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.
Will Woodrow is head of marketing at Mark Allen Group where he looks after a varied portfolio of brands and a team of five. As he explains, coming up with a to-do list that covers all his responsibilities is a challenge.
It might seem counterintuitive to print your magazines and newspaper supplements overseas, but Roeselare, home of Roularta Printing, is closer to London than Plymouth or Manchester.
The journey to net zero can be complex and, if you’re trying to do it on your own, overwhelming. At Immediate Media, says Jo Beattie, they have benefited hugely through collaboration with suppliers, industry groups and local bodies.
Ad sales is one of publishers’ most important revenue streams, so the efficiency with which it is managed can have a material impact on profitability, PSC’s Laurence Cope tells James Evelegh.
Cafeyn Group has strengthened its position in the French online press and media distribution market with the acquisition of Toutabo/ePresse (formally Readly France).
The union is calling on political parties to make their press events and campaign activities accessible to disabled journalists.
Media Smart and the Advertising Association are renewing their awareness campaign ‘What’s the deal with political advertising?’ to help voters understand the ads by political parties they may see in the run up to the General Election.
Roularta Printing has ordered a new Sitma VariaWrap 1050 inserting and wrapping system, due for delivery in the second half of 2024.
Media Voices has revealed the winners of 2024’s Publisher Podcast Awards, following a ceremony which took place on Wednesday 12th June at Salsa Temple in London.
Readly has revealed a new branding concept for its summer campaign "What type of Reader are you?"
Hearst Magazines has announced the expansion of Hearst Global Solutions with Gianluca Ena appointed senior vice president.
The PPA has released its reaction to the Labour manifesto.
The Association of Online Publishers celebrated its 22nd Awards, honouring the digital publishing industry’s top talent at an in-person ceremony, held at Old Billingsgate in London.
… a thousand words. One good example of the enduring power of the still photograph emerged from last week’s D-Day commemorations.
Onetag says its AI-driven Smart Curation technology aims to help programmatic buyers increase campaign performance, scale and addressability.
