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This paper was presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and
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Thank you.
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AFFLUENT CONSUMER MAGAZINES:
A PILOT STUDY USING
THE THEORY OF THE NICHE
TO EXPLAIN ADVERTISER SPENDING
by
Lindsay S. Phillips
Graduate Student
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
USA
Phone: (515) 240-4105
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Paper submitted for review to the Magazine Division, the annual
convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication,
August 10-13, 2005, San Antonio, TX
AFFLUENT CONSUMER MAGAZINES:
A PILOT STUDY USING
THE THEORY OF THE NICHE
TO EXPLAIN ADVERTISER SPENDING
ABSTRACT
This study examined the extent to which the theory of the niche can
be applied to competing lifestyle consumer magazine categories. This
was determined by the ability to develop levels of niche breadth and
niche overlap for competing magazines. A content analysis was
conducted measuring the number of automobile advertisements included
in each magazine. Findings suggest that the data collected were
inconsistent with the theory of the niche.
AFFLUENT CONSUMER MAGAZINES:
A PILOT STUDY USING
THE THEORY OF THE NICHE
TO EXPLAIN ADVERTISER SPENDING
Women have become the target for many marketers because they control
60% of the wealth in the United States and 80% of all purchasing
decisions (Cuneo & Petrecca, 1997). Women have influence over
everyday purchases and also larger investments with 94% influence
over home furnishing purchases, 89% influence over do-it-yourself
products, and 60% influence over automobile purchases (Gallup, 2005).
While women in general have control over purchasing decisions, an
even more prestigious market is women of affluence, those who are
from households with annual household incomes exceeding $75,000
(Gallup, 2005). Controlling roughly 80% of the purchasing decisions,
these women are valuable targets for advertisers.
Traditionally, magazines haven't targeted the demographic of women
of affluence. However, in the late 1990s, several lifestyle consumer
magazines were introduced into the market to reach this very
influential audience. It's important to determine to what extent
these magazine categories compete within the marketplace.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The theoretical framework that describes how media compete and
coexist in the marketplace is the theory of the niche. The theory of
the niche was first introduced in the early 1920s to explain how
species compete and coexist within an environment and has since been
applied to organizations and more recently media organizations. This
chapter is going to explore the evolution of the niche theory from
its inception to its adaptation into the world of media.
NICHE THEORY
The theory of the niche was first introduced in 1904 by ecologist
Joseph Grinnell to explain an animal's ecological positioning within
an environment (Grinnell, 1904). Grinnell looked at both an animal's
distributional and potential nature. Grinnell studied the areas in
which a species had the potential to thrive versus the areas in which
the species were found living, and realized that these distributional
restrictions were the consequence of either physical or climatic limitations.
While Grinnell was developing niche theory to explain animal
dispersion patterns, another ecologist, Charles Elton, was using a
similar framework to explain a species' food habits (Elton,
1927). Elton believed that "the niche of an animal can be defined to
a large extent by its size and food habits," (Elton, 1927, p. 107).
Elton (1927) was able to illustrate the impact of other organisms on
existing organisms by studying the feeding habits of several bird
species. The birds follow herds of larger animals in order to feed
off the insects kicked up by the larger animal's hooves. This
illustration shows the powerful effects of the larger animal's
behaviors on the survival of various bird species.
Based on the work of Grinnell and Elton, Gause developed the theory
of the niche introducing such concepts as niche overlap and
competitive displacement that will be defined later in this
chapter. In 1934, Gause studied the effects of competition on the
coexistence of species. He concluded "as a result of competition,
two similar species scarcely ever occupy similar niches, but displace
each other in such a manner that each takes possession of certain
peculiar kinds of food and modes of life in which it has an advantage
over its competitor," (Gause, 1934, p. 27).
Gause was able to explain this conclusion from studying a nesting
colony of hundreds of terns on Jorilgatch, an island in the Black
Sea. Four different types of terns nested on this island in
relatively close proximity to each other. He identified the Sterna
cantiaca (sandwich-tern), the Sterna fluviatilis (common-tern),
Sterna anglica (blackbeak-tern), and the Sterna minuta
(little-tern). While these birds were all relatively similar, and
all inhabited this small island, Gause realized each species of tern
differed greatly from the next on its eating patterns. While the
sandwich-tern flew far out to sea to eat fish, the blackbeak-tern
remained on land consuming locusts and lizards. While the
little-tern fished close to shore in the shallow swampy waters, the
common-tern flew a little further out into the water still searching
for fish (Gause, 1934). From these studies, Gause realized that
although a number of species can be very similar, they would adapt
their niches in order to survive.
