How are magazines adapting to their
audiences? What are some of the strengths of magazines and what are some of the
challenges facing the magazine industry today? Limit: 8 responses
Magazines are adapting to their audiences through proper targeting. Magazine creators know that they have a niche audience to target and rely heavily on this. They are read mostly by young people that are looking to read longform content. 94% of adults that read newspapers are under the age of 25 (“Magazine Media Factbook”). They are powered heavily by advertisers and readers know that they will be getting advertisements when they pick up their favorite magazine (“Strengths and Weaknesses”). This is often an enjoyable part. You can see the latest trends in beauty, home, fashion, or technology depending on what type of magazine you are reading. Magazines are also staying successful because unlike newspapers, they are not published daily and have more content in one issue.
According to the Media Magazine Brand Audience Report in June of 2019 (“Top 10 Magazine Brands”), the 10 most popular magazines in print and digital were as follows:
1. AARP 2. People 3. Better Homes and Gardens 4. National Geographic 5. ESPN the Magazine 6. Good Housekeeping 7. Reader’s Digest 8. Southern Living 9. Woman’s Day 10. Cosmopolitan
This shows the success of niche branded publications. People like to know that what they are picking up will fit their expectations and is relevant to them (“Magazine Media Factbook”). For example, when reading Better Homes and Gardens, readers know that they will be seeing home and lifestyle articles, advertisements, and recipes and wont’ be expecting to read about technology or politics.
Some of the challenges of newspapers are actually similar to their strengths. While magazine supporters are looking to hold that glossy paper and read the articles and advertisements, those who are not interested in magazines say they feel this way because they do not like print media or reading longform content. Just as book readers like the feeling of holding a physical book and being able to turn the pages, non-readers do not understand the attraction of having to carry around a clunky paperback when they can simply read short content on their cellphones. They prefer to get their news and entertainment digitally and in short snip its. They do not want to purchase or subscribe to a magazine when they feel they could find the same content on Twitter and Instagram. The largest weaknesses of the magazine industry are that printed content is becoming less popular and the advertising industry is very saturated.
As someone who is interested in going into advertising, I base a lot of the success of magazines on the performance of advertising in the industry. One of the perks of magazine advertising is that it is highly targeted. Magazines are made for specific, niche interests and therefore advertisers can properly estimate who will view their ads. For example, Sephora knows not to advertise in National Geographic. Magazines also allow for more copy-heavy messages. Readers are receptive and there is more time and space on the page for extra words compared to a billboard or social media ad. There is also a long shelf life for magazines so the money placed behind the ad is worthwhile. Some of the downfalls are that there is no way to ensure that the reader turns to the exact page that your ad is on and they may not even pick up the issue for weeks or months after it arrives (“Strengths and Weaknesses”).
Works Cited
"Magazine Media Factbook 2017-18." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
According to The Association of Magazine Media 2019 Factbook, the main audience for magazines is younger adults. 93% of readers are under age 35 and 94% are under age 25 (Factbook 2019). Magazine companies are adapting to their audiences by collecting data about their lifestyle habits in relation to their magazine using habits. The Factbook showed numerous graphs that reflected data they had collected over the last few years. For example, one visual was showing the average amount of money that affluent magazine readers were spending on vacations in the last twelve months. The data for magazine users was compared to users of the internet, TV, radio, mobile web and mobile apps. In all of the categories that were reported on, magazine readers were at the top with the majority of what was being measured.
Magazine Media 360 reported in 2019 that the top three magazine brands were AARP, People and Better Homes and Gardens. A strength for magazine companies is that they have this data. They know what their readers want, and they can provide that for them. If someone is subscribing to People magazine, they clearly have an interest in celebrities and the media as opposed to someone who is a subscriber to AARP and is looking for content more driven towards older adults. An article published by BBC News about print surviving the media industry said, “… a celeb mag will be bought as a treat for the reader, which makes it a dispensable purchase in comparison to the high-quality news analysis publication providing information that its readers regard as valuable and essential” (McIntosh, 2017). People have different motives for reading print, and some people just enjoy it for the more relaxing content. A big challenge for the print industry is the amount of readable content online. If you see a story on a magazine cover, you are probably more likely to read about it on social media or an internet search than you are to purchase the magazine and read it.
