Ad Recall
 This is a measure of the single best
advertisement recalled in a gauged issue of the
individual magazine studied, based on respondents who
indicated they recalled seeing or reading the ads which
were listed
by advertiser and ad headline. As the
percentages are only for the top single advertisement in
each issue,
they do not represent the average ad recall
for the entire magazine. The number of ads per study
varied from a high of 94 to a low of 13, with an average
number in any Ad-Gage study being 54.
Time Spent Reading Issue
 This is a measure of the average length
of time in minutes that a typical reader spends with a
given issue. The respondents were asked to indicate, on
average, how much time they spent with the magazine in
question. Five time ranges were provided to check
off,
and the mid-points of the ranges were used to derive the
average.
Undeliverable Rate
 This is a measure of the total initial
mailing which was returned to us by the post office as
undeliverable. As most of the magazines which use Ad-Gage
surveys
are controlled circulation -- that is primarily
non-paid subscription base -- this is an important
measure of
how up to date their lists are. Because of
efforts by
the publishers and CCAB, we have noticed a
steady decline in the undeliverable rate over the years
we
have been conducting Ad-Gage surveys.
Ad-Gage Response Rate
 This is a measure of the response rate for an
Ad-Gage survey. Ad-Gage is a mail survey, and mail has traditionally
received lower response rates than telephone surveys. Given that 6,295
individuals responded to 34 surveys, this means the average number of
responses for each Ad-Gage survey is 185. It should be noted that while
most Ad-Gages are to a sample of 400 subscribers, some publishers do opt
for a higher base to increase the statistical tolerances.
Actions Taken
 Respondents are asked what actions they take,
from a list of six provided, as a result of reading the magazine. We
also provide them with the opportunity to indicate that they take no
actions. Above is the average percentage of respondents who indicated
that they take one or more actions as a result of reading the magazine.
The average is 2.2 actions per reader from the list of: used reader
service cards; clipped articles for future reference; referred ad to
someone else; actually purchased product; recommended purchase of these
products; and, requested additional information on advertised product. A
selected set of averages for these categories is shown below:
Used Reader Service Card
 |
Clipped Article
 |
Actually Purchased
 |
Referred Ad
 |
|