There are several elements to niche dimensions that are used
throughout the articles on the theory of the niche that should be
defined before addressing the articles further. Ecologists often
refer to a population as a set of species that live within a
community. Niche breadth has often been studied and refers to the
number of resources used by a population (Colwell & Futuyma, 1971).
Niche breadth has been used to compare both species within a
community or species of different communities. These species can
fall into two categories depending on the number of resources they
rely on. A generalist relies on numerous sources to get its
resources, whereas a specialist pulls its resources from a limited
number of sources in order to survive.
A resource can be defined as any necessity for survival. Resources
can be food, shelter, and means to protection. A koala bear that is
primarily reliant on eucalyptus trees would be an example of a
specialist; it survives only on one source of food. A hunter such as
a lion would be an example of a generalist; it can rely on numerous
food sources including zebras, wilder beasts, and antelope in order to survive.
Niche overlap is an outcome of niche breadth and explains the degree
to which two species rely on the same resources in order to survive
(Colwell & Futuyma, 1971). Gause's illustration earlier of the terns
on the island in the Black Sea is a perfect example of niche overlap
in effect. The four species of tern overlapped on many levels except
for food habits. Each pulled its diet from different resource
allowing each species of tern to survive. Competition amongst species
is a primary topic within the theory of the niche. Competition can
be defined by the fact that once a resource is consumed by one
species, it is no longer available to any other species (Gause,
1934). According to the theory of the niche, two species cannot
survive if their niches are exactly the same and their resources are
limited (Hardin, 1960.) Therefore, there are two outcomes of
competition and niche overlap when resources are limited: competitive
displacement or extinction. Competitive displacement takes place
when the less superior species alters its niche to rely on other
resources thus lowering its niche overlap with the superior
species. Extinction takes place when the superior species drives the
less superior species out of the community or into extinction.
Colwell and Futuyma (1971) argued that niche overlap could either be
evidence for or against the existence of competition between
species. Their study showed that if the resource under consideration
is in oversupply, then it is no longer relevant to either species and
no competition will take place between the two species. Therefore,
Colwell and Futuyma identified a third outcome of competition if the
resources are unlimited, no such competition will take place.
There are many studies from the world of ecology that first
introduced the theory of the niche. They explained how two species
of animals could rely on similar resources and continue to coexist
and compete within their environments.
NICHE THEORY APPLIED TO MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS
In the early 1980s, the theory of the niche continued its evolution
when it was applied to media organizations. Media organizations are
a rather competitive business and adaptation to changing environments
is essential for success. Therefore, Dimmick applied the concepts
from the world of ecology to explain the competition and coexistence
of media organizations.
The theory of the niche, when applied to media organizations has
most often been used to explain the effects of an emerging media on
the existing media. The theory of the niche has been used to explain
how the existing media were able to adapt to the changing environment
after the introduction of a new media. The theory of the niche has
also been used along with the uses and gratifications approach to
determine spending on media.
Dimmick and Rothenbuhler (1984) studied the specific effects of the
introduction of television on the existing media such as radio,
newspaper, and outdoor. They discovered that over time, radio,
newspaper, and outdoor adapted their niches to become more reliant on
local advertising after the introduction of television.
Dimmick and Rothenbuhler's (1984) study also determined that those
populations with the broadest niche breadth, those media that are
considered generalists, are more likely to be able to survive with
the introduction of a new medium. A generalist medium is more
reliant on several sources in which to pull its resources and
generally maintains an excess capacity; therefore if a new medium
enters the marketplace, they have more places in which to make up
lost revenues.
The theory of the niche has also been used to explain consumer
spending and advertiser spending on media. Dimmick (1997) looked
into niche micro and macro dimensions to determine the competitively
superior medium. Dimmick discovered that the superior medium could
be determined by the media most likely to meet consumer's
gratification opportunities and gratification demands. Therefore, he
concluded that greater consumer time allocation, consumer spending,
and advertiser spending was given to the competitively superior media.
