The 2018 Box Score for Magazines is Here!

Every year, it is with bated breath that we await the latest box score report, letting us know who is up, and what magazines are really making it happen at retail. Click here for the 2018 report.

Relying on Small Sets of Data is Misleading. Magazines are Evolving

In a recent article, MPA President and CEO, Linda Thomas-Brooks spoke out against what the industry just can’t let go of, this idea that magazines are dead. She mentions: “…pointing out that relying on small sets of data leads to misleading conclusions.”

Similar broad statements have been made about Bricks and Mortar retail as well, I  have read a several articles touting that “Retail is Dead”. As a retailer yourself, or someone that works with retail, you know that isn’t a true statement either. Again, it is the use of small sets of data that is used to make a point and eventually, enough is written about it that people begin to think it’s true.

The truth is, well, it’s complicated. There are certain types of magazines that have lost favor with consumers, others have gained and are growing. Similar to retail, there are some magazines that haven’t rethought their approach to how they show up in the marketplace even though the consumer has changed. Others are reinventing and therefore reinvigorating their brands.

Space at retail is changing at that also affects sales, as it affects assortment. For some consumers, when they don’t find their favorite magazine, they will go to another retailer, or buy nothing.

Magazines add value to a retailer. In recent studies conducted, shoppers have been found to have a better experience at the retailer when they bought a magazine.1. Sales of products that are found in magazines are purchased at retail. Magazines also provide a role in society beyond the sale… Linda comments:  “As audiences are thinking more critically about what voices and information they really trust, they are increasingly seeking out the professionally researched, written, edited, produced and curated content that magazine brands produce across channels.  According to the MPA’s Magazine Media 360° Brand Audience Report, the total audience for all magazines rose 1.4 per cent over last year to 1.7 billion, proving that there is enormous consumer demand for magazine media content.”

To read the full article, click here. 

  1. Magazines Canada Consumer Research – Brand Spark Shopper Insights 2017