Consumer magazines spent most of the past two decades managing decline. The more confident publishers have stopped doing that. Newsstand sales and print advertising are still shrinking, but well-made titles with loyal readers are raising cover prices and growing.
Scale matters less than it did. Bauer has made Grazia a more premium product and charged more for it, while independents such as Anthem have put print back at the centre of the business and grown their export sales. Stylist has changed format several times without losing its readers. Others have gone the other way, and Gay Times dropped print entirely to build a global audience online.
For most consumer publishers, print is our USP. It’s the anchor that makes advertisers trust us and the very thing that readers want from us.
Jon Bickley Our print strategy: Anthem
Behind the confidence sits some hard arithmetic. Newstrade is now a small share of revenue and events and ecommerce are growing from a low base. Trust has become a selling point as AI fills the web with content of uncertain origin, but the paid-for consumer model that works at scale is still being worked out.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on consumer magazines, from premium print and cover pricing to brand extensions, membership and the future of specialist titles, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
For a while now, magazine publishers have been on the defensive, unsure about the viability of their traditional business model in a fast-changing world. Katie Vanneck-Smith wants to change all that.
We asked Tamar Riley, portfolio managing director at Immediate, what does best practice publishing look like in consumer media? This is what she said…
For premium titles like Grazia, Mojo and Empire, growth is increasingly coming not from extending reach but from deepening engagement with existing passionate audiences, as Lauren Holleyoake tells Ciar Byrne.
The printed magazine will be a cherished part of people’s lives for years to come, says Jon Bickley, co-founder and CEO. That is why it’s the key component in Anthem’s publishing strategy.
With the arrival of AI and the widespread availability of unattributable content, specialist publishers need to ensure that their titles are the trusted go-to brands in their sectors, Our Media’s Andy Marshall tells Ciar Byrne.
Stylist’s mission has been clear from day one: to engage with its female audience in an intelligent, positive and non-exploitative way. 16 years on, and current PPA Media Brand of the Year, they are staying true to those values, says Lisa Smosarski.
Gay Times was stuck in a rut, tied to its traditional publishing model and reaching only a small part of the LGBTQ+ community. Under the editorship of Lewis Corner, that began to change, as he explains to Ciar Byrne.
Whatever the rest of 2024 holds, two things are certain. Firstly, the bumpy economic ride will continue. Secondly, the need for media companies to have a broad base of revenue streams has never been more important or more challenging to achieve.
How do you create a specialist consumer media business that is fit for the future? What steps do you need to take to be resilient and flexible as audiences and technology evolve? Carolyn Morgan researched 20 innovators from across Europe to find out.
For many publishers, circulation is all about chasing volume, but they would be much better off chasing profitability, says Natalie Smith, client relationship manager at Warners.
A strong relationship between a publisher and their subs bureau can significantly improve subs marketing performance. We grab five minutes with HH&S’s Gemma Heavens to ask how publishers and bureaux should be working together.
Stephens & George Print Group this week announced the acquisition of Pensord Press Ltd, Cambrian Printers Ltd and Pensord Digital, collectively known as the Pensord Print Group.
Haymarket Group has announced that Lord Heseltine is retiring as chairman after 65 years to be succeeded by Rupert Heseltine. This is part of a series of new board appointments.
Mslexia magazine, which looks at the business and psychology of writing, has completed its digital archive on the Exact Editions platform, dating back to 1999.
Apester has announced the appointment of Anya Libova as UK Managing Director, following the appointment of Itay Gissin as CEO earlier this year.
Stylist is marking its 600th issue this week with a special edition made by some of the nation’s funniest people.
The Economist and PressReader have announced an expansion of their strategic partnership to further broaden the publication’s digital distribution and increase group subscriptions.
The Ente dello Spettacolo Foundation, publisher of the Rivista del Cinematografo magazine, has chosen Atex solutions for multi-channel publication both on paper and online.
UK Stop Ad Funded Crime (UKSAFC) has been set up by a group of advertising professionals, policymakers, technology providers and agencies to tackle the problem of ad funded crime.
PPA Scotland this week announced the winners of its annual awards at a black tie awards evening at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh. PPA Scotland announced the winners of its annual awards at a black tie awards evening at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh.
Sports organisations have become increasingly adept at engaging with their loyal fan base. We grab five minutes with Publisher’s Toolbox MD Rich Cheary to ask what lessons publishers can learn.
Future plc has published its results for the year ended 30 September 2022, reporting “continued profit growth and market share gains”.
Future plc has announced the appointment of Kevin Addley as Senior Vice President, Games, Entertainment, Technology and Sport (‘GETS’).
PinkNews has introduced an uplifting news filter as part of the relaunch of its website and apps.
The PPA on Friday announced the winners of its Independent Publisher Awards 2022.
