Astrid Keel, associate professor of marketing, considered “An Empirical Examination of Digital and Print Magazine Pricing,” Tuesday in the Executive Dining Room.
“Magazine sales have been declining … but on the flip side, there has been a huge growth in digital content,” Keel said. “Consumers presume that cost saving is involved in not having to print.”
Some digital publications cost consumers more than print versions, she said.
Digital content pricing fluctuates, she said, adding, that when magazines converted to online formats, many posted the full content for free. Then publishers realized they were losing revenue, so some began to charge, Keel said.
While nearly all magazines today have a digital presence, some people today still prefer flipping through the pages of an actual hard copy, Keel added.
For her research, Keel ran an online survey that examined what determined the perception of print and digital magazine pricing.
The survey asked readers whether they preferred print or digital, and which one they thought was priced higher.
“The more confident [the respondents], the less likely they were actually to be right,” Keel said.
Sara Crespo, senior studio art major, attended the Tuesday lecture, and said she was shocked that the digital magazines are priced higher than the print version.
– Natalie Gutiérrez
Natalie Gutiérrez