Randle's (2003) study applied the uses and gratifications approach
to explain the complementarity and displacement effect of the Web on
special-interest magazine subscribers. This study determined that
the Web and magazines have both a complementary and displacement
effect on one another.
Dimmick, Chen, and Li's (2004) study also used uses and
gratifications to explain the displacement effects of the Internet on
traditional media. This study concluded that the Internet has
competitive displacement effects on existing media, with the largest
effects on newspaper and television.
One area that the theory of the niche has overlooked is the impact
of introducing a new vehicle within an existing media category. New
vehicles are introduced into the market on a consistent basis, and
according to the theory of the niche they must compete for the same
resources in order to survive. Existing vehicles must also compete
for these resources to ensure their continued success. It is
important to address this issue of competition and coexistence within
media categories to understand which vehicles compete and how they
manipulate their resources in order to survive.
Population ecology was adopted as a term to refer to the adaptation
by a collection of organisms rather than as the individuals
themselves (Randle, 2003). Researches have looked at sub-populations
within media categories to explain the effects of
competition. Rather than looking at the individual vehicle, the
theory of the niche has used a collection of sub-populations of
vehicles to explain such measures as niche overlap and niche breadth
to determine the levels of competition amongst the media
population. The theory of the niche has yet to be used to explain
such competition amongst the media category such as categories within
various media such as television, magazines, and newspapers.
In the world of magazines, there is a magazine to meet every type of
lifestyle, hobby, and demographic category. However, what is the
impact of the introduction of newly targeted magazines on existing
general magazines? As ecologists used the theory of the niche to
study the effects of competition amongst species, it is necessary to
use the theory of the niche to study the effects of competition
amongst media categories.
NICHE THEORY APPLIED TO MAGAZINES
This study will look more specifically at the effects of a new
magazine category on an existing magazine category. Therefore, it is
essential to take the concepts defined earlier in ecological terms
and redefine them into mass media terms.
The mass media terms can be compared to ecological terms by
referring to Table 1.
Table 1. A comparison of ecological niche terms to mass media niche
terms, (Dimmick, 2003).
Ecological
Mass Media
Population
Population- A set of media organizations competing for the same
resources within the marketplace.
Species
Vehicle- A specific medium through which something is expressed (ie.
The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal).
Resources
Resources- The total means available to a company for increasing
production and profit (ie. Plant, labor, raw material, sources of
revenue, and assets).
Niche Breadth
Niche Breadth- The range of resources in which a vehicle can rely on
in order to survive.
Generalist
Generalist- A vehicle that pulls its resources from a variety of places.
Specialist
Specialist- A vehicle that pulls its resources from a limited number of places.
Niche Overlap
Niche Overlap- The degree to which two vehicles rely on the same
resources in order to survive.
Competition
Competition- When a resource is consumed by one vehicle, it is no
longer available to other vehicles.
Competitive Displacement
Competitive Displacement- An outcome of competition. When the less
superior vehicle alters its niche to rely on other resources.
Extinction
Extinction- An outcome of competition. When the superior vehicle
drives the less superior vehicle out of the market or into extinction.
The theory of the niche has evolved over the last 80 years from the
world of ecology and now can be applied to media organizations. With
its inception, the theory of the niche was used to explain how
species are able to adapt and coexist to a changing environment. The
theory of the niche, when applied to media organizations, has been
used to explain the effects of new media on existing media and with
the uses and gratifications approach to explain consumer and
advertiser spending on media.
This study looked at the effects of a specialized niche magazine on
magazines that target a more generalized audience. However, as niche
theory had never been applied to the competing categories within
magazine populations and had strictly been applied to media
organizations the underlying question as the basis of this study
needs to address whether niche theory could be applied to a
sub-population of magazine categories.
RQ1: To what extent can the theory of the niche be applied to
vehicles within
competing magazine categories?
To further understand this question and more importantly this study,
it was also important to understand the process by which media buyers
selected the various media in which to place their client's
advertising dollars. Therefore, we must determine how the use of the
theory of the niche would help us understand media buying behavior.
RQ2: To what extent can we use the theory of the niche to understand
media buying behavior?
These underlying questions were addressed with the following
research questions and hypothesis. One concept often addressed
within the theory of the niche was niche breadth. Niche breadth
explained that vehicles were separated into two categories:
generalists and specialists. Therefore, for the purposes of this
study, it was important to understand the extent to which competing
vehicles pulled from a range of resources in order to survive. As
this study focused on advertising spending, it was important to
determine the number of advertisers a vehicle can pull from to ensure
its survival.
