The APA Advantage Study, carried out by Millward Brown, says customer magazines have a 55% response rate in the difficult 18- to 24-year-old market. It says that the average for all ages is 45%.
For the affluent older market, referred to in the report as "Wealthy Greys", 61% of those aged 55 and over read half or more of a customer magazine. The group also spend 30 minutes browsing such publications, five minutes more than the 25-minute average for all ages.
Julia Hutchinson, APA director, said: "Strategic planners should be seriously considering customer publishing as a core part of any marketing communications campaign."
The study also shows that 61% of men interviewed think customer magazine brands are relevant to them, compared with 71% of women. However, when asked if they think the brands are for "people like them", the figures are closer with 83% for men and 84% for women.
The APA says this points to an opportunity for brands to engage men in retail environment through this channel.
Hutchinson added: "In the current fragmented media world, as brands continue to look at ways to build customer loyalty and drive brand equity, clearly customer magazines are leading the way in delivering brands more profitable conversations with their customers."
The APA Advantage Study was first launched in 1995 with research agency Millward Brown, to provide a recognised industry approach for the measurement of customer magazines as a marketing tool.
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