References:
“Magazine Media Factbook 2017-2018.” MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
“Top 10 Magazine Brands- Nov. 2017.” MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
McIntosh, S. (2017, August 12). Magazines: How print is surviving the digital age. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40897967
Growing up the greatest day of the week was when I’d open up the mailbox and seeing the newest copy of Sports Illustrated ready to be read. Most of my friends also had subscriptions to Sports Illustrated because it was the best way to learn about biggest sporting events that happened in the past week. As popular as social media has become, it’s led to the fall off of the magazine industry. In-depth stories, photos, and interviews can all be found instantly after events happen, and our society doesn’t want to wait for that information to come to them a week later in the mail. “Magazine sales have sputtered for years, their monopoly on readers and advertising was erased by Facebook, Google and other online competitors (Ember).” Because the competition was growing online, magazine companies had to adapt to their audience by establishing a strong presence on social media, and finding new ways of connecting to their audiences. Magazine companies found that Facebook was the most popular social media site for their audiences. “Facebook maintained the largest share of likes/followers and accounted for nearly half of the entire magazine active audience. (MPA)” One of the reasons that Facebook was so successful for the magazine industry was the absorbent amount of content on the social media site. More posts on Facebook leads to more overall engagement. Social media helped the magazine industry reach more unique audiences. In the first quarter of 2019, The Food Network Magazine had the most likes and followers on Facebook with 29,370,664 different interactions (MPA).
In June of 2019, The Food Network Magazine wasn’t even in the top 10 of average monthly audience members for print, web, mobile, or video (MagazineMedia360). Outside of connecting with its audiences on social media, magazines attempted to join the streaming world as well. “As publishers grasped for new revenue streams, a try-anything approached led Time Inc. to start a new streaming TV show, “Paws & Claws,” features viral videos of animals (Ember).” Time Inc. took an extreme approach to trying new ways of adapting to their audience. Although the magazine industry hasn’t seen a ton of positive light in the past couple of years, there are some positives for magazines. Neuroscientists have released studies that when an audience members see print ads they’ll remember more than a digital ad. “Paper-based reading drives sensory involvement which contributes to reader impact, makes the reader slow down their reading pace, stimulates emotions and desires, and in the end adds a higher comprehension and recall rate(MPA).” Audience members see so many different articles, images and videos online that it’s hard to know what actually captures their attention. A magazine on the other hand, will still have the readers complete and full attention when they are reading it since there’s way less distractions on a magazine than online.
"Top 10 Magazine Brands – June. 2019" MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Web.
“Magazine Media Factbook 2018-2019.” MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Web.
Ember, Sydney, and Michael. “The Not-So-Glossy Future of Magazines.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/business/media/the-not-so-glossy-future-of-magazines.html.
Most media industries have been impacted by the digital age and the quick adoption of the internet for all our needs. But, print media has specifically been a source for a lot of negativity. There’s seemingly endless discourse about “dead” print media. However, it turns out this could be slightly exaggerated, according to some recent studies.
Magazines still have quantifiable strengths despite what online-only people at Snapchat or Daily Mail would want you to believe. The MPA Centennial Factbook (“Magazine Media Factbook”) contains surprising research about the strengths magazines still possess. From the get-go, it points out that “this past year we saw 191 new print magazine brands launch with a frequency of quarterly or greater. That is a 46% increase over the year before” (“Magazine Media Factbook”). To play devil’s advocate, the success of these brands is unknown. But, it does immediately try to quell some of the alarmist claims of a dying magazine landscape. If anything, it shows that there are still people who believe in the medium.
This may be due to the aforementioned quantifiable strengths. More specifically, magazines (and other traditional media) are trusted. A graph in the Magazine Media Factbook shows that in 2019, individuals, by percent, trusted search engines and traditional media most for general news and information. It found that people actually trusted online-only media least which actually goes against what most people tend to believe. It’s also worth noting that social media was second to last. Like “Strengths & Weaknesses of Magazine Advertising” points out, this may be due to the offering of, “that third-party credibility that so many of us subconsciously desire.” Consumers are aware that editors carefully curate the things they see and read on these publications. There’s a name and a face that takes ownership and responsibility for what is published. With a name like Vogue comes a trusted level of expertise due to decades of proven credibility.
