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.
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.
The brand might have just celebrated its centenary but its attention is firmly focused on the future, staying on top of its fragmenting market, diversifying its revenue streams, extending its reach and growing the LTV of its all-important subs.
Generative AI is a transformative technology and publishing companies need to work out what it means for them and their audiences. Immediate Media’s approach has been underpinned by education and experimentation, as Hannah Williams explains.
The media is not trusted as much as it needs to be. The solution is simple but it will mean breaking some bad habits.
The Economist Group has announced the appointment of Luke Bradley-Jones as president of The Economist, and Leon Saunders Calvert has been named president of Economist Intelligence.
Future has announced the reorganisation of its operating structure into three core divisions with creation of new B2C unit and has unveiled key appointments.
The New York Times has chosen Roularta Printing to print its monthly lifestyle supplement, T Magazine - International Edition.
The Tiger Tamer Who Went To Sea, takes an in-depth look at the little-known story of Bob Carlisle, who used all the techniques of the modern-day influencer.
Onetag, an AI-powered programmatic curation platform has bolstered its global team as it builds momentum for 2024.
Hearst UK has announced its new leadership team and key senior appointments.
Air Business has announced the expansion of its global event logistics team with a key appointment.
DC Thomson has announced it has become a supporter of the John Schofield Trust.
The Broons has announced a partnership with NHS Highland to support the #EndPJParalysis campaign.
A director of mailing company Pack Post International, who defrauded Royal Mail out of over £70million by falsely declaring mail weights, classes and destinations, has been jailed.
Coca-Cola unveils Foodmarks: The campaign debuts with a ‘sold out’ NYC experience that reimagines an iconic Marilyn Monroe moment; with more than 400 other food landmarks to launch around the world in partnership with Time Out.
