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Survey Says… DAS Readership Dramatically Increases

© 2001 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Winter 2001
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Page 38

Survey Says…
DAS Readership Dramatically Increases

According to a new survey, the pages of Door & Access Systems (DAS) newsmagazine are attracting more readers. A lot more.

In October 2001, we faxed a two-page survey to about 200 garage door dealers throughout North America. The last survey, which asked similar questions, was conducted in December of 1996, gathering telephone-interview responses from readers.

Since the 1996 readership study, we've made several changes:
· We changed our size from 9x12 to 8-1/2 x 11 (Spring 1997).
· We hired a new editor (Winter 1999).
· We hired a new designer (Spring 2000).
· We changed our identity and format to a newsmagazine (Spring 2000).
· We upgraded from a two-color to a four-color publication (Summer 2001).

Key Findings

The changes must be working. Since 1996, our readers have dramatically increased "how thoroughly" they read the magazine.

In 2001, 71 percent said they read "most" of the magazine (46 percent) or "from cover to cover" (25 percent). In 1996, only 36 percent said they read it "very thoroughly" (16 percent) or "somewhat thoroughly" (20 percent).

"We're trying to present the latest industry information in a brief, attractive, readable format," said Sherry Booles, magazine committee chairman. "I think this format fits well with the busy lifestyle of our readers."

Popular Sections

The new survey revealed that Technical Tips, Newslines, and Headlines were the three most-read sections of the magazine. The magazine debuted three new sections in 2000: Pages of History, Clippings, and DAS in Disguise. Of the three, Pages of History scored highest.

"In time, I think these fascinating new sections will soon catch on," said Tom Wadsworth, magazine editor. "They're still new, and I think readers will soon adapt their reading patterns to include them in their 'must-read' sections."

The Typical Reader

The new survey also gathered demographic information about the readers of Door & Access Systems newsmagazine.

· Role: Most (92 percent) of our readers are either owners (78 percent) or general managers (14 percent).
· Gender: Seven out of every eight readers (87 percent) are male.
· Age: 84 percent are between 30-59.
· Company size: One-third of our readers (33 percent) have 16 employees or more.

Wadsworth said the magazine will continue to conduct periodic surveys to make sure the magazine is meeting the needs of its readers.


Caption:
In 2001, 71 percent of our survey respondents said they read "most" of the magazine (46 percent) or "from cover to cover" (25 percent), a dramatic increase from 1996.