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.
iSUBSCRiBE, the magazine subscription website, has announced that the company’s retail gift cards have launched in major retail chains including Boots, Tesco, The Co-Operative, Debenhams and Wilkinsons.
IPC’s fashion and beauty title, InStyle, has announced the appointment of Sarah Hammond as publisher.
IPC Media has announced that Charlie Meredith, currently managing director of IPC's Central Operations, has been appointed managing director, IPC Advertising, effective December 1.
Egmont, the specialist children’s publisher, has announced “landmark” activity with Microsoft’s Xbox to promote its new Kinect game, Kinectimals.
Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor in Chief of Forbes Media, has introduced the new President and CEO of the company, Mike Perlis, a seasoned media leader with extensive experience in print and digital.
IPC Media has commissioned “MAGs”, a new research study exploring the behaviours, attitudes and aspirations of young men (aged 19-29 with no kids).
Future has revealed the latest release in its premium-collectable Classic Rock Presents “fan pack” series - Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero.
Two Sides has announced details of a national campaign to educate major UK Corporate companies and prevent them from using misleading or factually incorrect environmental claims.
There are just a few days remaining until CTN World 2010 opens its doors and welcomes independent news and convenience retailers from all across the UK.
RBI has taken the decision to cancel Site Equipment Demonstration (SED) 2011, which was due to take place on May 17th-19th 2011.
As part of the review of IPC Media’s niche and specialist titles, the company has announced the sale of Wedding and Wedding Flowers to Hubert Burda Media UK.
Maney Publishing is to publish Twentieth-Century China (TCC), the official journal of the Historical Society for Twentieth-Century China, from 2011.
Bauer Media has suspended the monthly publication of Max Power magazine and its accompanying website.
Bauer Media has hosted a 'Bauer Live' event to illustrate to commercial partners the “reach, influence, engagement and unique cross-platform offer” of the Bauer Media portfolio.
The World in 2011, from the Economist, goes on sale on 18th November, priced £5.50.
