Consumer Magazines: Rethinking Paper and Pixels

Consumer Magazines: Rethinking Paper and Pixels

Consumer magazines are struggling, and as titles continue to fold the situation worsens. Unquestionably, the future for media companies now heavily engaged in producing print products is online.

The Consumer Magazines report analyzes the reasons behind why print publications are suffering from declining advertising revenues and circulations, and what publishers can do about it.

The numbers are sobering: 525 magazines folded in 2008. As of the publication of this report, so far in 2009, 87 other titles have closed. The bleeding will not be stanched any time soon.

The revenue flow is simply drying up.

eMarketer estimates consumer magazine print ad spending in 2008 was down 7.1% to $13 billion. And 2009 will be even worse, as ad spending is expected to drop a precipitous 16.2%.

The shift in print advertising revenues to other media, particularly the Internet, will continue to thin the ranks of publications, and 2009 will be a year of survival for only the fittest publishers.



Key questions the “Consumer Magazines” report answers:


How is the recession affecting consumer magazines?
What are some of the challenges they face, online and off?
How are they adapting their brands online?
Which business models will they pursue online?
And many others…

Executive Summary
US Consumer Magazine Advertising Spending, 20072012 (billions and % change)
Key Questions

Key NumbersConsumer Magazines




The Advertising Picture

Ad Revenues
US Consumer Magazine Advertising Spending, 20072012 (billions and % change)
US Magazine Publishing Company Digital Advertising Revenues, 2008 (millions and % of total ad revenues)
Comparative Estimates
Comparative Estimates: US Magazine Advertising Spending, 20072012 (billions)
Comparative Estimates: US Magazine Advertising Spending Growth, 20072012 (% change)
US Consumer Magazine Advertising Revenues, 20062008 (billions and % change)
Revenues by Advertising Category
Leading US Magazine Advertising Categories, Ranked by Revenues, 2007 & 2008 (millions and % change)
Spending Trends
Change in Marketing Budget Allocation in 2009 According to Marketers Worldwide, by Tactic (% of respondents)
Top 10 Advertisers in the US, Ranked by Magazine Advertising Spending, 2006 & 2007 (millions, % change and % of total)
Ad Share by Media
US Advertising Spending Growth, by Media, 20082010 (% change)




Online Initiatives

Websites
Top 10 US Print Media Websites, Ranked by Market Share of Visits, December 2008
Digital Editions
Reasons that Digital Magazine Readers Worldwide Read Digital Magazines, AprilMay 2008 (% of respondents)




The Consumer Viewpoint

Consumer Usage Patterns
Average Daily Exclusive* Media Usage at Home According to US Consumers, by Age, 2008 (% of time spent with each media)
Media Activities of US Consumers While Simultaneously Reading Magazines, AprilJune 2008 (% of respondents)
Impact on Buying Behavior
Types of Advertising that Have the Most Impact on the Buying Decisions of US Internet Users, SeptemberOctober 2008 (% of respondents)
Media that Trigger Online Searches for Products/Services According to US Internet Users, by Age and Gender, December 2008 (% of respondents in each group)
Advertising Channels that Perform Strongly for Their Company According to Marketers Worldwide, December 2008 (% of respondents)
Online Usage
Media Used by US Internet Users, 20062008 (% of respondents)


Case Study
Condé Nast Digital


Conclusions


Endnotes
101913
Comparative Estimates: US Magazine Advertising Spending, 20072012 (billions)
101918
Comparative Estimates: US Magazine Advertising Spending Growth, 20072012 (% change)


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