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.
Let’s not get carried away - it would be hyperbolic to say that consumer magazine industry news in the US has taken an unequivocal turn for the positive during this first quarter. Still, says Karlene Lukovitz, given the last two years’ trends, the te
The latest ABCs reveal that more than a million people pick up a freebie magazine every week. Peter Genower investigates the freebie phenomenon.
It’s all about managing expectations! Expect freefall and be pleasantly surprised by a slight dip. Because, in the midst of a recession and with new media continuing to dominate headlines, a very small fall in total sales is testament to the continui
Great magazine design requires more than just visual flare; a deep rooted understanding of words and the requirements of readers are critical. Meg Carter talks to Radio Times’ Shem Law about his approach to design.
Polestar has extended its relationship with The National Magazine Company after being awarded production of the publisher's annual direct mail campaign for the first time.
Cute ‘n’ Cuddly, a new 6 weekly children’s magazine from Prestige Publishing, is to launch in May.
Future, the special-interest media group, has confirmed it is planning a range of cross platform activity to boost its “iconic” multi-format games brand, GamesMaster.
On Saturday, March 13 2010, Telegraph Media Group (TMG) is launching a new look for the bi-annual Telegraph fashion magazine.
Bauer Media has appointed Ella Dolphin as Publisher of Grazia.
On 3 March Bauer Media will launch its first new motorcycle magazine since RiDE, in 1995. Practical Sportsbikes is a hands-on quarterly title from the makers of Classic Bike, focussing on the increasingly popular mid-70s to mid-90s sports bike market
Future’s TRAX event has scooped the award for ‘Event of the Year’ at the National Outdoor Events Association’s (NOEA) annual convention and awards dinner.
Future, the special interest media group has announced the launch of two new shows to its successful Auto Events Series, with the addition of Total Vauxhall Live and Japfest 2: The Evolution.
Liverpool's star defender Jamie Carragher takes charge of LFC Weekly as Guest Editor this week!
United Business Media Limited has announced that it has acquired E Commerce Expo Ltd (ECE) on behalf of its UBM Live division for an initial cash consideration of £0.6 million and a deferred amount dependent upon future financial performance.
UBM has announced that it has acquired 70% of Sign China, the fastest growing Chinese sign exhibition, on behalf of its UBM Asia business for a cash consideration of $10.7m, with a further performance-related consideration of up to $3.9m.
