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.
Walstead, one of the leading European commercial printing groups, has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire LSC Communications, Inc.’s European printing business based in Poland.
On Monday 2nd July, the Shine School Media Awards 2018 took place at Stationers’ Hall in the City of London.
With circulation and display advertising revenues largely in decline, and digital subscription models in their infancy, many publishers are banking on branded content to fill the coffers. What’s the best way to go about it? Graham Hayday, director of
Future plc today announces the proposed acquisition of the consumer division of Purch, a digital publishing and marketplace platform, operating in the consumer technology and science verticals.
Over three-quarters of women believe the automotive sector doesn’t understand them as consumers, according to new research by TI Media.
Sun Bingo has announced a new sponsorship deal with ITV’s long-standing daytime programme, The Jeremy Kyle Show, starting July 16.
GQ Middle East has appointed Adam Baidawi as Editor-in-Chief. The twenty-first edition of the title will launch in September and will be published under licence agreement with ITP Media Group.
Mike Luckwell has this week sold Reader’s Digest UK. It has been acquired by Gary Hopkins who was until October 2016 the CEO of Reader’s Digest.
Shortlist Media yesterday announced the expansion of Stylist Live, with a live event planned for Greater Manchester retail and leisure destination intu Trafford Centre.
Porter has announced the appointment of Charlie Miller as Executive Fashion & Jewellery Director across the brand’s bi-monthly print title and daily and weekly digital platform.
Gold Key Media has been accredited as an associate member by ABC, the industry body for media brand measurement in the UK.
PCS, a leading publishing software developer, has announced the appointment of Mike Tinsley as Product Specialist for Knowledge Publish.
Anthem Publishing this week announced it has acquired Women’s Running magazine from Wild Bunch Media.
TI Media has announced a new senior editorial team and structure for its homes group to enhance the portfolio and bring together brands with shared audiences.
DC Thomson Media Events is collaborating with the UK Games Fund with the launch of the first ever UK Games Fund Awards in November.
