medialifemagazine.com
Not all magazines are being clobbered
By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Oct 14, 2009 - 7:38:58 AM
True, magazine ad pages slipped nearly 27 percent in the third quarter, and it's just the most recent quarter to report a dramatic slide in pages.
And true, it's not likely to get much better in the near term. It's unlikely magazine advertising will ever return to what it was in the late '90s, before the internet truly arrived to turn the media marketplace on its ear.
But for all the gloom, there are a handful of magazine categories that are doing surprisingly well.
One is health/fitness (see charts, below). Pages for the six titles are down 10.8 percent for the first nine months of 2009, and one title, Fitness, is actually up smartly, showing a gain of more than 11 percent, from 532 to 594 pages.
Why?
It's anyone's guess, but one assumes that in hard times people tend to take better care of themselves, spending more time in the kitchen and at the gym and less time going to expensive restaurants, and advertisers are paying attention.
Also holding up well are the women's service titles, particularly the older sister titles like Ladies' Home Journal. That title is down less than 1 percent in pages over the first three quarters, and the category as a whole is off 12.4 percent.
The titles seeing the deepest hurt are what's called the New Sisters, such as Martha Stewart Living, down 29 percent, and O, the Oprah Winfrey title, down 31 percent.
Why are the older titles faring better?
For one, they've worked hard at updating themselves to compete with the New Sisters, but they are also less dependent on ad categories that have cut back in ad spending, notably automotive and financial services, which have been suffering.
It would also make sense that, as with the health/fitness titles, women are spending more time in the kitchen, which makes them all the more attractive to the advertisers targeting mothers in the home.
Another category that's holding up well is parenting, even with the folding of two titles recently, Cookie and Wondertime. Pages are off the least of any category, 7 percent.
But perhaps the biggest surprise of the lot is the entertainment category.
If people are cutting back, one would assume the first thing to go would be spending on entertainment. And that's certainly true to some degree, yet movie theaters continue to do well--movies being seen as a cheap evening, despite rising ticket costs--and so much of entertainment journalism is devoted to movies and movie actors and related celebs.
And of course another big area of coverage is TV, and watching TV is often the thing one does when skipping a night on the town.
The category is down just over 13 percent in pages for the first nine months of 2009.
|
Automotive