RQ3: Do generalists attract a broader range of advertisers than specialists?
Based on the literature, a generalist vehicle pulled from more
resources than a specialist vehicle. Therefore, based on this
information, we could hypothesize that:
H1: Vehicles that target a more specific audience will have fewer
product categories represented within their magazine than a magazine
with a more general audience.
Furthermore, within the theory of the niche the level of niche
overlap that existed between two competing media was often
addressed. This study focused more specifically on the niche overlap
that existed between competing vehicles within magazine categories.
Both magazine categories were dependant on subscriptions and
advertising revenue for survival. Both magazine categories had a
similar editorial content, as well, placing them in direct
competition with one another. Therefore, it was important to
understand the degree to which competing vehicles relied on the same
resources in order to survive.
RQ4: To what extent do competing vehicles experience niche overlap?
Based on the foregoing literature on the theory of the niche,
competing vehicles experienced niche overlap when they competed for
the same resources in order to survive. Therefore, based on this
information, we could hypothesize:
H2: Magazines competing for an identical audience will experience
more niche overlap than magazines competing for a dissimilar audience.
This could be further explained by stating that two magazines
competing for the affluent female audience would experience more
niche overlap between them than with a magazine targeting a more
generalized female audience.
METHODS
To investigate the extent to which the theory of the niche ccould be
applied to media buying within competing magazine categories, a
content analysis for a single year of four different magazines was
conducted. A content analysis was used as it offers numerous
benefits to advertising and marketing researchers. As this study's
purpose was to understand media buying decision-making to explain the
extent to which competing media coexist in the marketplace, a content
analysis was the appropriate research method. Rather than surveying
media buyers, the content analysis provided an unbiased result of
media buyer's decision making.
STUDY DESIGN AND SAMPLING
The magazines selected for the study, More, Real Simple, Redbook, and
Ladies' Home Journal, were all large circulation publications and
represented two different magazine categories. These were selected
as magazines representing the two magazine audiences affluent females
and general females based on their median annual household income.
More, published by Meredith Corporation was launched in 1998 and
posts one million paid circulation (More Reader Profile, 2004). The
median age of More readers is 47.3, and their annual household income
registered at $87,626. As this median annual household income
exceeds the level established for the affluent market at $75,000,
More was selected as a magazine that targets the affluent female
audience (Gallup, 2005).
Real Simple magazine, published by Time Inc., was launched in 2000
and has reached a paid circulation of 1.8 million (Real Simple Reader
Profile, 2004). The median age of Real Simple readers is 40, and
their median annual household income is $88,748. Again, as this
median annual household income exceeds $75,000, Real Simple was also
selected as a magazine that targets the affluent female audience
(Gallup, 2005).
Redbook, published by The Hearst Corporation was launched in 1903
and has a paid circulation of 2.4 million (Redbook Reader Profile,
2004). The median age of Redbook is 44 and the median annual
household income is $58,307. As Redbook reaches nearly twice the
audience as More and posts a median annual household income of less
than $75,000, Redbook was chosen as a generalist magazine that
targets a more general female population (Gallup, 2005).
Ladies' Home Journal, published by Meredith Corporations was
launched in 1882 and has a paid circulation of 4.1 million (Ladies'
Home Journal Reader Profile, 2004). The median age is 51.1 with a
median household income of $54,613. As Ladies' Home Journal reaches
twice the audience of Real Simple and maintains a median annual
household income of less than $75,000, Ladies' Home Journal was also
selected as a magazine targeting the more general female population
(Gallup, 2005).
The time frame for this study included issues printed from January
1, 2004 to December 31, 2004. The census of each magazine was
selected to ensure the full analysis of each magazine over the four
years for this study. A total of 44 issues were studied.
UNIT OF ANALYSIS
The unit of analysis for this study is every full-page and larger
automobile advertisement in each magazine. Full-page and larger
advertising pieces in a census of each magazine allows for adequate
analysis of each magazine. This consideration resulted in a sample
of 152 advertising pieces.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF VARIABLES
Past content analyses have used a list of 16 product categories to
determine advertising placement. However, as this study focused on
the niche breadth and niche overlap, a study of only one particular
category was needed.
