Australian Doctor Group has been confirmed as the country’s number one means of accessing GPs, with the latest industry research showing unmatched reach and engagement — particularly among the highest prescribers.
More than 85% of GPs engage with the network every month across print and digital, according to the Medical Publishers Association’s 2018 readership survey — a figure made all the more potent amid a continuing decline in the number of GPs seeing pharmaceutical sales reps.
First in print
Leading the pack across all channels is ADG’s flagship title Australian Doctor. The print magazine is read by close to nine in every 10 GPs, and more than seven in 10 read it weekly, the survey shows.
“That is well ahead of the nearest competitor,” says Bryn McGeever, Managing Director of ADG.
“Add in the fact that, as the only weekly magazine, Australian Doctor lands on GPs desks twice as often — and in many instances four times as often — as any alternative, and our ability to reach GPs is truly streets ahead.”
Australian Doctor’s lead is particularly pronounced among the highest-prescribing GPs, some 98% of whom read the print magazine, and 86% of whom read it weekly.
Medical Observer, Australian Doctor Group’s feature-led monthly magazine, likewise impressed, with an average issue readership of 61.2% seeing it climb to third spot overall, up from fourth in 2017.
First in digital
In the increasingly important digital space, Australian Doctor and Medical Observer comfortably claim first and second spot, engaging 47% and 31.5% of GPs each month, respectively — far more than any competitor.
The lead is even greater when it comes to email newsletters, with 30% of GPs reading the Australian Doctor newsletter at least weekly — more than three times higher than the nearest outside competitor.
ADG’s true digital reach is undoubtedly higher still, given that GPs are not asked about two other popular sites — the news-driven 6minutes and the dedicated education/clinical website How to Treat .
“While the survey demonstrates how far ahead we are in terms of digital engagement, we know our true impact is far higher still,” says McGeever.
“In the last six months alone, we’ve seen a 10% increase in the number of GPs engaging with our digital network on a monthly basis.
“We reach 85% of GPs and have tens of thousands of touchpoints with GPs every day. When it comes to cross-channel marketing, this is unparalleled in the market.”
The annual survey targeted 4,780 GPs with a response rate of 20% (958 GPs). The publications GPs were asked about included Australian Doctor, Medical Observer, Medical Republic, Medical Journal of Australia, Medicine Today and the Australian Journal of General Practice.