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE |
35,674,135
|
51,225,140
|
-30.4
|
363.15
|
560.56
|
-35.2
|
|
AUTOWEEK |
19,711,155
|
30,010,217
|
-34.3
|
552.32
|
869.63
|
-36.5
|
|
CAR AND DRIVER |
122,076,025
|
145,420,761
|
-16.1
|
584.33
|
731.59
|
-20.1
|
|
HOT ROD |
41,809,877
|
46,920,632
|
-10.9
|
405.22
|
469.90
|
-13.8
|
|
MOTOR TREND |
86,366,999
|
119,556,424
|
-27.8
|
520.02
|
770.54
|
-32.5
|
|
ROAD & TRACK |
70,168,265
|
91,016,756
|
-22.9
|
572.39
|
783.24
|
-26.9
|
|
TOTALS |
375,806,456
|
484,149,930
|
-22.4
|
2,997.43
|
4,185.46
|
-28.4
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Entertainment/Celebrity
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY |
105,427,283
|
142,551,835
|
-26.0
|
635.84
|
903.01
|
-29.6
|
|
IN TOUCH WEEKLY |
69,490,023
|
108,377,853
|
-35.9
|
647.01
|
871.87
|
-25.8
|
|
LIFE & STYLE WEEKLY |
14,551,049
|
26,460,122
|
-45.0
|
288.63
|
416.04
|
-30.6
|
|
OK WEEKLY |
56,099,244
|
47,755,400
|
17.5
|
676.98
|
586.21
|
15.5
|
|
PEOPLE |
647,205,962
|
669,969,559
|
-3.4
|
2,348.32
|
2,551.53
|
-8.0
|
|
STAR |
123,350,932
|
129,608,208
|
-4.8
|
843.48
|
898.26
|
-6.1
|
|
TV GUIDE |
104,533,387
|
154,793,878
|
-32.5
|
553.57
|
755.63
|
-26.7
|
|
US WEEKLY |
226,613,221
|
236,212,573
|
-4.1
|
1,249.15
|
1,373.02
|
-9.0
|
|
TOTALS |
1,347,271,101
|
1,515,729,428
|
-11.1
|
7,242.98
|
8,355.57
|
-13.3
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Music
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
BLENDER |
7,737,017
|
37,407,971
|
-79.3
|
70.20
|
378.45
|
-81.5
|
|
ROLLING STONE |
106,699,746
|
125,205,510
|
-14.8
|
630.56
|
779.76
|
-19.1
|
|
SPIN |
20,084,647
|
26,815,290
|
-25.1
|
349.38
|
491.59
|
-28.9
|
|
VIBE |
25,927,392
|
56,703,353
|
-54.3
|
260.94
|
578.99
|
-54.9
|
|
TOTALS |
160,448,802
|
246,132,124
|
-34.8
|
1,311.08
|
2,228.79
|
-41.2
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Teen magazines
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
J-14 |
5,254,032
|
5,544,985
|
-5.2
|
163.54
|
180.37
|
-9.3
|
|
SEVENTEEN |
70,033,763
|
74,387,546
|
-5.9
|
537.92
|
608.49
|
-11.6
|
|
TEEN VOGUE |
55,410,364
|
81,013,431
|
-31.6
|
497.68
|
814.50
|
-38.9
|
|
TOTALS |
130,698,159
|
160,945,962
|
-18.8
|
1,199.14
|
1,603.36
|
-25.2
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Women's service/beauty
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
ALLURE |
99,914,462
|
140,555,123
|
-28.9
|
786.68
|
1,187.08
|
-33.7
|
|
COSMOPOLITAN |
248,233,433
|
278,661,396
|
-10.9
|
1,002.49
|
1,182.96
|
-15.3
|
|
GLAMOUR |
194,034,488
|
236,874,832
|
-18.1
|
1,010.34
|
1,302.37
|
-22.4
|
|
MARIE CLAIRE |
91,226,619
|
104,588,276
|
-12.8
|
767.30
|
938.65
|
-18.3
|
|
TOTALS |
633,409,002
|
760,679,627
|
-16.7
|
3,566.81
|
4,611.06
|
-22.7
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Fashion
