MPA and Kantar Media’s PIB show 2013 was a growth year for magazines across platforms
An exclusive analysis conducted by MPA, the US Association of Magazine Media, using Kantar Media’s PIB data for magazine ad pages and their tablet edition ad unit data base, shows a five per cent increase in the magazine media advertising footprint of print pages and tablet units.
In 2013, tablet magazine advertising units increased 16 per cent with print pages essentially flat at -0.2 per cent. The total footprint of print pages and tablet edition units’ healthy five per cent increase reflects a marked uptick. This data analysis of the 69 magazine media titles that measure both print ad page and iPad unit advertising affirms that 2013 was a successful year, with magazine media strongly resonating with consumers and advertisers.
Mary Berner, MPA’s president and CEO said: “It’s gratifying to see these positive trends in magazine media. We look forward to lots of good news in the year ahead.”
A look at all PIB-measured magazines for print versions only reveals print ad revenue of US$19.7bn dollars, a one per cent increase for 2013 over 2012. Print ad pages were slightly down (-4 per cent) for the full year, however, MPA noted that this is an improvement over 2012 year-to-date, which showed an eight per cent decline in ad pages and ad revenue loss of three per cent versus the prior year. Analyzing print magazines with full year information for both periods, a more accurate picture emerges. Print magazines’ full year data for both periods shows ad revenue climbed 3 per cent, with ad pages flat at -0.7 per cent.
Print category gainers for 2013 include: food and food products up in revenue (+6.7 per cent) and up in pages (+1.2 per cent), drugs and remedies up in revenue (+6.0 per cent) and up in pages (+2.1 per cent), home furnishings and supplies up in revenue (+5.6 per cent) and up in pages (+1.9 per cent) and toiletries and cosmetics up in revenue (+5.5 per cent) and up in pages (+1.2 per cent).
The positive advertising trend was also supported by SMI data miner which reports agency spending on print magazines was up nine per cent through November 2013 – more than television (three per cent), newspapers (three per cent), radio (two per cent) and out-of-home (two per cent).
Additionally, the latest Fall MRI 2013 release shows print audiences up 1 per cent and magazine media (print plus tablet) up two per cent versus the Fall MRI 2012 study, with five per cent growth among 18-24-year-olds. Tablet edition audiences increased an impressive 49 per cent during the same time period. Circulation data also shows dramatic tablet edition increases, with the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) reporting 85 per cent growth for digital magazine editions in the first half of 2013 versus the first half of last year.
