Talking up the
true worth of magazines
Publishers are joining up to tout their medium
By Diego Vasquez
Mar 18, 2010
There's no arguing that 2009 was a rough year for magazines. Ad pages fell 25.6 percent and circulation was down double-digit percentages on the newsstand as money-pinched consumers held back on spending for all but necessities. The category saw little relief in fourth quarter, when many other media began to bounce back. So perhaps it's not surprising that magazine publishers are putting aside their competitive differences and joining together to sell the value of their medium as a vehicle for advertising. Time Inc., Meredith, Hearst, Condé Nast and Wenner Media will devote some 1,400 pages of ad space to a campaign touting the engagement value of magazines compared to the fleetingness of the web, at a price tag of $90 million. It's way too soon to say if it's working, but early reports have 2010 ad pages rising for a number of publications, among them Hearst's Good Housekeeping, whose pages fell 11 percent last year. Pat Haegele, senior vice president and publisher of Good Housekeeping, talks to Media Life about her optimism for 2010, how the industry is pulling together, and why her publication won't change its name.
It has obviously been a hard year for magazines all around. What has been the most important thing for magazine publishers to keep in mind during this recession?
It’s important for publishers to manage and plan for the long term. Strong and trusted brands rise to the top during difficult times. Magazines that differentiate themselves and are relevant to what’s happening in their readers’ lives are successful.
At Good Housekeeping, we’re focused on what makes our brand unique, which we consider to be primarily the Good Housekeeping Research Institute and the Seal, and we’re emphasizing both through new marketing partnerships and programs that add value for our readers and advertisers.
One example is GHRI on Tour, our interactive mobile exhibit of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, which allows visitors to see the tests that products go through to earn the Seal or to be featured in Good Housekeeping, editorially and in advertisements. It’s a truly experiential tour that gives consumers the opportunity to interact not only with the Good Housekeeping brand, but also with our advertising partners.
Would you say there's more sense of camaraderie between competing magazines during a downturn that affects an entire industry? Why or why not?
Magazine companies decided to come together and focus on our strengths as a medium of deep engagement. And, we’re united in our mission to disarm the naysayers.
In fact, magazine readership is the highest it's been in the last decade and consumers still desire the “escape” that only magazines can provide.
What is your sense of whether ad pages will be up, down or flat for the industry for the coming year?
In my opinion, we’ll see up pages year over year for the industry. We’re coming off of a challenging year, but we’re refocused and optimistic about 2010.
From what I’ve seen so far, many magazines are showing up paging for April issues. The first half is looking good.
After two year of losses, is flat the new up for magazines in terms of ad pages?
Only up is up, but flat is certainly better than down.
What I’m seeing is that marketers and consumers have recalibrated their spending, and that is reflected in the mix of advertisers you see in Good Housekeeping and other magazines. Everyone is looking for trust, value and return on investment.
This climate is challenging us to find new areas of growth and revenue streams. And we’re stretching ourselves creatively, which is something I believe our partners and our readers appreciate.
Would you say there's more sense of camaraderie between competing magazines during a downturn that affects an entire industry? Why or why not?
There is definitely an unspoken camaraderie among magazines during challenging times. I think we all understand the importance of communicating the message that magazines are a vital medium -- one that is as valued, valuable, and vibrant as ever.
What ad product categories held up best for Good Housekeeping during the past year?
We had a few categories that performed well last year: personal hygiene and health was up 15 percent while the industry was down 7.4 percent in that category. And hair products was another very strong segment for us – up 29 percent – when the industry was down 4 percent. I love animals, so I was extremely happy our pets business grew by 60 percent, nearly three times the industry's increase.
Which ad categories did you see declines in? How does that compare to the industry overall?
Before any ad can run in Good Housekeeping, it must first be evaluated and approved by the Research Institute; if it doesn’t pass, we reject the advertising. Last year alone, more than 300 pages of advertising ran in other women's magazines that wouldn’t have passed our evaluations, nor would the claims made in their advertisements.
As a publisher, it’s difficult to turn away business, especially in a challenging economy, but if the products fail, I have to. I take our brand trust very seriously.
As you can imagine, a lot of these pages were from the direct response category, and we saw some softness there.
How has Good Housekeeping changed over the past decade?
Good Housekeeping has always been the go-to resource for women who are looking for practical strategies and solutions, but the variety of topics we cover has grown and changed with the times.
We have always provided triple-tested recipes, fashion and beauty advice and household tips, but we've evolved with our readers over the past decade, and now our recipes are quick and healthy, fashion and beauty advice is conscious of style and budget, and our section “Good Enough Housekeeping” offers tips on how to get the best results in the least amount of time.
We also address serious issues, such as women and alcohol, and offer guidance on how to protect yourself and your family online, which are subjects that matter to our readers.
And, our January 2010 issue was the first with our new larger size. The 10 percent increase allows us to provide even more informative content and bigger visuals for engaging our readers.
How has the women's magazine category changed during that time?
As women’s lives have changed and expanded, the magazine category has expanded as well. There are many new, vibrant magazines in our competitive set now, including O, The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, and Martha Stewart Living.
To me, this is proof that women’s service is in style and in demand.
Has there ever been any thought to changing the title's name?
There’s enormous brand equity and a history of advocacy associated with Good Housekeeping; it’s an American icon. Why would we mess with that?
There's been a renewed interest in entertaining at home, but it’s true that women today simply don’t have time for all of the chores our mothers and grandmothers did, but the desire to enjoy our homes and spend quality time with our family and friends has not. And today, that’s what “Good Housekeeping” means.
What do you foresee for advertising in 2010, for GH and for magazines generally?
We’re off to a great start in 2010. Through April, we’re up 6 percent in pages and revenue. And I’m looking forward to our special 125th anniversary issue in May – we have a lot of exciting things planned for our readers and our advertisers.
Marketers recognize the importance of magazines, which deliver edited, thoughtful content like no other media does. Magazines provide a beautiful physical product that offers a real “visual vacation” through design and photography. And today, readers can also access our content on the go, via our web sites and mobile phone applications, and interact with us through events and promotions that bring the brand to life.
In my opinion, the future is bright for magazines and there is more opportunity now than ever before.
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