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
ELLE |
188,067,557
|
226,257,338
|
-16.9
|
1,420.82
|
1,817.84
|
-21.8
|
|
HARPER'S BAZAAR |
117,284,967
|
151,751,556
|
-22.7
|
1,024.70
|
1,410.91
|
-27.4
|
|
IN STYLE |
226,500,376
|
258,990,756
|
-12.5
|
1,604.43
|
1,959.15
|
-18.1
|
|
LUCKY |
92,338,773
|
124,330,686
|
-25.7
|
835.62
|
1,184.38
|
-29.4
|
|
TOWN & COUNTRY |
49,547,196
|
92,034,382
|
-46.2
|
569.93
|
1,067.54
|
-46.6
|
|
VOGUE |
214,918,560
|
301,075,372
|
-28.6
|
1,477.76
|
2,204.36
|
-33.0
|
|
W |
68,127,519
|
120,351,876
|
-43.4
|
770.43
|
1,430.72
|
-46.2
|
|
TOTALS |
956,784,948
|
1,274,791,966
|
-24.9
|
7,703.69
|
11,074.90
|
-30.4
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Travel
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
ARTHUR FROMMERS BDGT TRVL |
18,942,566
|
23,733,510
|
-20.2
|
341.54
|
474.76
|
-28.1
|
|
CONDE NAST TRAVELER |
75,258,719
|
128,923,138
|
-41.6
|
655.37
|
1,187.97
|
-44.8
|
|
DEPARTURES |
31,026,014
|
53,232,229
|
-41.7
|
367.86
|
659.97
|
-44.3
|
|
ENDLESS VACATION |
11,091,905
|
10,493,050
|
5.7
|
133.27
|
132.95
|
0.2
|
|
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRVLR |
18,728,776
|
29,144,346
|
-35.7
|
249.26
|
412.08
|
-39.5
|
|
TRAVEL+ LEISURE |
85,923,618
|
106,426,039
|
-19.3
|
795.61
|
1,046.10
|
-23.9
|
|
TOTALS |
240,971,598
|
351,952,312
|
-31.5
|
2,542.91
|
3,913.83
|
-35.0
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
General Interest & Lifestyle
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
AARP-THE MAGAZINE |
101,615,390
|
125,967,405
|
-19.3
|
164.85
|
222.47
|
-25.9
|
|
ATLANTIC
MONTHLY THE |
17,742,848
|
21,704,738
|
-18.3
|
290.39
|
354.79
|
-18.2
|
|
GUIDEPOSTS |
23,155,924
|
30,763,844
|
-24.7
|
316.86
|
377.58
|
-16.1
|
|
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC |
56,180,796
|
71,303,289
|
-21.2
|
251.24
|
319.79
|
-21.4
|
|
NEW YORK
MAGAZINE |
108,808,540
|
153,387,248
|
-29.1
|
1,496.78
|
2,199.02
|
-31.9
|
|
NEW YORKER |
93,957,684
|
122,690,970
|
-23.4
|
728.45
|
1,015.11
|
-28.2
|
|
READER'S DIGEST |
174,464,854
|
184,569,534
|
-5.5
|
616.85
|
669.02
|
-7.8
|
|
SMITHSONIAN |
39,641,205
|
51,547,954
|
-23.1
|
272.40
|
377.43
|
-27.8
|
|
SOUTHERN LIVING |
123,904,816
|
143,695,778
|
-13.8
|
698.88
|
875.08
|
-20.1
|
|
SUNSET |
54,476,278
|
56,756,757
|
-4.0
|
500.57
|
567.91
|
-11.9
|
|
TEXAS
MONTHLY |
38,655,004
|
51,869,019
|
-25.5
|
1,022.60
|
1,353.08
|
-24.4
|
|
VANITY FAIR |
135,441,092
|
187,969,921
|
-27.9
|
854.82
|
1,297.09
|
-34.1
|
|
TOTALS |
968,044,431
|
1,202,226,457
|
-19.5
|
7,214.69
|
9,628.37
|
-25.1
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Parenting
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
AMERICAN BABY |
70,468,009
|
79,096,795
|
-10.9
|
362.33
|
434.68
|
-16.6
|
|
BABY TALK |
43,928,909
|
47,881,843
