Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Products covered in this report
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- 5% decline in print circulation in 2017
-
- Figure 1: Forecast volume of UK print magazine circulation, 2011-21
- Top digital magazines up by 19%
- Women’s weeklies continue to see major declines
- Current affairs magazines defy market trend with print growth
- Key players
- Glamour magazine becomes digital first
- Archant introduces subscription service
- The Economist is the most trusted current affairs magazine
- Vogue maintains its position as the authority on women’s fashion
- The consumer
- Interest-specific magazines are the most popular magazine genre
-
- Figure 2: Magazine readership by genre and format, September 2017
- Reviews are people’s favourite magazine content
-
- Figure 3: Magazine content most enjoyed, September 2017
- Many still have a preference for print
-
- Figure 4: Attitudes towards magazines, September 2017
- More than one in four click through from social media
-
- Figure 5: Use of magazines’ social media, September 2017
- Events offer another touchpoint for magazines
-
- Figure 6: Magazine reader behaviour, September 2017
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Getting the most from print
- The facts
- The implications
- Magazines look to diversify revenue sources and brand touchpoints
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- 5% decline in print circulation in 2017
- Further circulation falls forecasted
- Circulation falls by 4% among top ten paid print titles
- Free print magazines are more stable
- Top digital magazines up by 19%
- Women’s weeklies continue to see major declines
- Current affairs magazines defy market trend with print growth
Market Size and Forecast
-
- 5% decline in print circulation in 2017
-
- Figure 7: Forecast volume of UK print magazine circulation, 2011-21
- Figure 8: Forecast volume of UK print magazine circulation, 2011-21
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
-
- Circulation falls by 4% among top ten paid print titles
-
- Figure 9: Average circulation for top ten paid UK print magazines, six months to month end, 2016-17
- Free magazines are more stable
-
- Figure 10: Average circulation for top ten free UK print magazines, six months to month end, 2016-17
- The Economist leads the way online
-
- Figure 11: Average circulation for top ten UK digital magazines, six months to month end, 2016-17
- Women’s weeklies continue to see major declines
-
- Figure 12: Average circulation top five UK women’s weekly print magazines, six months to month end, 2016-17
- Current affairs magazines defy market trend with print growth
-
- Figure 13: Average circulation top five UK news and current affairs print magazines, six months to months end, 2016-17
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
-
- Glamour magazine goes digital first
- Archant introduces subscription service
- Vogue launches a Snapchat edition
- Condé Nast creates new LGBTQ focused platform
- The Economist is the most trusted current affairs magazine
- Vogue maintains its position as the authority on women’s fashion
Launch Activity and Innovation
-
- Magazines turn away from print
- Glamour magazine reduces number of print publications to concentrate on digital
- InStyle UK becomes digital-only
- New print titles are still being introduced
- Free Courier re-launches as global paid-for magazine
- New magazine Happiful focuses on women’s mental health
- Airbnb launches print magazine with Hearst
- Subscriptions open the door for people to read new digital titles
- Archant introduces subscription service
- Digital magazines form part of Prime Reading
- Closer collaboration between magazines and social media networks
- Vogue launches a Snapchat edition
- GQ partners with Vero
- Cosmopolitan introduces influencer network
- Condé Nast creates new LGBTQ focused platform
- News UK expands digital presence of Style and Fabulous
Brand Research – Current Affairs Magazines
-
- Brand map
-
- Figure 14: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, September 2017
- Key brand metrics
-
- Figure 15: Key metrics for selected brands, September 2017
- Brand attitudes: The Economist has a strong reputation for offering quality
-
- Figure 16: Attitudes, by brand, September 2017
- Brand personality: The Spectator has to combat some negative perceptions
-
- Figure 17: Brand personality – Macro image, September 2017
- Private Eye has a provocative but entertaining image
-
- Figure 18: Brand personality – Micro image, September 2017
- Brand analysis
- Private Eye’s fun image to aid the magazine during serious times
-
- Figure 19: User profile of Private Eye, September 2017
- The Week performs well but isn’t the most stand-out brand
-
- Figure 20: User profile of The Week, September 2017
- The Economist is the most trusted current affairs magazine
-
- Figure 21: User profile of The Economist, September 2017
- The Spectator has the lowest levels of differentiation
-
- Figure 22: User profile of The Spectator, September 2017
Brand Research – Women’s Magazines
-
- Brand map
-
- Figure 23: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, September 2017
- Key brand metrics
-
- Figure 24: Key metrics for selected brands, September 2017
- Brand attitudes: Women feel that Cosmopolitan speaks to them
-
- Figure 25: Attitudes, by brand, September 2017
- Brand personality: Red has a fairly stale brand image
-
- Figure 26: Brand personality – Macro image, September 2017
- Glamour has some negative associations
-
- Figure 27: Brand personality – Micro image, September 2017
- Brand analysis
- Glamour is considered fun but low-brow
-
- Figure 28: User profile of Glamour, September 2017
- Vogue maintains its position as the authority on women’s fashion
-
- Figure 29: User profile of Vogue, September 2017
- Cosmopolitan is viewed as fun and accessible
-
- Figure 30: User profile of Cosmopolitan, September 2017
- Red has the weakest brand image
-
- Figure 31: User profile of Red, September 2017
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- More than half of people read a print magazine
- Half of people pay for magazines
- A larger device is preferred for digital editions
- Reviews are the most popular magazine content
- Many still have a preference for print
- More than one in four clicks through from social media
- Events offer another touchpoint for Magazines
Magazine Readership by Genre and Format
-
- Interest-specific magazines are the most popular magazine genre
-
- Figure 32: Magazine readership by genre and format, September 2017
- One in five reads a digital magazine
-
- Figure 33: Repertoire of magazine genres read, by format, September 2017
- Figure 34: Read magazine format, by age, September 2017
- Larger devices are preferred for digital editions
-
- Figure 35: Preferred device for reading magazines, September 2017
Paying for Magazines
-
- Half of people pay for magazines
-
- Figure 36: Paying for magazines, September 2017
- Subscriptions used by half of those who pay
-
- Figure 37: Subscribing to a magazine, September 2017
Content Preferences
-
- Reviews are the most popular magazine content
-
- Figure 38: Magazine content most enjoyed, September 2017
- Women are most interested in stories on people (famous or not)
- Nearly half of 65+ want quizzes and games
-
- Figure 39: Magazine content most enjoyed, by age, September 2017
Attitudes towards Magazines
-
- Many still prefer print
-
- Figure 40: Attitudes towards magazines, September 2017
- Some interest in incorporating QR codes into print magazines
- AR looks to move past the gimmick stage
Social Media Engagement with Magazines
-
- More than one in four clicks through from social media
-
- Figure 41: Use of magazines’ social media, September 2017
- Snapchat is becoming a key platform for magazines
-
- Figure 42: Use of magazine’s social media, by age, September 2017
- Accelerated spread of negative coverage means extra care is needed
Magazine Reader Behaviour
-
- Events offer another touchpoint for magazines
- Causes can help build momentum around events
-
- Figure 43: Magazine reader behaviour, September 2017
- One in three would listen to a magazine podcast
- Integrating e-commerce into the reader experience
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
-
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
-
- Market forecast
-
- Figure 44: Forecast volume of UK print magazine circulation, 2017-22
- Forecast methodology
Back to top