The product category of use to this study was motor vehicles. Motor
vehicles were the essential product category to use for this study as
a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was provided for each
automobile advertised. Therefore, a value could be placed on each
automobile advertised allowing for accurate comparisons between
competing magazines.
Other product categories such as cosmetics, beauty products,
clothing, and household products could vary significantly from store
to store, and there is no such MSRP that could be identified to place
a value on the product advertised.
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
The underlying question in this study determined the extent to which
the theory of the niche could be applied to vehicles. Randle (2003)
argued that niche theory should only be applied to populations of
organizations to explain how they compete and coexist within an
environment. However, for the purpose of this study, an argument
remained that individual sub-populations could be compared with one
another to also explain this coexistence. Therefore, the original
research question remained:
RQ1: To what extent can the theory of the niche be applied to vehicles as sub-
populations within competing magazine categories?
As ecologists have used niche theory to explain how individual
species compete within the marketplace, such as Elton's study on bird
species or Gause's study on various tern species, this study argued
that individual species (or sub-populations) of media could also be
studied to explain the coexistence of such vehicles as they competed
within the environment.
Additionally, it was important to understand the process by which
media buyers determined where to place their advertising dollars. It
was important to understand the extent to which the theory of the
niche could be used to increase the understanding of this
process. Therefore, an additional underlying question remained:
RQ2: To what extent can we use the theory of the niche to understand
media buying
behavior?
As ecologists have used the theory of the niche to explain the
access and usage of resources by species competing in the
environment, this study additionally argued that the theory could be
used to explain individual media vehicle's access to resources such
as advertising dollars.
Within the theory of the niche, the concept of niche breadth is
often determined. The level of niche breadth determined the number
of resources a vehicle relied on in order to survive. From this
level of niche breadth, vehicles were then separated into two
categories including generalists and specialists. Generalists pulled
their resources from a large pool of resources in order to survive in
their environment. Whereas, specialists remained with a limited
number of resources in order to survive. To better understand a
specific vehicle, it is important to determine whether it operates as
a specialist or a generalist.
RQ3: Do generalists attract a broader range of advertisers than specialists?
As the previous research on the theory of the niche states that a
generalist vehicle would pull its resources from a broader range than
a specialist vehicle, we could hypothesize:
H1: Vehicles that target a more specific audience will have fewer
product categories
represented within their magazine than a magazine with a more
general audience.
This hypothesis was determined by using a formula developed by
Dimmick and Rothenbuhler (1984) to calculate a population's niche breadth.
This formula was applied to vehicles where B ranges from a low of
one to the upper limit that is determined by the number of resource
categories used by the vehicle (Dimmick & Rothenbuhler, 1984). As
this study focused more specifically on the motor vehicle
advertisements placed within these magazines, the proportion of
automobile advertisements that fall within the various price
categories will determine B. Again, p was the proportion of the
vehicle's total use within each resource category, i, used by the
vehicle. This study focused on the motor vehicle advertisements; p
was the proportion of the vehicles advertised that fell within the
various price categories. The resource category, i, were low-end
automobiles priced less than $19,999, middle range automobiles priced
between $20,000 to $39,999, and upper-end cars are priced more than
$40,000 for the advertised automobile.
A magazine was considered a specialist if its niche breadth fell on
the lower end toward one. A magazine will be considered a generalist
if it fell closer to the high end of the range at three. This niche
breadth was determined for all four magazines for their most recent
publishing year in 2004. The niche breadths were compared to
determine the generalist and specialist vehicles within this magazine category.
Additionally, niche overlap was a concept often used within the
theory of the niche to determine the extent to which competing media
relied on the same resources in order to survive. This study focused
on the extent to which competing vehicles experience niche
overlap. Competing media were in direct competition when they
targeted an identical audience as well as with media that targeted a
dissimilar audience as they made use of identical resources in order
to survive. It was important to understand the extent to which
competing vehicles relied on the same resources in order to
survive. Therefore, the following research question remains:
RQ4: To what extent do competing vehicles experience niche overlap?
As the past research on the theory of the niche stated that
competing vehicles experience niche overlap when they relied on the
same resources in order to survive, we could hypothesize:
H2: Magazines competing for an identical audience will experience
more niche overlap than magazines competing for a dissimilar audience.
This hypothesis was calculated using the formula established by
Dimmick and Rothenbuhler (1984) to determine the level of niche
overlap experienced by competing media.