|
-8.3
|
279.79
|
326.62
|
-14.3
|
|
COOKIE |
35,672,154
|
37,360,933
|
-4.5
|
404.52
|
494.56
|
-18.2
|
|
FAMILY FUN |
78,651,596
|
75,434,521
|
4.3
|
446.30
|
493.69
|
-9.6
|
|
PARENTING |
0
|
99,831,195
|
-100.0
|
0.00
|
684.87
|
-100.0
|
|
PARENTING EARLY YEARS |
69,021,388
|
0
|
0.0
|
536.10
|
0.00
|
0.0
|
|
PARENTING SCHOOL YEARS |
21,084,085
|
0
|
0.0
|
474.05
|
0.00
|
0.0
|
|
PARENTS |
161,991,501
|
162,611,293
|
-0.4
|
975.08
|
1,039.02
|
-6.2
|
|
WONDERTIME |
4,483,721
|
15,233,312
|
-70.6
|
75.07
|
345.74
|
-78.3
|
|
TOTALS |
485,301,363
|
517,449,892
|
-6.2
|
3,553.24
|
3,819.18
|
-7.0
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Personal finance
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
BARRONS |
32,040,722
|
45,066,615
|
-28.9
|
726.71
|
1,060.68
|
-31.5
|
|
KIPLINGERS PERSNL FINANCE |
15,397,948
|
22,809,397
|
-32.5
|
203.10
|
308.72
|
-34.2
|
|
MONEY |
74,227,527
|
102,684,723
|
-27.7
|
378.37
|
540.04
|
-29.9
|
|
SMARTMONEY |
24,749,909
|
30,225,562
|
-18.1
|
277.05
|
359.31
|
-22.9
|
|
TOTALS |
146,416,106
|
200,786,297
|
-27.1
|
1,585.23
|
2,268.75
|
-30.1
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Newsweeklies
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
ECONOMIST |
78,172,434
|
93,483,849
|
-16.4
|
1,349.93
|
1,769.13
|
-23.7
|
|
NEWSWEEK |
164,231,242
|
238,878,206
|
-31.2
|
736.72
|
1,040.12
|
-29.2
|
|
THE WEEK |
25,766,774
|
19,760,226
|
30.4
|
428.83
|
381.62
|
12.4
|
|
TIME |
263,194,072
|
313,886,163
|
-16.1
|
932.58
|
1,179.46
|
-20.9
|
|
U.S.
NEWS |
20,260,369
|
138,259,938
|
-85.3
|
206.98
|
848.81
|
-75.6
|
|
TOTALS |
551,624,891
|
804,268,382
|
-31.4
|
3,655.04
|
5,219.14
|
-30.0
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Women's Service
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
BETTER HOMES & GARDENS |
557,534,448
|
547,346,531
|
1.9
|
1,189.08
|
1,226.29
|
-3.0
|
|
FAMILY CIRCLE |
310,058,104
|
254,590,657
|
21.8
|
1,222.53
|
1,059.21
|
15.4
|
|
FIRST FOR WOMEN |
29,423,312
|
33,070,597
|
-11.0
|
398.86
|
484.03
|
-17.6
|
|
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING |
344,710,320
|
392,701,258
|
-12.2
|
977.65
|
1,183.99
|
-17.4
|
|
LADIES' HOME JOURNAL |
225,511,330
|
220,113,560
|
2.5
|
891.14
|
898.33
|
-0.8
|
|
MARTHA
STEWART LIVING |
103,840,777
|
136,093,783
|
-23.7
|
651.61
|
917.26
|
-29.0
|
|
MORE |
92,812,076
|
82,346,521
|
12.7
|
634.14
|
647.85
|
-2.1
|
|
O-THE OPRAH MAGAZINE |
138,334,766
|
196,123,758
|
-29.5
|
897.46
|
1,306.18
|
-31.3
|
|
REAL SIMPLE |
151,061,830
|
192,935,749
|
-21.7
|
919.74
|
1,253.58
|
-26.6
|
|
REDBOOK |
142,857,178
|
150,442,526
|
-5.0
|
944.92
|
1,058.35
|
-10.7
|
|
WOMAN'S DAY |
274,538,411
|
281,788,728
|
-2.6
|
1,045.07
|
1,135.79
|
-8.0
|
|
WOMANS WORLD |
24,987,610
|
23,708,020
|
5.4
|
267.26
|
269.94
|
-1.0
|
|
WOMEN'S HEALTH |
