B-to-B Ad Pages Fall 28.6 Percent in February

Down nearly 30 percent year-to-date; worst since Great Depression, ABM says.

By Dylan Stableford
04/21/2009

Disclaimer: If you are looking for some positive magazine industry news, stop reading now.

Ad pages for b-to-b magazines fell 28.6 percent in February, according to the latest report from American Business Media’s Business Information Network.

Through the first two months of the year, ad pages are down nearly 29 percent. All 21 advertising categories tracked by BIN experienced declines during the period.

“It is clear that our industry is facing the toughest period since the Depression,” ABM president Gordon Hughes said in a statement.

Consumer magazines have not fared much better in 2009. Ad pages in consumer titles plunged 25.9 percent while ad revenue fell 20.2 percent in the first quarter, according to figures released last week by the Publishers Information Bureau.

“It is not a time for any of us to shirk the responsibility we owe our end users,” Hughes added. “What our industry does, and has always done, is provide information that makes business better and stronger. We will come through this period as a stronger industry, a more creative industry, and maybe even a more dedicated industry."

RELATED LINKS

Consumer Mag Ad Pages Plunge 25.9 Percent

Post Comment / Discuss This Story - Info/Rules

Double-whammy

Submitted by Kevin Matthews, ArchitectureWeek on Tue, 04/21/2009 - 10:55.

Yes, it is really tough. It is a double whammy: 1) The serious economic crisis, obviously. 2) The industry chasm-crossing problem. Print magazine culture, advertisers, and typical ad agencies still stuck on paper, when most of the eyeballs have moved online. When the print magazines let go, and the agencies and their ads move online, there will be enough revenue to produce great periodicals online. At least, when the economy recovers too...

B2B Slide Continues

Submitted by Jenae Rubin, www.MagazineAdvertisingSales.com on Tue, 04/21/2009 - 12:11.

One comment not made in this article is the fact that 29% is the "average" slide. This means some companies have done MUCH better and others MUCH, much worse. Why are some companies experiencing only a nominal impact while others are folding? A large responsibility rests on their sales force's capabilities. Here's a reality check: if you continue to do what you've been doing, you'll get the results you've been getting. In a good economy average survives. In a bad economy, what was average is now failure. If you don't want to go out of business, it's time to look at improving sales skill level. "The same old" is not cutting it any more.

To Jenae...

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 12:32.

Nice sales pitch, Jenae. You might want to work on your website a bit.