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.
Forbes announced yesterday the launch of “Forbes Premium Profiles,” a new offering available exclusively to the people, places and companies that are recognised on one of Forbes’ famous lists.
Future yesterday published a trading update covering the four-month period ended 31 January 2022.
British GQ has announced the appointment of Mike Christensen as European Lifestyle Editor.
Forbes announced on Monday a reorganisation intended to create stronger alignment across the company in order to support growth as it prepares for a public listing.
Bookazines and SIPs performed well during the pandemic and interest remains high. Excitingly, says Marketforce’s Tim Mathers, there’s potential for the category to perform even better.
The winners for the BSME Awards 2021 were announced on Monday night at a virtual awards ceremony.
Jane McFarland has been appointed Associate Editor (Fashion, Luxury & Beauty) of Grazia magazine.
Immediate Media Co has announced the appointment of Julian Lloyd Evans to lead its UK advertising teams in the role of Chief Revenue Officer.
Future Plc is to open a new content hub in Atlanta, USA as it pushes forward with its ambitions to reach 1 in 2 Americans every month.
Dozens of US states have accused Apple of stifling competition through its mobile app store as they launched an appeal against a ruling involving Fortnite maker Epic Games.
The PPA has announced that Magnetic, the marketing arm of the magazine media industry will be incorporated into the organisation as a key strategic pillar.
Publishers don’t talk to their suppliers enough, which is short-sighted…
Nadiya Hussain has taken the helm of the February issue of BBC Good Food in her first magazine guest editorship, and has stressed the importance of diverse representation in the food industry.
Good Housekeeping, Hearst UK’s monthly women’s lifestyle magazine, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
ES Magazine, the Evening Standard’s weekly lifestyle and culture magazine, on Friday unveiled a new spirit, vision and look, both in print and online, under the leadership of new editor Ben Cobb.
