The median age of magazine readers is growing older. What that means for media buyers and planners, however, is far from certain. According to the latest batch of numbers from Mediamark Research & Intelligence, the median age of readers of 100 top magazines rose 0.3 years, from 44.7 to 45.0, for spring 2008 compared with spring 2007. Compared with 2003, the median age is up 1.3 years. But that could be attributable to many things: an aging population generally, more over-55 readers engaging in the medium, or a smaller number of under-45s reading magazines. Elle Decor, Harper’s Bazaar and Star were among the biggest gainers in median age, all rising at least three years compared with 2007. On the other hand, New York magazine saw its median age decline almost eight years, and Latina decreased nearly seven years. Truckin’ had the highest per-copy readership, 22.31, while Hemispheres had the highest median household income, more than $126,000. Julian Baim, chief research officer at Mediamark Research & Intelligence, talks to Media Life about what an increase in median age might mean, what influences readers-per-copy levels, and why most of MRI’s data points to a stable industry.

 
Almost half of the top magazines saw their median age rise slightly more than the population at large. Why is that, and what, if anything, does it mean?
 
It’s difficult to draw any substantial conclusions from a single comparison of one year to the next.

It is more important to look for overall trends over a longer period of time and, while median ages of readers are more up than down for larger magazines compared with five years ago, the overall differences are not significant.

This is especially true when you account for the increase of the median age in the general population.

In addition, the increase in median age does not necessarily mean that magazines are no longer attracting younger people. For example, if a magazine’s audience increases overall, but more so in the over-55 population than in the under-55 group, the median age will also increase. This is true despite the fact a magazine may actually have more younger readers than in previous years.

Did you see any similar trends for readership getting younger? What traits tie those titles together?
 
I would shy away from concentrating too heavily on age with regard to magazine readers as advertising targets.

You need to look at consumer behavior, their attitudes and their lifestyles, which are all revealed when you probe deeper into the MRI database. We know that agencies and advertisers make great use of that data.

Are there certain magazine genres that you expect will age more quickly over the next few years?
 
I would need a crystal ball to answer that. Much depends on how the individual magazines manage their editorial, circulation and distribution.

What traits do magazines with a high reader-per-copy average share?
 
There is no general explanation for all magazines that have high readers-per-copy. Many years ago, a magazine researcher presented a paper citing as many as 20 factors explaining readers-per-copy levels.
 
There are some factors that generally, but not always, are related to high readers-per-copy. Magazines that have substantial single-copy sales as a percentage of their overall circulation, or that have substantial public place distribution, tend to have more readers-per-copy. These factors contribute to high percentages of out-of-home readers.
 
Magazines that appeal to younger audiences also tend to have high RPC since younger people generally interact and share copies with many of their cohorts. In contrast, magazines with older audiences tend to have low RPC.
 
If there were a single explanatory factor, someone would have uncovered it by now.

What did you find most interesting or most surprising about these numbers?
 
There is nothing particularly surprising in the spring 2008 report. Most of the rating changes are especially stable compared to last spring’s report.

What's the most important thing media buyers and planners can take from them?
 
That even with all of the changes that are roiling the media landscape, magazine audiences remain vibrant and robust.