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.
The start of the pandemic saw a huge increase in subs marketing activity from Immediate Media, as the company set itself ambitious subs targets. Jess Burney explains how they surpassed those targets and how they are now looking for further growth.
Think you’ve had it tough? Cheer yourself up with a dose of real-life stories from these magazines – ALL for the unbeatable price of £5.49. Alan Geere looks out from behind the sofa…
DC Thomson has announced the appointment of Rebecca Miskin as CEO of its media portfolio.
MailOnline publisher and founding editor Martin Clarke is to step down, he has announced.
Silicon Republic chose Pelcro to introduce subscriptions to their publication, and started using their paywall solution in September.
Move Electric, a new website dedicated to e-mobility, has been launched by Haymarket Automotive, publishers of What Car? and Autocar.
The Financial Times on Friday announced three senior hires across its B2B and Specialist operations; Nick Fallon, Carola York and Rosie Carr.
Outgoing BBC presenter Andrew Marr is to join The New Statesman as its chief political commentator.
Bauer Media has entered a three-year contract with Lineup to supply 300 of its users across its UK Publishing division with a single point of entry across its print, digital and events operations.
Hearst UK has appointed Kenya Hunt as the new Editor-in-Chief of ELLE UK, overseeing its print, digital and experiential outputs.
How you go about planning our publishing activities could make all the difference to your long term success.
Condé Nast has announced the appointment of its first ever SVP, Global Head of Events, Patrick Garrigan.
IP protection and cybersecurity company, White Bullet, yesterday announced the appointment of Stuart Dickinson as Director of Advertising Operations and Client Success.
Future plc yesterday published its full year results for 2021, reporting “record profit and cash flow”.
impact.com, a partnership management platform, has announced the appointment of a number of new Business Development Representatives in EMEA.