Then, this expertise and editorial curation builds loyalty with readers, especially on social media where these sub-communities of readers gather. The editorial team at Vogue is still more respected in the fashion world than Kylie Jenner promoting designers on her own social media. According to the numbers in the Magazine Media Factbook, “for every quarter monitored, magazine brands outperformed non-magazine brands on the majority of the networks tracked, establishing magazine media brands as significant social media influencers.” This proves that, even in the digital age, magazines are still respected as taste-makers and gatekeepers—more than rogue, self-made social media influencers.
According to Becker, this could be due to what a magazine brand represents. Becker says, “Whatever the outlet, a magazine brand signals a certain mindset, style, and set of interests—one that usually holds true in every touchpoint.” Magazines are targeted much more than the internet for a plethora of niches including audiences such as those represented in the results of "Top 10 Magazine Brands Nov. 2017” study from the MPA. Niches like health junkies are represented by EatingWell, outdoorsmen by Outside, retired folks by AARP, sports fans by ESPN the Magazine and more. This wide array is only the top ten. Not only are some of these keeping consistent followings but the study also shows those top ten for growth which is important to note.
Regardless of these strengths, it has been a “get with the picture” time for magazines, and print generally, for years. Obviously, magazines profits drop as people read less and less. But, they also decrease as more and more readers are satisfied reading digital versions, specifically younger demographics. According to Becker, “Looking at the past three years, we have seen a gradual decline in paper edition readership among the top 183 titles. The most notable fall-off has been—not surprisingly—among the 18-to-24 and 25-to-34 age groups, who are often referred to as ‘digital natives.’” Although Becker goes on to say that this doesn’t necessarily reflect brand loyalty. Whether its digital or print, these publications still resonate with these readers. Of course, advertising has always been a major revenue for print, which translates into advertising becoming a major threat for digital revenue if publications do not properly utilize ads online. Additionally, social media poses a substantial threat as advertising moves to these platforms for hyper-targeted advertising.
It's clear that wherever magazines go from here, multi-platform business models will be key. An increasingly online presence will be crucial to maintaining revenue and relevancy. According to Becker, “…in recent years, we have seen magazine publishers begin to share content in dozens of new ways, from video to social media to apps.” Additionally, newspapers and magazines have adopted pay-to-read digital models that can replace the old mail subscriptions. Free-lance work also attempts to cut costs of having to pay for office space for less essential personnel. Some publications have even begun subscription based style boxes where readers can try products each month chosen by staffers.
Works Cited Becker, Risa. “The Numbers Are In: Magazine Brands Thrive in the Digital Ecosytem – Folio.” Folio, 7 Feb. 2019, www.foliomag.com/numbers-magazine-brands-thrive-digital-ecosytem/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020. Benedict, Catherine. “The Future of the Magazine Industry.” Business Today Online Journal, 26 Apr. 2018, journal.businesstoday.org/bt-online/2018/the-future-of-the-magazine-industry. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020. "Magazine Media Factbook 2017-18." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed Feb. 2018. Web. “Strengths & Weaknesses of Magazine Advertising.” Evok Advertising, 2 Oct. 2018, www.evokad.com/strengths-weaknesses-of-magazine-advertising/. "Top 10 Magazine Brands - Nov. 2017." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
All Media has been affected due to times changing and becoming more digital. Music has gone from records to tapes to CDs to streaming on our phones, tablets, and laptops. Television and Film have gone from silent black and white to explosions, musicals, and some of the most mind-blowing special effects. Newspapers now have the pressure of being the first one to get the story out in our constant 24/7 news cycle. Magazines have taken one of the biggest hits… or so I thought.
