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.
Creating cut-through on a busy shelf isn’t easy, but there are things you can do to grab the customer’s attention, says Siobhan McNab, commercial development manager at Marketforce.
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.
Print should be framed as the original and most valuable version of the magazine and also the best value for money, says Gemma Heavens, group account director at HH&S.
Print is certainly not dead, says Chairman Mark Allen. However, you need to offer readers choice and be neutral and agnostic about the outcome.
As publishers adapt to evolving audience expectations and environmental responsibilities, paper wrapping has become the gold standard, says Stuart Searle, managing director of First Mailing.
For subscription copies, mailing is the final piece of the jigsaw. Neil Carter, sales & commercial director at Posthub, outlines the key components of the distribution plan.
Autism Parenting Magazine has enhanced its digital offering with a web archive and branded app powered by Jellyfish.
Good Housekeeping Live with Country Living Christmas Market returns with L’Oréal Paris as headline sponsor.
How Google AI offerings are harming publishers: the PPA last week submitted recommendations to the Competition and Markets Authority.
Kennedy Publishing has announced a second Magic Mixies Mixlings one-shot.
Heat has unveiled a new campaign in collaboration with Surf.
Total TV Guide publishes its biggest-ever autumn TV issue with 8 extra pages previewing 40 shows for the new season.
Sean Adams, chief marketing officer at digital campaign effectiveness specialist Brand Metrics, discusses the brand lift insights that mark out great publishers, and contemplates an exciting future of AI-trained analytics.
Mermaid Magic to feature in upcoming issues of Kennedy Publishing’s Love From.
TIME debuts its first Girls of the Year List recognizing 10 young leaders inspiring communities around the world.
