Readership Survey Affirms Textile Services’ Value
The latest edition of TRSA’s AdBrand™ survey of Textile Services magazine showed that the publication continues to earn high marks from operators in the linen, uniform and facility services industry. They praised both the editorial and advertising that appears in TRSA’s monthly magazine.
“I am always looking for innovations and ways to make my business better,” wrote a subscriber who was among the 109 survey respondents. “The suppliers and their advertising are something I really look at to help me look at new ways and technology for my business.”
Another reader wrote in the “Publication Verbatims” section of the study conducted by Signet Research Inc., Englewood, NJ, that, “Textile Services is an excellent showcase and tool for our industry. We use it to gather information, learn of news in the industry and promote our own company. I look forward to receiving my issue each month.”
In addition to comments on the magazine itself, each reader who completed the survey of January’s Textile Services was asked to evaluate each of that issue’s 28 display ads. Specifically, the survey, which measures brand awareness, asked respondents to indicate 1) whether they were aware of the company that had placed the ad and 2) would they consider buying goods or services from that company if they needed them. The combined percentages of respondents who answered “yes” to both questions were used to determine the “AdBrand Score” for each ad.
The Top AdBrand scores from January’s survey included:
- A. Braun Inc., 183
- Pellerin Milnor Corp., 180
- JENSEN USA, 174
- Positek RFID, 166
- Brim Laundry Machinery Co. Inc., 159
- Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc., 159
The survey tracked a second key metric known as the “Reader Perception” scores. These were calculated by combining the percentage of respondents who said they associate the company with five key attributes. These include:
- Quality Products/Service
- Service/Support
- Innovation
- Reputation
- Value
The survey lists its Reader Perception scores by sector, such as chemicals or wash aisle machinery, so that suppliers can see how they stack up against competitors in terms of customer perception of their brands. For example, among chemical suppliers, Gurtler Industries Inc., had the highest “net perception” score among four competitors in that sector with 66%. Among 11 wash aisle and finishing machinery manufacturers, Pellerin Milnor Corp. had the highest net perception score at 83%.
In addition to these metrics, each advertiser received roughly a page or more of verbatim comments from survey respondents. These remarks ranged from complimentary to critical and all shades in between, including critiques of the ads themselves. Readers analyzed design elements, including quality/quantity of text, color schemes, layouts, headline placements and more.
The survey drew operators from a range of industry sectors and leadership posts. For example, 31% of those who took the survey identified themselves as “owner/president/CEO/COO,” while 19% said they were “plant manager/production manager/director of operations.” Another19% described themselves as “vice president/general manager.”
Nearly 90% of the respondents said they were involved in recommending or authorizing purchases of various goods and services for laundries, including washroom machinery (65%) and linens/textiles (58%). A total of 87% said that in the past year, they’d taken one or more actions related to buying goods/services for their companies after seeing ads or articles in Textile Services.
As for the main industry sectors, the survey underscored the diverse nature of Textile Services’ readership base. For example, 27% of the respondents described themselves as food-and-beverage (F&B) operators, while 30% said they were healthcare launderers. Another 30% self-identified as “industrial” operators and 14% said they were in hospitality laundering.
If you’re a supplier partner who didn’t advertise in January’s issue, thereby missing the survey, you may want to consider advertising in the upcoming May issue. For that month, Textile Services will offer its AdStudy® survey from Signet Research. The AdStudy focuses on measuring the impact of advertising. Specifically, the study asks each respondent if they recall seeing or reading the ad in the issue that’s surveyed. The combination of “recall seeing” and “recall reading” is known as the “AdStudy® Score.” As with the AdBrand study, respondents also are encouraged to comment on the various ads and vendors.
For details, contact your ad representative, Shawn Register at sregister@trsa.org, or Chis Kennedy at kennedy@trsa.org. If you’re not sure who your ad rep is, call TRSA at 877.770.9274. The deadline for May’s issue is April 1.
Finally, below is a list of six survey respondents who were selected as incentive winners in a random drawing by Signet Research. Their gifts included five $100 Amazon gift cards and one Echo Show 8 video device from Amazon. The winners, starting with the winner of the Echo Show 8 device, include:
- Kelsey Van Miert, Northwest Healthcare Linen, Bellingham, WA
- Sterling Campbell, Alsco Uniforms, Nashville, TN
- Sean Fournier, TMC Laundry, Houston
- Emily Hauber, CITY Laundering Co., Oelwein, IA
- Rich Hopson, Paris Uniforms, DuBois, PA
- Kevin Medeiros, Acme Uniforms, Bristol, PA
All respondents also received a $10 online Starbucks gift card for completing the survey.
Click here for more information or to subscribe to Textile Services magazine!