According to MPA’s Magazine Media Factbook, “the top 25 print magazines reach more adults and teens than the top 25 primetime shows.” This shows us that despite the fact that our society is obsessed with technology and making everything digital, print media, especially in magazines still reach a massive amount of people. One of the strengths of the magazine industry is that they do not put out a new issue every day. This allows the journalists to take time with their stories which is a luxury that newspapers do not have. Another strength is that magazines make a lot of profit through advertisings. According to MPA’s Magazine Media Factbook, “62% of readers take action after seeing a print magazine ad. Readers notice and act on print magazine advertising regardless of size or placement.”
One way magazines are adapting to their audience by making their presence known online through social media. Social Media is slowly taking over our society and if you want your brand, business, company, etc, to be known, you better have a social media page for it. Magazines have hundreds of millions of followers through social media alone. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc, have billions of people using their platforms every single day. The use of social media is extremely important which magazines have shown us through the findings in MPA’s Magazine Media Factbook. Although all these things can be positive for magazines there are also some challenges that come along with it. For starters, having an online presence is important but if there are one too many mistakes published the brand will be labeled as fake news. Magazines adapting to their audiences and creating a presence online may also create a pressure of needing to release articles every day rather than once a week. Although magazines are not struggling now, I do predict that they will within the next 10-20 years. Due to our 24/7 news cycle, no one is going to want to buy a magazine to read about events when they can whip out there phones and google it for free.
Kalim, Faisal. “‘Magazines Are Alive and Well’: Publishers Refresh Their Strategies for the Print Format: What's New in Publishing: Digital Publishing News.” What's New in Publishing | Digital Publishing News, 13 Aug. 2019, whatsnewinpublishing.com/magazines-are-alive-and-well-publishers-refresh-their-strategies-for-the-print-format/. "Top 10 Magazine Brands – June. 2019" MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Web.
“Magazine Media Factbook 2018-2019.” MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Web.
Magazines are adapting to their audiences by targeting those who are still subscribing to them. They have to target their niche audience or they will not make any money or stay relevant because that’s all they have. According to the Magazine Media Fact Book, “Americans of all ages read magazines—especially younger adults. In the last six months, 94% of readers are under the age of 25.” People don’t just have to pick up or subscribe to print magazines anymore, like I did growing up, you are able to get them as apps on your phone. The Magazine Media Fact Book showed that the top ten total brand audience magazines were: 1. ESPN The Magazine 2. People 3.WebMB Magazine 4. Allrecipes 5. AARP 6. Good Housekeeping 7. Better Homes and Gardens 8. Cosmopolitan 9. National Geographic 10. Vanity Fair
These top ten magazines make since considering the audience that they are trying to target. I think the fact that magazines also rely heavily on advertisements is what gives them a leg up. They can use information from advertisements to find which magazines they want to place ads in when targeting their audience. For example, you wouldn’t put the same ads in Cosmopolitan as you would in The Economist. Their audience is different. Another strength for magazines today is their social media following. The Magazine Media Fact Book says that the “magazine media industry has a total of 1.1 billions likes/followers.” I personally find it convenient to read articles on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. That is another way for them to reach their target audience considering that people below the age of 25 use social media daily. The Magazine Media Fact Book also gave examples of how social media is a strength for the industry and how it enhances audience engagement: -“Facebook’s recent addition of Reaction emotions (angry, sad, etc.) have joined Likes, Comments and Shares as engagement opportunities” (p. 21). -“Twitter’s fast-paced, concise format makes it easy for a brand, or a person to connect” (p. 21). -“Instagram’s higher engagement rates are in part, due to high use of visuals and limited, user-friendly response icons” (p. 21).
