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Small can be beautiful
You don't need a giant publisher to succeed
By Niharika Desai
Women’s health and fitness magazines were in fine form in 2001, but arguably none more so than Shape.
The 1.5 million-circulation monthly from Weider Publications finished the year up 20.9 percent in ad pages, increasing total-year revenue 51.4 percent over 1999, to $71.3 million.
It is worth noting that this growth has taken place over a period of major mergers and acquisitions across all forms of media, including magazines. The premise behind most such deals is that you need to be big to compete in an increasingly global media environment.
The success of Shape from Weider, a publishing house with but a handful of titles, most having to do with fitness, suggests that this premise may be wishful thinking on the part of those who put such deals together.
Yes, clout does matter. But no amount of clout can best the traditional factors behind magazine success: Strong editorial, smart marketing and solid management.
After debuting a redesigned cover last April, Shape’s newsstand sales have been up by more than 20 percent—this at a time when single copy sales for most mass-audience titles are flagging.
The newsstand gains cap a four-year growth spurt that has seen the magazine’s circulation increase by two-thirds, according to publishing director Carolyn Bekkedahl.
Now, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary, Shape will try to keep things rolling with a redesigned interior that will include more fashion and beauty pages. The new look, which can be seen in the upcoming March issue, is part of a push on the part of Shape to broaden its appeal to all-important fashion and beauty advertisers.
"Two-thousand-one will be our year to get fashion advertisers," says Bekkedahl, who notes that January’s ad pages will be up 19 percent over last year.
She chalks up the current strength of both Shape and its rivals to the continuing national mania for healthy living, a trend that has affected everything from yoga class enrollments to herbal supplement sales.
"The active, balanced lifestyle is very hip now," says Bekkedahl, echoing the publishers of other health and fitness titles. "Advertisers are seeing how hip and relevant health is to women and to what they are marketing."
Shape’s success in capitalizing on the healthy living boom has its roots in an editorial change of direction that took place about five years ago, says Bekkedahl. That was when Weider began steering the magazine away from narrow exercise and diet coverage toward a more inclusive emphasis on overall wellness.
"Fitness is not just about the workout or the diet but about healthy relationships and beauty, which makes healthy living more accessible and relevant to every woman," she says.
Not surprisingly, this softer lifestyle-based approach has gone over well with advertisers beyond traditional fitness categories. Bekkedahl says the magazine has seen its strongest growth in beauty advertising, with clients now including Estee Lauder and Chanel.
A quick flip through Shape makes it apparent that the magazine has also benefited from various federal regulations that have made print an ever more attractive medium for pharmaceutical advertisers.
In particular, Bekkedahl says rules that require advertisers to run broadcast campaigns simultaneously with print ads have been of help in bringing in drug dollars.
Shape is not the only fitness magazine that has been riding the favorable breezes that are blowing. Conde Nast’s 1.1 million-circulation Self finished 2000 up 6.9 percent in ad pages and 12.8 percent in revenue, with $74.6 million.
Time Inc.’s 1.3 million circulation Health jumped 26.6 percent in pages and 52 percent in dollars, to $49.8 million, while Rodale’s Prevention, a 3 million-circulation digest, was up 13.4 percent in pages and 24 percent in dollars, to $89.8 million.
Gruner + Jahr’s Fitness, a 1 million-circulation monthly, had an off year. The title, which this month introduced a redesign under new editor Emily Listfield, was down 11.8 percent in ad pages and 2.7 percent in dollars, to $43.0 million in 2000.
-Niharika Desai is a staff writer for Media Life.
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