Folio RSS: Audience Development

Elle Decor Swallows ‘High Quality’ Metropolitan Home Subscribers

Jason Fell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:33:49 -0500

A little more than a week after folding Metropolitan Home, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. said Thursday it is rolling the magazine’s “highest quality” subscribers to Elle Decor. The move increases Elle Decor’s rate base 10 percent to 550,000.

Report: Magazines Account for a Quarter of Sales, Profits at Checkout

Jason Fell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:20:03 -0500

A study called "Front-End Focus" was recently made available by research firm Dechert-Hampe & Company that analyzed front-end performance at more than 300 stores. Magazines, along with confectionary and beverages, made up the "power" group of top performers at checkout.

People Draws Largest Audience, Growth in Readership

Jason Fell — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:05:47 -0500

People continues its reign as the magazine title with the largest audience by drawing in 45.1 million adult readers, according to top-line readership data from Mediamark Research Inc.’s fall 2009 report, which surveys circulation, audience and readers per copy.

Web Site Conversion Architecture: Turn Visitors into E-mail Subscribers

Dan Trombetto — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:06:24 -0400

At Mequoda Summit Boston in October, Web conversion architecture was top of mind. During one session, Mequoda managing partner Don Nicholas offered a deep-dive into 12 specific landing pages that convert.

‘iTunes for the Magazine Industry’ to Launch Paid Model

Vanessa Voltolina — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:18:33 -0400

Maggwire.com, a platform that provides magazine publishers with a framework for monetizing online content, recently announced plans to launch a ‘Premium’ service next year.

Big Pubs Looking for Strength in Numbers

Jason Fell — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:43:30 -0400

Mass publishers are partnering to solve mass publisher problems.

Does Anyone Play Newsstand Shuffle Anymore?

Jason Fell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:45:45 -0400

‘To win we had to compete almost every day.’

Fortune Cutting Frequency

Jason Fell — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:48 -0400

Starting next year, Time Inc.'s Fortune will publish 18 times, down from a 25-time frequency. The move coincides with a redesign of the magazine that will emphasize long-form journalism, more utility and a shift to conceptual cover designs.

Hefner: Playboy to Cut Rate Base

Jason Fell — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:46:55 -0400

Earlier this week, Playboy Enterprises founder Hugh Hefner announced via his Twitter feed that the company was reducing the rate base of its flagship magazine in order to “increasingly focus on quality over quantity.”

Print Edition of The Knot to Double Frequency

Jason Fell — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:35:22 -0400

The print edition of online wedding resource TheKnot.com is increasing frequency from semi-annual to quarterly beginning in 2010.

UPDATE: USPS Has ‘Extreme Prejudice’ Against Raising Rates Next Year

Jason Fell — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:25:12 -0400

NEW YORK—Having logged its 11th quarterly loss out of the last 12 quarters in August, magazine publishers have been waiting anxiously to find out how the United States Postal Service might raise its rates for mailers in 2010.

Target Launches Digital Newsstand

Vanessa Voltolina — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:54:26 -0400

Target has just thrown its hat into the digital newsstand ring with the launch of a site to sell digital-edition single copies and subscriptions. Early in 2010, the retailer expects to broaden the site into cross-merchandising

Believe It or Not, Fewer Magazines Folding in 2009

Vanessa Voltolina — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:17:37 -0400

Report: 383 titles shuttered so far compared with 613 in '08, 643 in '07.

Will Second Half Single-Copy Sales Bounce Back?

Dan Trombetto — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:09:07 -0400

There has hardly been a time in recent memory when magazine circulation has had to contend with such an unfriendly market.

Wholesaler Collapse Contributes to Full-Year Loss for Future US

Vanessa Voltolina — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:25:37 -0400

The newsstand chaos triggered by the shutdown of Anderson News in February exacerbated an already grim single-copy market for many publishers, but by how much is still largely being measured as numbers make their way in from distributors.

Source Interlink Settles Lawsuit Against Bauer

Jason Fell — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:09:56 -0400

Source Interlink recently reached a settlement with Bauer Publishing, effectively ending the antitrust lawsuit it filed in February against a number of magazine publishers, wholesalers and distributors.