I think some challenges magazines continue to face is that based on research, “people prefer print on paper for reading—whether for enjoyment or for comprehension.” Which is something I do agree with but, that is not have society is evolving. We went to save the planet and use less paper and we find it more convenient to get our information online because it is quicker and easier to share with our friends.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2017-18." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
"Top 10 Magazine Brands - Nov. 2017." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
"Brand Audience Report Top Nov. 2017." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
Magazines are adapting to their audiences through proper targeting. Magazine creators know that they have a niche audience to target and rely heavily on this. They are read mostly by young people that are looking to read longform content. 94% of adults that read newspapers are under the age of 25 (“Magazine Media Factbook”). They are powered heavily by advertisers and readers know that they will be getting advertisements when they pick up their favorite magazine (“Strengths and Weaknesses”). This is often an enjoyable part. You can see the latest trends in beauty, home, fashion, or technology depending on what type of magazine you are reading. Magazines are also staying successful because unlike newspapers, they are not published daily and have more content in one issue.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Media Magazine Brand Audience Report in June of 2019 (“Top 10 Magazine Brands”), the 10 most popular magazines in print and digital were as follows:
1. AARP
2. People
3. Better Homes and Gardens
4. National Geographic
5. ESPN the Magazine
6. Good Housekeeping
7. Reader’s Digest
8. Southern Living
9. Woman’s Day
10. Cosmopolitan
This shows the success of niche branded publications. People like to know that what they are picking up will fit their expectations and is relevant to them (“Magazine Media Factbook”). For example, when reading Better Homes and Gardens, readers know that they will be seeing home and lifestyle articles, advertisements, and recipes and wont’ be expecting to read about technology or politics.
Some of the challenges of newspapers are actually similar to their strengths. While magazine supporters are looking to hold that glossy paper and read the articles and advertisements, those who are not interested in magazines say they feel this way because they do not like print media or reading longform content. Just as book readers like the feeling of holding a physical book and being able to turn the pages, non-readers do not understand the attraction of having to carry around a clunky paperback when they can simply read short content on their cellphones. They prefer to get their news and entertainment digitally and in short snip its. They do not want to purchase or subscribe to a magazine when they feel they could find the same content on Twitter and Instagram. The largest weaknesses of the magazine industry are that printed content is becoming less popular and the advertising industry is very saturated.
As someone who is interested in going into advertising, I base a lot of the success of magazines on the performance of advertising in the industry. One of the perks of magazine advertising is that it is highly targeted. Magazines are made for specific, niche interests and therefore advertisers can properly estimate who will view their ads. For example, Sephora knows not to advertise in National Geographic. Magazines also allow for more copy-heavy messages. Readers are receptive and there is more time and space on the page for extra words compared to a billboard or social media ad. There is also a long shelf life for magazines so the money placed behind the ad is worthwhile. Some of the downfalls are that there is no way to ensure that the reader turns to the exact page that your ad is on and they may not even pick up the issue for weeks or months after it arrives (“Strengths and Weaknesses”).
Works Cited
"Magazine Media Factbook 2017-18." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
“Strengths & Weaknesses of Magazine Advertising.” Evok Advertising, 2 Oct. 2018, www.evokad.com/strengths-weaknesses-of-magazine-advertising/.
"Top 10 Magazine Brands - Nov. 2017." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
According to The Association of Magazine Media 2019 Factbook, the main audience for magazines is younger adults. 93% of readers are under age 35 and 94% are under age 25 (Factbook 2019). Magazine companies are adapting to their audiences by collecting data about their lifestyle habits in relation to their magazine using habits. The Factbook showed numerous graphs that reflected data they had collected over the last few years. For example, one visual was showing the average amount of money that affluent magazine readers were spending on vacations in the last twelve months. The data for magazine users was compared to users of the internet, TV, radio, mobile web and mobile apps. In all of the categories that were reported on, magazine readers were at the top with the majority of what was being measured.
ReplyDeleteMagazine Media 360 reported in 2019 that the top three magazine brands were AARP, People and Better Homes and Gardens. A strength for magazine companies is that they have this data. They know what their readers want, and they can provide that for them. If someone is subscribing to People magazine, they clearly have an interest in celebrities and the media as opposed to someone who is a subscriber to AARP and is looking for content more driven towards older adults. An article published by BBC News about print surviving the media industry said, “… a celeb mag will be bought as a treat for the reader, which makes it a dispensable purchase in comparison to the high-quality news analysis publication providing information that its readers regard as valuable and essential” (McIntosh, 2017). People have different motives for reading print, and some people just enjoy it for the more relaxing content. A big challenge for the print industry is the amount of readable content online. If you see a story on a magazine cover, you are probably more likely to read about it on social media or an internet search than you are to purchase the magazine and read it.
