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Children's Comics and Magazines - UK - August 2004

INTRODUCTION AND ABBREVIATIONS
Definition and scope of the report
Figure 1: Children’s comic titles, 2004
Consumer research
Advertising data
 ABBREVIATIONS
PREMIER INSIGHT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What drives the market
Competition for time and money
The need for the new
Early years boost
The gender gap
Top six dominate
Covermount is paramount
TV vs. reading
Steady outlook
MARKET DRIVERS
Number of children
How the population is changing
Figure 2: Trends and projections in UK population, by age group, 1999-2008
Family size
Figure 3: Average family size for the constituent countries of the UK, 1950-2000
Only children boom
Figure 4: Percentage of dependent children living in different family types, 1972-2003
The evolving family
Family fragments…
...and the potential for presents
Less children, less competition
Money, money, money
Figure 5: Additional sources of income among 7-10-year-olds, 2003
What does this mean over time?
Figure 6: Average weekly income of youths aged 7-14, 2001-03
Figure 7: Total annual spending power of those aged 7-10, by age group, 2003
How that money is spent
Figure 8: How 7-10s spend their money, by gender, 2003
The gender divide
Leisure time
Spoilt for choice
Figure 9: Participation in leisure activities by 7-14-year-olds, by age group, 2003
Children’s market safe from mobiles
Cross-media
Toy story
Figure 10: Toy ownership and toy preference among 7-10-year-olds, 2003
Doll parts
The impact of technology on leisure
Utilising the Web
Multichannel options
Audio-visual competition
MARKET SIZE AND TRENDS
A volatile market
Figure 11: UK retail sales of children’s comics/magazines, 1999-2004
Room to experiment
Onwards and upwards
Innovation leads launches
Cover price boosts revenue
MARKET SEGMENTATION
By age
Early years dominate market
Figure 12: UK retail sales of children’s comics/magazines, by age category, 2000-04
Favourable backdrop for early years
Disney stronghold
 SEGMENTATION BY GENDER
Boy target boom
Figure 13: UK retail sales of children’s comics/magazines, by gender, 2000-04
What’s new?
Teen market to follow suit?
THE SUPPLY STRUCTURE
Circulation trends
Figure 14: Most popular audited children’s comics/magazines, July-December 2003
Comic consolidation
The mighty Beano
On the up
Decline dominates
Figure 15: Circulation of most popular audited children’s comics/magazines, July-December 1999-2003
Old news
A moving target
The broader the better
Audit importance
Publishing groups and titles
BBC Worldwide retains lead
Figure 16: Market shares of children’s comics/magazines market, by publisher, 2000-04
BBC Worldwide
Steady growth
New titles boost sales
Pre-school presence
Egmont Magazines
A forte for licensed characters
Generals for juveniles
The Redan Company Ltd
Branching out
One for the boys
Panini UK
Interactive offering
DC Thomson
Classics to compete
It’s all about the gift
Strength of a good name
Toontastic Publishing Ltd
Toys for boys
Other publishers
ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION
Figure 17: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on comics, 1999-2004*
Whom to target
Borrowed marketing
Show me the free gift!
DISTRIBUTION
The convenience of convenient stores
Figure 18: Children’s comics/magazine sales, by retail sector, 2000-04
The child consumer
Grocery growth
Groceries dominate the adult purchase
Examining the ‘other’
Presentation is everything
Overcrowding
Pushing subscription
THE CONSUMER
Figure 19: How 7-10-year-olds spend their money, 2003
Figure 20: Average weekly spend among 11-14-year-olds, 2003
Young children rely on parents
Figure 21: How youths obtain magazines/comics, by demographic sub-group, 2003
Not for sharing
The main purchaser
A question of frequency
Figure 22: How often youths get magazines/comics, by demographic sub-group, 2003
Weekend comic fun
Figure 23: Days when 7-14-year-olds are most likely to get magazines/comics, by age group, 2003
 ATTITUDES TOWARDS CHILDREN’S COMICS AND MAGAZINES
What children think
Figure 24: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, April 2004
High level of regulars
The TV challenge
Bridging the literary divide
Boys and girls create a varied market
Figure 25: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, by demographic sub-group and TV viewing, by, April 2004
The lure of the TV
A shifting market
The more discerning reader
What kids want
Figure 26: Ideal topics among 7-14-year-olds, April 2004
Kids just want to have fun
The interactive age
Variety is the spice of life
Figure 27: Ideal topics among 7-14-year-olds, by gender, age, adults’ socio-economic group and television viewing habits, April 2004
An indication of maturity
Older and more celebrity-oriented
Web direction
The ABC1 slant
Maturing tastes
Figure 28: Ideal topics among 7-14-year-olds, by gender, age, adults’ socio-economic group and television viewing habits, April 2004
 DETAILED DEMOGRAPHICS
Figure 29: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, by gender, age and adults’ socio-economic group, April 2004
Figure 30: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, by adults’ and region, April 2004
Figure 31: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, by television viewing habits, April 2004
Figure 32: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, by gender, age and adults’ socio-economic group, April 2004
Figure 33: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, by adults’ and region, April 2004
Figure 34: Attitudes among 7-14-year-olds towards reading comics and children’s magazines, by television viewing, April 2004
Figure 35: Ideal topics among 7-14-year-olds, by adults’ and region, April 2004
Figure 36: Ideal topics among 7-14-year-olds, by adults’ and region, April 2004
THE CONSUMER – THE PARENTAL POINT OF VIEW
The adult view – what do they want
Figure 37: Comic content wish list from adults, April 2004
Read as I say, not as I do
Figure 38: Preferred topics for a children’s comic or magazine among adults and 7-14-year-olds, April 2004
Puzzles embody educational values
The age of celebrity
Boys never forget their toys
Teen parents seek advice
Study tips
Parents understand gift status
Targeting parents by media usage
 ALL OR NOTHING – A REPERTOIRE ANALYSIS
Figure 39: Repertoire analysis of preferred topics for a children’s comic or magazine among children aged 7-14, April 2004
Broad majority
Girls want it all
Age increases interest
Attitude by topic
Figure 40: Cross-analysis of preferred topics for a children’s comic or magazine among by attitude towards reading children’s comics and magazines among children aged 7-14, April 2004
Competing with the TV
Parental influence
 DETAILED DEMOGRAPHICS
Figure 41: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by gender, age and socio-economic group, April 2004
Figure 42: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by lifestage, presence of children and Mintel's Special Groups, April 2004
Figure 43: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by marital status, working status, tenure and household size, April 2004
Figure 44: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by region, April 2004
Figure 45: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by media usage, television viewing habits and supermarket usage, April 2004
Figure 46: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by gender, age and socio-economic group, April 2004
Figure 47: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by lifestage, presence of children and Mintel's Special Groups, April 2004
Figure 48: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by marital status, working status, tenure and household size, April 2004
Figure 49: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by region, April 2004
Figure 50: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by media usage, television viewing habits and supermarket usage, April 2004
Figure 51: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by gender, age and socio-economic group, April 2004
Figure 52: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by lifestage, presence of children and Mintel's Special Groups, April 2004
Figure 53: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by marital status, working status, tenure and household size, April 2004
Figure 54: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by region, April 2004
Figure 55: Adults’ desired magazine features for children, by media usage, television viewing habits and supermarket usage, April 2004
THE FUTURE
Television input
Dual audience to sustain growth
Growing competition
Sophisticated targeting
Slowing churn
Partnerships for the future
FORECAST
Figure 56: Forecast of the children’s comics/magazines market, 2004-09
Taste prediction
Buoyant boys
Kids vs adults

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