Magazines News South Africa

DLT Media leads the waiting area revolution

Waiting in the reception area of a hotel, doctor's office, fitness centre, hair salon or school can sometimes be a frustrating exercise - especially if the person you are there to meet is taking too long to see you. That is why some of these outlets, with the help of UK-based DLT Media, provide magazines for their potential visitors to read and relax while waiting.
DLT Media leads the waiting area revolution

Since its inception in South Africa in 2006, business at DLT Media SA has been thriving, signing up approximately 120 business subscriptions per month, and providing services to more than 3000 businesses, including national parks, lodges and schools, as per July 2009.

DLT Media, which also has operations in the Netherlands, specialises in providing publishers with premium media placement opportunities for consumer magazines, helping to increase circulation and readership.

The company targets key businesses that require reading material for use with their own clients typically in waiting or reception areas.

Marketing to a captive audience

“We act as a marketing arm to publishers who want to get their products out in the open market,” Nadine Levin, DLT Media commercial director, said during the breakfast presentation held late last week at the Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg.

A McPheters study published in February 2009 and commissioned by DLT Media found out that 58% of people are more concentrated when reading a magazine in private place, compared to 51% in public place.

“This marginal difference of 7% shows the important role reading a magazine in a waiting area plays,” she said.

The same study also found out that 95% of people took action based on content editorial or advertising, and 65% of respondents said they read more than one magazine while waiting.

A win-win situation

It is a win-win situation in the sense that everyone benefits from the process - publishers get their product read, the advertiser's product gets to be seen and readers read to calm their nerves, Levin explained.

“This is a totally new concept in SA - in fact it is a European concept,” Levin indicated.

“By providing magazine supply services to companies throughout SA, DLT Media has created a vital marketing channel to businesses across valuable market through which publishers can reach their target audience and build the brand of the titles.”

Currently the company works with over 200 publishers worldwide and distributes magazines to approximately 30 000 business networks across Europe and SA, with the potential to reach 20 million readers per month.

DLT Media now covers 73.9% of all metropolitan and 26% of all non-metropolitan areas within SA, respectively, Levin said.

Go to www.dltmedia.co.za for more information.

About Issa Sikiti da Silva

Issa Sikiti da Silva is a winner of the 2010 SADC Media Awards (print category). He freelances for various media outlets, local and foreign, and has travelled extensively across Africa. His work has been published both in French and English. He used to contribute to Bizcommunity.com as a senior news writer.
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