Consumo, distributed by the Direct Mail Company to all households without stop-stickers, faces significant challenges in ensuring reader engagement and long-term viability. As Consumo serves as a carrier medium for flyers and brochures, it remains unclear how recipients engage with it, particularly whether they read the editorial content or focus solely on advertisements. Additionally, it is unclear how structure, content, and layout can be optimized to satisfy current readers and attract new ones.

The study applies a triangular approach, starting with an in-depth analysis of the MACH Consumer Study 2023. Following this examination, a comprehensive content analysis of Consumo’s issues over one year is conducted. A reader questionnaire embedded within Consumo engages with its audience to enrich these findings and gather additional insights.

The findings underscore the importance of maintaining Consumo’s overall structure and editorial-advertising balance. Further, Consumo’s content mainly covers the readership’s interests, leaving some areas for improvement. Additionally, younger demographics and current non-readers show less interest in consumer information, which is the focus of Consumo’s content and differentiation point. Further, improvements are needed in headline effectiveness and category clarity. Operational recommendations focus on aligning editorial content more closely with reader preferences and addressing the needs of “Light Users” and current non-readers. Introducing alternative content, such as crossword puzzles or do-it-yourself templates, will close the entertainment and humor coverage gap. Further recommendations include optimizing headlines to increase reader engagement and enhancing category clarity. Strategic recommendations propose reassessing Consumo's unique selling proposition, streamlining content planning processes, and implementing actionable measures to implement recom-mended changes.