This formula can be applied to vehicles where di, j determines the
distance between vehicles i and j, and h represents the resource
categories used by the populations. P was the proportion of the
vehicle's total use within each resource category denoted by i
(Dimmick & Rothenbuhler, 1984). When calculated in this manner,
niche overlap became an inverse measure where a small number
approaching zero signified a greater niche overlap, and a larger
number denoted greater distance between the two vehicle's resource
usage resulting in a lower niche overlap.
The number of resources used within this study was determined by the
number of different automobile advertisements within each price
category placed within the pages of the magazines. The resource
categories included lower end cars priced less than $19,999, middle
priced cars ranging from $20,000 to $39,999, and higher end cars
priced at greater than $40,000.
As this hypothesis stated that magazines competing for an identical
audience will experience more niche overlap than magazines competing
for a dissimilar audience, six levels of niche overlap were
calculated. The two magazines targeting the affluent female
population will be compared for niche overlap, and a higher niche
overlap was expected as these two magazines competed for an identical
audience. The two general female magazines were also compared again
expecting a higher niche overlap. Additionally, the magazines
targeting the affluent female population were compared with the
magazines targeting a general female population, and a lower niche
overlap was expected as these vehicles were competing for a
dissimilar audience. This can be explained in greater detail in figure 2.
Figure 2. The level of niche overlap hypothesized between vehicles
competing for an identical audience versus vehicles competing for a
dissimilar audience.
This niche overlap was determined for all four competing
magazines. The niche overlaps were compared to determine the
competing categories that experienced the highest levels of niche overlap.
RESULTS
The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which the
theory of the niche can be applied to the sub-population of magazine
categories. This was determined by the ability to develop levels of
niche breadth and niche overlap for the competing magazines. This
chapter presents the descriptive statistics and the results of
hypothesis testing.
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
The sample in this study included 152 automobile advertisements from
the four identified magazine categories. The largest number of
automobile advertisements appeared in Real Simple at 73.7%. Redbook,
Ladies' Home Journal, and More followed with 13.8%, 7.2%, and 5.3%
respectively.
More provided the highest mean priced automobiles at
$30,312.50. Ladies' Home Journal followed with a mean of
$28,861.36. Real Simple produced a mean of $27,293.57 for the
average priced automobile within their magazine, and Redbook's
average priced automobile fell at $24,781.48.
The magazines were then divided into two categories depending on the
audience that they targeted. More and Real Simple were grouped into
the affluent category while Redbook and Ladies' Home Journal were
grouped into the general category. In order to test a difference
between the mean automobile prices in each magazine category, an
independent samples t-test was performed. As equal variances could
not be assumed, the results of the test indicated that the
differences between affluent (M = $27,494.83,
SD = $7447.37) and general magazines (M = $26,183.94, SD = $4495.89)
were not statistically significant (t81.59 = 1.253, ns) at the alpha
.05 level.
Therefore, there was no evidence to support the assumption that
affluent magazines and general magazines differed in their mean price
of automobiles advertised within the differing magazine
categories. Thus, one could suggest that the magazine's target
audience had no bearing on the average price of automobiles
advertised within these consumer magazine categories.
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
As this study argued that niche theory could be used to explain the
access and usage of resources by a sub-population, it was necessary
to apply the formulae used within the studies of populations to
determine the levels of niche overlap and breadth within sub-populations.
H1: Vehicles that target a more specific audience will have fewer
product categories represented within their magazine than a magazine
with a more general audience.
The calculated niche breadth for More equaled one as this magazine
only relied on one resource category (mid-priced automobiles) within
its pages. Real Simple relied on all three categories and produced a
calculated niche breadth of 1.524. Redbook only relied on low and
mid-priced resource categories and resulted in a calculated niche
breadth of 1.69. Additionally, Ladies' Home Journal only relied on
the mid-priced automobile category providing a calculated niche
breadth of one. The niche breadths and resource utilization
patterns are identified in Table 3.
Table 3. Niche breadth and utilization patterns of individual
consumer magazine titles.
