'ROOTS provides a wealth of information at the grassroots level and allows you to find key audiences at a local, community level.'
A survey by Caxton Media and market research company Borderless Access has revealed that most people in South Africa find print advertisements more useful than other media.
The survey, ROOTS, is compiled using information from 25 200 interviews in areas where Caxton Media has local newspapers. Data provided by ROOTS can be used by government agencies to determine how their advertisements in Caxton newspapers will reach the intended audience.
The survey results were announced on Thursday in Hyde Park, Gauteng. The room housed representatives from different government agencies and entities, including the Road Accident Fund (RAF), City of Johannesburg (COJ), and Department of Public Service and Administration (Dpsa).
Why ROOTS?
“ROOTS is a powerful tool that the government can use to scientifically identify audiences across multiple demographic and behavioural variables. Then, match the appropriate platforms that meet the objectives and reach key audiences for specific campaigns.
“ROOTS provides a wealth of information at the grassroots level and allows you to find key audiences at a local, community level,” reads the survey.
Caxton Media operates at least 160 local newspapers nationwide, with The Citizen serving as its national newspaper. The local newspapers combined have an average issue readership of 6.1 million adults, while The Citizen has 238 000, and The Witness, another flagship of Caxton, has 70 000.
To gather data that government agencies can use to achieve value for money, the survey covers topics such as how people manage their finances, the structure of their homes, their commuting habits, leisure activities, and other relevant areas.
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Survey findings
ROOTS found that local papers are viewed as the go-to source for advertising over television. 64% of the respondents said they actively use their local paper’s advertising, while 50% said they use TVs.
The survey found that most households still shop based on print advertisements, followed by e-catalogues, online searching, and then in-store. These findings demonstrate the importance of brands engaging audiences across multiple platforms.
Caxton Media has a total social media reach of 4,436 million. Local newspapers combined have the biggest reach of 3,453 million, while The Citizen has 775 000 and The Witness 208 000.
ROOTS found that for agencies to get the best value for money, it is advisable to advertise first in newspapers, then add news sites, and finally social media. It said the advertisement is not as strong when starting with social media, and then adding news sites and newspapers at a later stage.
Practical example
When advertising a job with Caxton, the advert can target a specific community, region or province using one of the local newspapers.
“For example, if the position is in Mpumalanga, we can pull this target audience from the areas that we surveyed in Mpumalanga.”
ROOTS found that Discovery is the medical aid with the most members in the areas surveyed, with a slight increase from 14.6% to 15.3%. The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) remains stable in second position, with a slight decline from 6.5% to 6.1%.
“Caxton Media (local papers, LNN, Citizen and Witness) reaches 72% of GEMS members.”
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