• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 7, 2014

Magazine Circs Slip in First Half

The total circulation of magazines tracked by the Alliance for Audited Media (formerly the Audit Bureau of Circulations) slipped 1.9% between the first half of 2013 to the first half of 2014, reflecting a 1.8% decrease in paid subscriptions and an 11.9% drop in newsstand sales.

Although declines were spread across all categories, some suffered more than others.

A number of celebrity weeklies took hits, with one of the biggest drops occurring at In Touch Weekly, where total circ tumbled 22.3% from 554,496 to 431,038. Most of that was due to lower newsstand sales, which fell 23.5% from 522,736 to 376,858, while subs slipped 1.1% to 31,396. Life & Style Weekly saw its total circ decline 20.8% from 281,533 to 223,042. Again, this was due to falling newsstand sales, down 21.7% from 272,424 to 213,192; subs posted a modest 8.1% gain from 9,109 to 9,850.

Women’s interest magazines also suffered. Woman’s World saw total circ fall 14.9% from 1,223,792 to 1,041,326, with newsstand sales down 16% from 1,111,756 to 1,041,326. First for Women’s total circ declined 12%, from 1,220,199 to 1,073,316, as single copy sales slipped 13.9% from 1,005,300 to 865,665. Woman’s Day posted a smaller 3.1% drop from 3,394,754 to 3,288,335.

However, no category was immune, and iconic titles were especially vulnerable. Reader’s Digest saw total circ tumble 38.1% from 5,520,573 to 3,393,573, due to drops in both paid and verified subscriptions, while single-copy sales rose 16.1% to 181,967. The National Enquirer’s total circ fell 10.9% from 532,522 to 474,573, reflecting an 11.1% drop in newsstand sales. Among business titles, Money’s total circ declined 10% from 1,930,480 to 1,737,129. National Geographic was down 10.7% from 4,001,937 to 3,572,348, and Playboy fell 15.9% from 1,263,257 to 1,062,790.

GQ Offers Promotions by “Elite” Readers

Advertisers who spend at least $100,000 advertising in GQ can get additional promotional bang for the buck courtesy of GQ’s “elite” readers, according to Ad Age. GQ has assembled a cadre of 57 “elite” readers who will help promote brands across print and digital channels, including their own social media feeds. The members of the “GQ57” don’t get paid for their work, but they do benefit from increased exposure.

Food & Wine Launches Table, Cookware Collection
 
Food & Wine has partnered with Gorham to launch a new, branded tableware and cookware collection. The Food & Wine Collection will be sold exclusively on Amazon.com, beginning in September. It includes three main lines of dishes: Modern Farmhouse, with a Scandinavian inspiration, The Entertainer, for parties and everyday use, and On the Dot, which has a raised dot to help home chefs plate food as artistically as a professional. The collection also has three different styles of flatware, as well as drinkware, oven-to-table bakeware, and two cookware lines in stainless steel and enameled cast iron.
 
WWEMagazine Folds

WWE Magazine is folding after 30 years in print, according to an announcement from the professional wrestling organization, WWE. The decision includes WWE Kids and WWE Specials. The final issue of WWE Magazine will be September 16.

"Magazine stand" photo from Shutterstock.