References:
“Magazine Media Factbook 2017-2018.” MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
“Top 10 Magazine Brands- Nov. 2017.” MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
McIntosh, S. (2017, August 12). Magazines: How print is surviving the digital age. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40897967
Quinn Frankel
ReplyDeleteGrowing up the greatest day of the week was when I’d open up the mailbox and seeing the newest copy of Sports Illustrated ready to be read. Most of my friends also had subscriptions to Sports Illustrated because it was the best way to learn about biggest sporting events that happened in the past week. As popular as social media has become, it’s led to the fall off of the magazine industry. In-depth stories, photos, and interviews can all be found instantly after events happen, and our society doesn’t want to wait for that information to come to them a week later in the mail. “Magazine sales have sputtered for years, their monopoly on readers and advertising was erased by Facebook, Google and other online competitors (Ember).” Because the competition was growing online, magazine companies had to adapt to their audience by establishing a strong presence on social media, and finding new ways of connecting to their audiences. Magazine companies found that Facebook was the most popular social media site for their audiences. “Facebook maintained the largest share of likes/followers and accounted for nearly half of the entire magazine active audience. (MPA)” One of the reasons that Facebook was so successful for the magazine industry was the absorbent amount of content on the social media site. More posts on Facebook leads to more overall engagement. Social media helped the magazine industry reach more unique audiences. In the first quarter of 2019, The Food Network Magazine had the most likes and followers on Facebook with 29,370,664 different interactions (MPA).
Quinn Frankel (Part 2)
DeleteIn June of 2019, The Food Network Magazine wasn’t even in the top 10 of average monthly audience members for print, web, mobile, or video (MagazineMedia360). Outside of connecting with its audiences on social media, magazines attempted to join the streaming world as well. “As publishers grasped for new revenue streams, a try-anything approached led Time Inc. to start a new streaming TV show, “Paws & Claws,” features viral videos of animals (Ember).” Time Inc. took an extreme approach to trying new ways of adapting to their audience. Although the magazine industry hasn’t seen a ton of positive light in the past couple of years, there are some positives for magazines. Neuroscientists have released studies that when an audience members see print ads they’ll remember more than a digital ad. “Paper-based reading drives sensory involvement which contributes to reader impact, makes the reader slow down their reading pace, stimulates emotions and desires, and in the end adds a higher comprehension and recall rate(MPA).” Audience members see so many different articles, images and videos online that it’s hard to know what actually captures their attention. A magazine on the other hand, will still have the readers complete and full attention when they are reading it since there’s way less distractions on a magazine than online.
"Top 10 Magazine Brands – June. 2019" MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Web.
“Magazine Media Factbook 2018-2019.” MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Web.
Ember, Sydney, and Michael. “The Not-So-Glossy Future of Magazines.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/business/media/the-not-so-glossy-future-of-magazines.html.
Most media industries have been impacted by the digital age and the quick adoption of the internet for all our needs. But, print media has specifically been a source for a lot of negativity. There’s seemingly endless discourse about “dead” print media. However, it turns out this could be slightly exaggerated, according to some recent studies.
ReplyDeleteMagazines still have quantifiable strengths despite what online-only people at Snapchat or Daily Mail would want you to believe. The MPA Centennial Factbook (“Magazine Media Factbook”) contains surprising research about the strengths magazines still possess. From the get-go, it points out that “this past year we saw 191 new print magazine brands launch with a frequency of quarterly or greater. That is a 46% increase over the year before” (“Magazine Media Factbook”). To play devil’s advocate, the success of these brands is unknown. But, it does immediately try to quell some of the alarmist claims of a dying magazine landscape. If anything, it shows that there are still people who believe in the medium.