Does The Economist's Cell Phone Newsstand Model Make Sense?

Vanessa Voltolina — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:00:09 -0400

Delivery expense and questionable scale raise doubts.

Wal-Mart's 'Project Impact' Program to Reduce Magazine Shelf Space

Jason Fell — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:41:40 -0400

In addition to shifting magazine aisles from the front-end of each store to the Entertainment department in the back, Wal-Mart’s “Project Impact” remodeling program for 650 of its stores will also decrease the number of authorize

MRI Adds More Titles, Data to AdMeasure Service

Jason Fell — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:50:05 -0400

If accountability for print ads is what marketers want, then MRI is continuing its attempts to get it. The audience data company is broadening its AdMeasure service to about 200 titles, almost double the amount when it launched in June.

MPA: Despite Newsstand Losses, Overall Consumer Circulation ‘Stable’

Jason Fell — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:36:37 -0400

Overall consumer magazine circulation through the first half was stable, with subscription gains offsetting newsstand declines.

What Outsourcing Circulation Really Means

Jason Fell — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:55:38 -0400

Save for high-level strategy and coordination, most publishers are probably already doing it.

Wal-Mart Sends Magazines to Back of Store

Jason Fell — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:44:54 -0400

In January, Wal-Mart began a significant remodeling program called "Project Impact" that, among other things, will shift magazines to the back of stores. About 650 stores nationwide—500 existing and 150 scheduled to open this year—are adopting the new floor-plan.

Green at Retail: Magazines Can Increase Environmental Stewardship

Jason Fell — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:32:32 -0400

Tips for improving newsstand marketing and distribution.

Publishers Pony Up for Plush Manhattan Show Houses

Vanessa Voltolina — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:53:02 -0400

Hearst, Hachette lock in top-notch real estate for annual programs.

A Web Traffic and Engagement Tip Sheet

Dan Trombetto — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:06:33 -0400

Everyone needs a review sometimes. And in the highly competitive and, especially for magazine publishers, make-or-break world of Web content publishing, SEO and engagement are two critical strategies that deserve perpetual oversight and review.

Celebrity, Fashion Magazines Collect Dust on Newsstands

Jason Fell — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:42:54 -0400

ABC’s FAS-FAX: Single copy sales drop through first half.

How to Please ‘Repeat Blasters’ Without Fatiguing Your E-Mail Lists

Dan Trombetto — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:52:00 -0400

At the 2009 Audience Development Show, Watt Publishing’s audience development director, Jim Wessel, shared some tactics for dealing with co-workers who insist on pummeling e-mail lists.

Newsstand Sales May Start Trending Up

Jason Fell — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:43:57 -0400

Significant declines in newsstand sales are expected across the board for publishers in ABC's upcoming Monday release of its Fas-Fax report.

BPA Worldwide Freezes Dues and Audit Rates

Jason Fell — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:18:22 -0400

With b-to-b publishers facing significant ad revenue declines and a beat-up economy that continues to make forecasting difficult, BPA Worldwide's board of directors has unanimously agreed to freeze audit rates and dues at July 2008 levels.

Marking 25 Years, Utne Reader Hikes Prices

Jason Fell — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:22:26 -0400

Ogden Publications' Utne Reader, a bimonthly digest of content from independent media, is celebrating its 25th anniversary by swimming against the tide of cheaper and smaller publications.

Time for Periodicals Class to Pay Up?

Jason Fell — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:15:00 -0400

USPS's Office of Inspector General wonders if price cap should end.

The Magazine Group Rebrands as TMG

Jason Fell — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:26:54 -0400

Custom publisher The Magazine Group is rebranding as TMG. The name change, it said, better reflects the group’s expanded services beyond editorial, production and design work for print magazines.

Success Expands Distribution to U.K.

Jason Fell — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:52:56 -0400

Success, the personal development magazine that has folded three times in its 118-year history, is about to see a new life again—this time overseas.

Publisher Taps ARGI’s Audience Management Platform

Jason Fell — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:29:52 -0400

Subscription fulfillment and database marketing firm ARGI said that stock investment publisher InvestorPlace Media has signed on as the group’s first client for its Acuity audience management platform.