63,900,299
|
58,709,640
|
8.8
|
452.48
|
536.95
|
-15.7
|
|
WORKING MOTHER |
20,963,412
|
22,957,038
|
-8.7
|
299.41
|
344.95
|
-13.2
|
|
TOTALS |
2,480,533,873
|
2,592,928,366
|
-4.3
|
10,791.35
|
12,322.70
|
-12.4
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Fan Sports
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
ESPN MAGAZINE |
168,066,800
|
198,525,050
|
-15.3
|
779.68
|
955.99
|
-18.4
|
|
SPORTING NEWS |
16,041,675
|
23,288,128
|
-31.1
|
248.36
|
370.30
|
-32.9
|
|
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED |
399,721,699
|
472,736,575
|
-15.4
|
1,129.82
|
1,396.54
|
-19.1
|
|
TOTALS |
583,830,174
|
694,549,753
|
-15.9
|
2,157.86
|
2,722.83
|
-20.8
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Personal Sports
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
BICYCLING |
26,106,807
|
32,692,540
|
-20.1
|
424.40
|
575.58
|
-26.3
|
|
GOLF DIGEST |
102,463,005
|
128,740,987
|
-20.4
|
756.75
|
1,027.30
|
-26.3
|
|
GOLF MAGAZINE |
110,213,906
|
150,451,957
|
-26.7
|
653.06
|
934.78
|
-30.1
|
|
GOLF WORLD |
29,818,362
|
37,126,217
|
-19.7
|
815.83
|
1,077.04
|
-24.3
|
|
RUNNERS WORLD |
50,601,927
|
54,535,072
|
-7.2
|
438.76
|
525.18
|
-16.5
|
|
SKI |
6,690,244
|
10,467,113
|
-36.1
|
156.45
|
198.49
|
-21.2
|
|
SKIING |
3,520,756
|
6,284,528
|
-44.0
|
109.13
|
144.52
|
-24.5
|
|
TENNIS |
16,213,843
|
21,265,947
|
-23.8
|
309.01
|
414.08
|
-25.4
|
|
TRAVEL + LEISURE GOLF |
6,457,563
|
28,867,001
|
-77.6
|
97.53
|
364.60
|
-73.3
|
|
TOTALS |
352,086,413
|
470,431,362
|
-25.2
|
3,760.92
|
5,261.57
|
-28.5
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Weekend magazines
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
AMERICAN PROFILE
|
145,135,462
|
175,649,461
|
-17.4
|
333.50
|
429.76
|
-22.4
|
|
LOS ANGELES TIMES MAG
|
13,470,350
|
14,514,500
|
-7.2
|
287.13
|
306.82
|
-6.4
|
|
NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE
|
163,418,310
|
285,017,997
|
-42.7
|
1,379.40
|
2,431.95
|
-43.3
|
|
PARADE
|
431,004,849
|
472,456,137
|
-8.8
|
432.69
|
508.80
|
-15.0
|
|
RELISH
|
85,018,887
|
85,091,394
|
-0.1
|
116.11
|
151.00
|
-23.1
|
|
SPRY
|
35,837,667
|
5,508,047
|
550.6
|
88.12
|
13.93
|
532.6
|
|
USA
WEEKEND
|
288,914,096
|
352,503,215
|
-18.0
|
402.43
|
514.08
|
-21.7
|
|
TOTALS |
1,162,799,621
|
1,390,740,751
|
-16.4
|
3,039.38
|
4,356.34
|
-30.2
|
|
Source: PIB |
|
Men's
Jan.-Sept. 2009 vs. 2008 |
|
Titles |
2009
$s |
2008 $s |
%
chnge |
'09
pages |
'08
pages |
%
chnge |
|
DETAILS |
36,655,918
|
51,068,449
|
-28.2
|
541.46
|
845.82
|
-36.0
|
|
ESQUIRE |
56,418,498
|
70,400,549
|
-19.9
|
477.77
|
626.53
|
-23.7
|
|
GQ |
101,915,207
|
139,555,199
|
-27.0
|
748.73
|
1,115.39
|
-32.9
|
|
MAXIM |
105,710,606
|
139,196,124
|
-24.1
|
421.69
|
590.48
|
-28.6
|
|
MEN'S FITNESS |
39,512,927
|
48,156,974
|
-17.9
|
| | |