This may be due to the aforementioned quantifiable strengths. More specifically, magazines (and other traditional media) are trusted. A graph in the Magazine Media Factbook shows that in 2019, individuals, by percent, trusted search engines and traditional media most for general news and information. It found that people actually trusted online-only media least which actually goes against what most people tend to believe. It’s also worth noting that social media was second to last. Like “Strengths & Weaknesses of Magazine Advertising” points out, this may be due to the offering of, “that third-party credibility that so many of us subconsciously desire.” Consumers are aware that editors carefully curate the things they see and read on these publications. There’s a name and a face that takes ownership and responsibility for what is published. With a name like Vogue comes a trusted level of expertise due to decades of proven credibility.
Then, this expertise and editorial curation builds loyalty with readers, especially on social media where these sub-communities of readers gather. The editorial team at Vogue is still more respected in the fashion world than Kylie Jenner promoting designers on her own social media. According to the numbers in the Magazine Media Factbook, “for every quarter monitored, magazine brands outperformed non-magazine brands on the majority of the networks tracked, establishing magazine media brands as significant social media influencers.” This proves that, even in the digital age, magazines are still respected as taste-makers and gatekeepers—more than rogue, self-made social media influencers.
Cat Donmoyer
According to Becker, this could be due to what a magazine brand represents. Becker says, “Whatever the outlet, a magazine brand signals a certain mindset, style, and set of interests—one that usually holds true in every touchpoint.” Magazines are targeted much more than the internet for a plethora of niches including audiences such as those represented in the results of "Top 10 Magazine Brands Nov. 2017” study from the MPA. Niches like health junkies are represented by EatingWell, outdoorsmen by Outside, retired folks by AARP, sports fans by ESPN the Magazine and more. This wide array is only the top ten. Not only are some of these keeping consistent followings but the study also shows those top ten for growth which is important to note.
DeleteRegardless of these strengths, it has been a “get with the picture” time for magazines, and print generally, for years. Obviously, magazines profits drop as people read less and less. But, they also decrease as more and more readers are satisfied reading digital versions, specifically younger demographics. According to Becker, “Looking at the past three years, we have seen a gradual decline in paper edition readership among the top 183 titles. The most notable fall-off has been—not surprisingly—among the 18-to-24 and 25-to-34 age groups, who are often referred to as ‘digital natives.’” Although Becker goes on to say that this doesn’t necessarily reflect brand loyalty. Whether its digital or print, these publications still resonate with these readers. Of course, advertising has always been a major revenue for print, which translates into advertising becoming a major threat for digital revenue if publications do not properly utilize ads online. Additionally, social media poses a substantial threat as advertising moves to these platforms for hyper-targeted advertising.
It's clear that wherever magazines go from here, multi-platform business models will be key. An increasingly online presence will be crucial to maintaining revenue and relevancy. According to Becker, “…in recent years, we have seen magazine publishers begin to share content in dozens of new ways, from video to social media to apps.” Additionally, newspapers and magazines have adopted pay-to-read digital models that can replace the old mail subscriptions. Free-lance work also attempts to cut costs of having to pay for office space for less essential personnel. Some publications have even begun subscription based style boxes where readers can try products each month chosen by staffers.
Works Cited
Becker, Risa. “The Numbers Are In: Magazine Brands Thrive in the Digital Ecosytem – Folio.” Folio, 7 Feb. 2019, www.foliomag.com/numbers-magazine-brands-thrive-digital-ecosytem/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.
Benedict, Catherine. “The Future of the Magazine Industry.” Business Today Online Journal, 26 Apr. 2018, journal.businesstoday.org/bt-online/2018/the-future-of-the-magazine-industry. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2017-18." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed Feb. 2018. Web.
“Strengths & Weaknesses of Magazine Advertising.” Evok Advertising, 2 Oct. 2018, www.evokad.com/strengths-weaknesses-of-magazine-advertising/.
"Top 10 Magazine Brands - Nov. 2017." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
All Media has been affected due to times changing and becoming more digital. Music has gone from records to tapes to CDs to streaming on our phones, tablets, and laptops. Television and Film have gone from silent black and white to explosions, musicals, and some of the most mind-blowing special effects. Newspapers now have the pressure of being the first one to get the story out in our constant 24/7 news cycle. Magazines have taken one of the biggest hits… or so I thought.