Magazine title
More
Real Simple
Redbook
Ladies' Home Journal
Resource Category 1:
Automobiles priced less than $19,999
0
16
6
0
Resource Category 2: Automobiles priced $20,000 to $39,999
8
89
15
11
Resource Category 3:
Automobiles priced above $30,000
0
7
0
0
Niche Breadth
1
1.524
1.69
1
The level of niche breadth referred to the extent to which the
sub-populations relied on numerous resources to ensure their
survival. Niche breadth ranged from a low of one to an upper limit
of the number of resource categories available. In this study, the
number of resource categories available was three. A niche breadth
approaching one indicated few resource categories were used and
labeled the sub-population as a specialist. A larger niche breadth
approaching three indicated the sub-population was a generalist.
As both More and Ladies' Home Journal only relied on one resource
category to survive resulting in a niche breadth of one, this
suggested that both magazines could be classified as specialists
according to the automobiles advertised within their magazines. Real
Simple, with a niche breadth of 1.524 indicated that the magazine was
approaching a generalist. Additionally, Redbook, with the highest
level of niche breadth would conclude that it relied on the most
resource categories to ensure survival of the four magazines included
in the study. Therefore H1 was not supported. Inconsistencies
existed within both magazine categories where Real Simple resembled a
generalist relying on all three categories and Ladies' Home Journal
resembled a specialist pulling from only one resource category.
H2: Magazines competing for an identical audience will experience
more niche overlap than magazines competing for a dissimilar audience.
The calculated niche overlap for the affluent female magazines More
and Real Simple that compete for a similar audience equaled
.066. The niche overlap computed for the general female magazines
Redbook and Ladies' Home Journal was .164. The six levels of
calculated niche overlap are provided in Table 4.
Table 4. Niche overlap levels for competing magazines
Magazine title
More
Real Simple
Redbook
Ladies' Home Journal
More
0
.066
.164
0
Real Simple
.066
0
.031
.066
Redbook
.164
.031
0
.164
Ladies' Home Journal
0
.066
.164
0
The level of niche overlap was an inverse measure where a number
approaching zero indicated a greater level of niche overlap and a
larger number signified a greater distance between the competing
magazine's resource usage and a lower level of niche overlap.
As both More and Ladies' Home Journal relied only on the mid-priced
automobiles resource category, they experienced the highest level of
niche overlap. While the two magazines targeted a dissimilar
audience, this calculation determined that they were in direct
competition with one another. Additionally, Real Simple and Redbook
also targeted a dissimilar audience experienced a high level of niche
overlap at .031. While the magazines competing for a similar
audience did not experience as high of levels of niche overlap with
More and Real Simple at .066 and Redbook and Ladies' Home Journal at .164.
Therefore, H2 was not supported. The hypothesis that those
magazines competing for a similar audience would experience higher
levels of niche overlap than those competing for a dissimilar
audience was contradicted by the results of the data from this study.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the
theory of the niche could be applied to magazine categories competing
for the same resources. The concepts within the theory of the niche
were calculated providing very interesting results.
FINDINGS
The underlying question within this study was to what extent the
theory of the niche could be utilized to explain the competition and
coexistence of competing media categories. The data collected proved
to be inconsistent with the theory of the niche. The data collected
actually contradicted many of the concepts explained within the theory.
The theory of the niche explained that media populations targeting a
very specific audience would rely on a limited number of resources in
order to survive. Media are then placed into categories of
generalist and specialist depending on their ability to pull from a
range of resources.
A magazine targeting a specific audience such as a magazine targeting
the affluent female audience would be reliant on fewer resources to
survive. In fact, this data showed that Redbook, a general female
magazine proved to be the most generalist with a niche breadth of
1.69. While Real Simple, a magazine targeting a more specified
audience, followed closely with a niche breadth of 1.524. Ladies'
Home Journal, thought to be a generalist, providing magazine content
to the masses actually proved to be a true specialist with a niche
breadth of one. More was consistent with the theory of the niche,
considered a generalist; the niche breadth also equaled one.
Within the theory of the niche, when competing media were in direct
competition with one another: fighting for the same audience,
producing similar content, and focusing on similar interests, they
would experience higher levels of niche overlap. This study again
proved the opposite to be the case. More and Ladies' Home Journal,
two magazines competing for dissimilar audiences, experienced the
highest level of niche overlap. The second highest level of niche
overlap existed between Real Simple and Redbook, indicating that
although these magazines targeted a different audience, they were in
direct competition with one another.