ABC’s Rapid Report Shows Rough First-Half for Newsstand Sales

Vanessa Voltolina — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:27:41 -0400

According to estimated figures provided by publishers to ABC’s Rapid Report, titles in the business/finance, health and women’s interest categories have seen steep declines in newsstand sales as well as in total circulation compared to the same period last year.

How An Indie Music Magazine Cracked Wal-Mart

Jason Fell — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:26:37 -0400

Alternative Press, a well-regarded yet relatively obscure music magazine, is getting a lot more exposure this summer than it’s used to. The magazine partnered with Sony’s RED distribution group to produce a one-off title called Summer of Rock.

Preparing Your E-Lists for the Rental Market

Dan Trombetto — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:19:03 -0400

Publishers’ growing urgency to get their marketing messages in front of audiences in a more economical and immediate way has caused e-mail lists to become hot commodities on the rental market. But not every list is created equal. In order for publishers to generate a substantial revenue stream, the lists in question must be well maintained and competitively priced.

Battle Over Online Privacy Heats Up

Dan Trombetto — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:44:50 -0400

The Venable Consortium, a group of media industry associations lead by AAAA, IAB, ANA, DMA and backed by counsel providers Venable LLP, recently took a significant, proactive step in the release of its “Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising.” The publication is important because it’s a direct response to a growing call for stricter control over the tracking of consu

Will the USPS Seek An 'Exigent' Rate Increase?

Jason Fell — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:32:30 -0400

Postal Expert: “Everything’s a maybe—a scary maybe.”

Recently Folded? Beware of Angry Subscribers

Jason Fell — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:46:11 -0400

One Vibe reader sues defunct magazine over remaining issues.

July '09: The Month of Rising Rate Bases

Jason Fell — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:41:54 -0400

A sign of better times ahead, or an attempt to reel in skittish advertisers?

MRI to Shorten Release Time for Issue-Specific Data

Jason Fell — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:18:21 -0400

Mediamark Research & Intelligence announced Tuesday that is has shortened its release time for the magazine audience data that is reported in its Issue Specific Readership Study, which shows issue-to-issue changes in magazine titles’ average issue audiences, by two to six weeks.The new schedule is as follows:

Michael Jackson's Death Spurs 'Biggest Newsstand Push' Since Election

Jason Fell — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:39:42 -0400

Magazines continue to tap into the frenzy surrounding the death of music superstar Michael Jackson.

279 Magazines Shuttered in the First Half

Vanessa Voltolina — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:39:19 -0400

Report: New launches can't keep up with folding titles.

Tips and Quick Hits from Audience Development 2009

Dan Trombetto — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:45:02 -0400

Last month, FOLIO:’s sister magazine, Audience Development, held its annual conference, which focused on the changing role of circulators and the best practices they need to apply to a job—which, like almost every publishing discipline—is becoming more focused on digital initiatives.

The Case to Keep Print in Your Marketing Mix

Dan Trombetto — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:13:12 -0400

Considering that my company publishes a national magazine for college-bound teenagers, you might think the title of this article paints me as self-serving.

USPS Projects $677 Million Net Loss for May

Vanessa Voltolina — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:09:23 -0400

The USPS's downward spiral continued in May as a preliminary report filed with the PRC indicates a $677 million net loss for the month and a 20 percent drop in overall volume. Year-to-date losses total $3.4 billion.

Marie Claire Taps Twitter for More Than Just Traffic Bump

Jason Fell — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:00:14 -0400

Magazine's five uses of popular social media site.

USPS Looks to Reduce the Cost of Ride-Alongs

Vanessa Voltolina — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:36:34 -0400

The U.S. Postal Service is currently exploring ways to alleviate costs for the Periodicals class, according to the blog Dead Tree Edition.

Reader’s Digest to Cut Frequency, Slash Rate Base by 2.5 Million

Jason Fell — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:58:31 -0400

The Reader’s Digest Association today said it will reduce the rate base of Reader's Digest from 8 million to 5.5 million, beginning with the February 2010 issue. The magazine also will scale back its frequency from 12 to 10 times per year. Its global circulation will be 14.5 million.