ReplyDeleteAccording to MPA’s Magazine Media Factbook, “the top 25 print magazines reach more adults and teens than the top 25 primetime shows.” This shows us that despite the fact that our society is obsessed with technology and making everything digital, print media, especially in magazines still reach a massive amount of people. One of the strengths of the magazine industry is that they do not put out a new issue every day. This allows the journalists to take time with their stories which is a luxury that newspapers do not have. Another strength is that magazines make a lot of profit through advertisings. According to MPA’s Magazine Media Factbook, “62% of readers take action after seeing a print magazine ad. Readers notice and act on print magazine advertising regardless of size or placement.”
One way magazines are adapting to their audience by making their presence known online through social media. Social Media is slowly taking over our society and if you want your brand, business, company, etc, to be known, you better have a social media page for it. Magazines have hundreds of millions of followers through social media alone. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc, have billions of people using their platforms every single day. The use of social media is extremely important which magazines have shown us through the findings in MPA’s Magazine Media Factbook. Although all these things can be positive for magazines there are also some challenges that come along with it. For starters, having an online presence is important but if there are one too many mistakes published the brand will be labeled as fake news. Magazines adapting to their audiences and creating a presence online may also create a pressure of needing to release articles every day rather than once a week. Although magazines are not struggling now, I do predict that they will within the next 10-20 years. Due to our 24/7 news cycle, no one is going to want to buy a magazine to read about events when they can whip out there phones and google it for free.
Kalim, Faisal. “‘Magazines Are Alive and Well’: Publishers Refresh Their Strategies for the Print Format: What's New in Publishing: Digital Publishing News.” What's New in Publishing | Digital Publishing News, 13 Aug. 2019, whatsnewinpublishing.com/magazines-are-alive-and-well-publishers-refresh-their-strategies-for-the-print-format/.
"Top 10 Magazine Brands – June. 2019" MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Web.
“Magazine Media Factbook 2018-2019.” MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Web.
Allison Roethke Blog #4
ReplyDeleteMagazines are adapting to their audiences by targeting those who are still subscribing to them. They have to target their niche audience or they will not make any money or stay relevant because that’s all they have. According to the Magazine Media Fact Book, “Americans of all ages read magazines—especially younger adults. In the last six months, 94% of readers are under the age of 25.” People don’t just have to pick up or subscribe to print magazines anymore, like I did growing up, you are able to get them as apps on your phone. The Magazine Media Fact Book showed that the top ten total brand audience magazines were:
1. ESPN The Magazine
2. People
3.WebMB Magazine
4. Allrecipes
5. AARP
6. Good Housekeeping
7. Better Homes and Gardens
8. Cosmopolitan
9. National Geographic
10. Vanity Fair
These top ten magazines make since considering the audience that they are trying to target. I think the fact that magazines also rely heavily on advertisements is what gives them a leg up. They can use information from advertisements to find which magazines they want to place ads in when targeting their audience. For example, you wouldn’t put the same ads in Cosmopolitan as you would in The Economist. Their audience is different.
Another strength for magazines today is their social media following. The Magazine Media Fact Book says that the “magazine media industry has a total of 1.1 billions likes/followers.” I personally find it convenient to read articles on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. That is another way for them to reach their target audience considering that people below the age of 25 use social media daily. The Magazine Media Fact Book also gave examples of how social media is a strength for the industry and how it enhances audience engagement:
-“Facebook’s recent addition of Reaction emotions (angry, sad, etc.) have joined Likes, Comments and Shares as engagement opportunities” (p. 21).
-“Twitter’s fast-paced, concise format makes it easy for a brand, or a person to connect” (p. 21).
-“Instagram’s higher engagement rates are in part, due to high use of visuals and limited, user-friendly response icons” (p. 21).
I think some challenges magazines continue to face is that based on research, “people prefer print on paper for reading—whether for enjoyment or for comprehension.” Which is something I do agree with but, that is not have society is evolving. We went to save the planet and use less paper and we find it more convenient to get our information online because it is quicker and easier to share with our friends.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2017-18." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
"Top 10 Magazine Brands - Nov. 2017." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.
"Brand Audience Report Top Nov. 2017." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2018. Web.