However, niche theory did argue that when a media was first
introduced into the marketplace they often began as generalists and
over time developed their niche and became a specialist. This is
consistent with the findings from Real Simple. As Real Simple was
first launched in December 2000, one could argue that it is still
trying to find its niche and over time will become a specialist as well.
Furthermore, an additional question remained to the extent to which
media buying behavior could be explained by the theory of the
niche. This study provided insight into the media buying behavior in
competing lifestyle consumer magazine categories. The results of
this study indicated that media buyers were not only targeting the
affluent female audience with magazine advertisements for automobiles
in Real Simple, but they provided them cars from all price
levels. The cars advertised in Real Simple ranged from
fuel-efficient economy cars to higher priced luxury SUVs.
However, the results from the other three magazines were
disappointing. It was apparent that not only were media buyers not
targeting the affluent female audience through More magazine, they
were not targeting females in general. Few automobile advertisements
appeared in the pages of More, Redbook, and Ladies' Home Journal:
magazines that all targeted the female audience with 60% of the
decision making power over which automobile will be purchased for their family.
Were media buyers not taking advantage of the purchasing power women
have? The results of this study might have indicated the answer is
yes, but additionally, one must take into account the decision making
process that led to the media buyers' behaviors.
Media buyers' decision-making was reliant on many key factors that
must be taken into account. Their placement decisions were dependant
on cost, audience delivery, communication effectiveness, and
value-added opportunities (Reid & King, 2000). It is possible that
magazines that targeted the female audiences were more expensive than
television, radio, or newspapers. Possibly the target audience of
these magazines did not fit the target audience of the automobile
manufacturer. Additionally, other outside factors such as discounts
on advertising placements or the choice to use non-traditional
methods to target this audience might have explained why automobile
ads were not placed within the pages of three of these four magazines
selected for this study.
LIMITATIONS
While the findings within this pilot study proved interesting, the
limitations to the study design must be considered. The data for
this study was collected from only four competing
magazines. Additionally, only two magazines were selected to
represent the magazines targeting the affluent and general female
populations. A future study using numerous magazines representing
both categories would result in a more representative sample with
hundreds of cases allowing for a more thorough analysis of such
magazine categories.
Additionally, data for this study was collected from magazines
published only in 2004, therefore, a longitudinal comparison was not
possible. A longitudinal study would provide more cases and result
in a more thorough analysis of the four magazines represented within
this study.
A third limitation involves the magazines selected for this
study. Magazines were selected for this study according to their
classification in Standard Rate and Data Service as women's
magazines, their median annual household income, and their ability to
target an age range consistent with the other magazines. Including a
more comprehensive sample of women's magazines could provide different results.
This study was also limited on the number of variables that were
selected. A broader range of product categories could provide more
insight into the resource categories competing magazines rely on in
order to survive. A threshold may exist in the resource category of
automobiles as possibly advertisers and media buyers aren't placing
car advertisements in magazines or more specifically in magazines
targeting the female audience.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
This pilot study brought attention to several facets of the theory
of the niche that had been left unexplored. Although this study
determined the extent to which the theory of the niche could be
applied to competing media categories, it points to several
suggestions for future research.
Rather than basing the extent to which the theory of the niche could
be used to explain competition amongst competing categories on a
pilot study of only four vehicles, a more comprehensive study is
suggested. A study that determines the niche breadth and overlap of
dozens of competing magazines within a category would provide a more
thorough insight into the power of niche theory at this level.
Additionally, a longitudinal study is suggested to provide insight
into the levels of niche breadth and niche overlap for competing
media categories as they change over time. The theory of the niche
is often used to explain how competing media adapt to their changing
environment over time; therefore a longitudinal study would provide
further knowledge into the adaptation process.
Another aspect deserving of exploration involves coding more product
categories beyond automobiles. Magazines targeting women are reliant
on advertisement for cosmetics, clothing, and accessories. A study
determining the extent to which competing magazine categories rely on
the various products advertised could provide a more descriptive
level of niche breadth and overlap. While automobiles are most
functional when placing a value on products, determining the extent
to which these magazine categories rely on various product categories
could provide a more thorough insight into generalists and
specialists beyond the realm of automobiles.
CONCLUSION
As a pilot study, this research provided direction as to the extent
to which niche theory could be used to explain coexistence within
competing magazine categories. The findings indicated that more
thorough research into competing magazine categories is needed to
determine the extent to which this theory could explain competition
on the sub-population level.
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