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 National Literacy Trust, supported by sustainable paper brand REY, has announced the delivery of 10,000 free resource packs to year 6 and year 7 students across the country.
The Independent Press Standards Organisation has announced the appointment of Sarah Lee, former partner at Slaughter and May, to its lay-majority Board.
Motorcycle News has launched a new ad campaign across TV, radio, online and in-store to reach new audiences and drive them to trial the newspaper at the newsstand.
Future has unveiled a new content hub to facilitate the licensing of its magazine and web content.
Condé Nast’s US beauty brand – Allure – has opened the Allure Store, a new experiential retail store, on New York City’s Lafayette Street.
Much progress has been made over the last eighteen months but, as we start to emerge from lockdown, says Ross Paterson, CEO of WoodWing, it’s important to remain focused on delivering digital transformation.
New guidance commissioned by the Media Lawyers’ Association (MLA) has been published to help journalists understand the law, and help them recognise abuse that may be illegal.
Grazia has announced it has partnered with actress Emily Atack, Maria Miller MP and Jess Phillips MP to make the sending of unsolicited explicit images illegal in the UK.
Broadcaster Jane Garvey has joined Radio Times as their new weekly columnist.
Archaeology students, professionals and enthusiasts can now subscribe to the complete and fully-searchable digital archive of The Journal of Irish Archaeology through the Exact Editions platform.
The Skylark Collective has announced the launch of the inaugural International Women’s Podcast Awards, an event celebrating the very best female-led moments in podcasting of the last year.
Manchester-based By Gamers for Gamers has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of an editor and a non-executive director.
The Week Junior, Dennis’s news magazine for 8 to 14 year-olds, is launching its annual Summer of Reading campaign in the 3 July issue.
Bauer Media’s UK Publishing business has announced the appointment of two new Publisher roles.
Forbes has launched ‘The Takeaway’, a live interview series that spotlights fresh perspectives and bold leadership thinking to navigate these defining times and set viewers on a higher career trajectory.
