Bauer Media celebrates performance of key editorial brands in latest ABCs
LONDON, 16 February, 2012: Today’s ABC circulation figures have seen Bauer Media reinforce its commitment to deliver world class editorial products and commercial operations with strong results across its key portfolios.
The ABC results reveal strong consumer engagement with Bauer Media products at the newsstand and through subscriptions despite the economic conditions, with its brands reaching wider audiences than ever before through multiple platforms.
Bauer Media developments in the July-December 2011 period included continued investment in its brands, particularly in above-the-line media; the appointment of Mark Frith, an experienced editorial director for the Lifestyle portfolio, and more recently a more integrated sales structure which will enable all of Bauer’s customers to buy cross-media packages more simply.
Paul Keenan, chief executive, Bauer Media, said:
“We take a long term view with consistent focus and investment in our products and brands, and this has seen our reach and influence continue to grow. We deliver world-class magazines to millions of readers and these ABC results again recognise the efforts and skill of talented editorial teams. A strong performance for both Closer and heat is reward for our continued product and marketing investment, absolutely knowing who our reader is and engaging with them across multiple platforms.’
CELEBRITY WEEKLIES
Closer (w) – 467,048
Nicky Holt, publisher of Closer, commented:
“Closer has seen period-on-period growth and led the celebrity weekly market for 42 weeks out of 52 by giving the reader what she wants every single week. Editor Lisa Burrow leads a fantastic editorial team that produces a breadth of celebrity, real-life and fashion content. We have continued to invest in the product with more exclusive content and added-value supplements, all supported by on-going TV advertising campaigns.”
heat (w) – 325,370
Nicky Holt, publisher of heat, commented:
“heat has outperformed the competition this period, our investment in the editorial product supported by above the line marketing has helped cement our position as the premium celebrity title in the marketplace. The brand is in rude health - the magazine has ramped up its influence to the wider heat brand across its print, radio online and mobile platforms, with the total heat universe now reaching 2.8m consumers every week.”
WOMEN'S LIFESTYLE
Grazia (w) – 205,487
Abby Carvosso, managing director, Lifestyle, Bauer Magazines, commented:
“Grazia remains the first choice magazine for an increasing number of upscale AB women. This affluent readership, coupled with the magazine’s editorial consistency and constant innovation, keeps premium advertisers flocking back to the Grazia brand. This is evidenced by our upcoming campaign with LG Mobile, who are sponsoring ‘Grazia Fashion Issue…Live!’, an online documentary series and social publishing event complementing our London Fashion Week issue. This is the first truly interactive, social experiment ever undertaken by a print product and a new and inventive way of reaching our target audiences.”
Yours (f) – 282,892
Abby Carvosso, managing director, Lifestyle, Bauer Magazines, commented:
“Yours continues to perform well and this is down to the consistency of the product and absolutely knowing our audience. The Grandparents of the Year Awards, sponsored by RIAS, is just one example of the successful content which our readers enjoy. We are looking forward to celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee later this summer with readers and advertisers.”
FILM
Empire (m) – 167,056
Rimi Atwal, publishing director of Empire, commented:
“Empire continues to dominate the market with a world-class product and is increasingly seen as an important way to reach an upscale male audience. 2011 was a stand-out year as we successfully developed our own iPad edition, one-off iPad issues such as the recent Steven Spielberg special. Next month we look forward to another star-studded Empire Awards ceremony sponsored by Jameson’s.”
MEN'S MARKET
FHM (m) – 140,716
Rimi Atwal, publishing director of FHM, commented:
"FHM continues to be the biggest-selling mainstream men’s lifestyle title in the marketplace. Under the editorship of Joe Barnes, we are focused on editorial reinvention whilst retaining the brand values of “funny, sexy, useful”. FHM is an enduring and influential cross-platform brand with highly attractive editorial properties for advertisers, as seen by the renewal of VO5 sponsoring100 Sexiest.”
MUSIC MARKET
Kerrang! (w) – 42,077
MOJO (m) – 87,555
Q (m) – 77,522
Rimi Atwal, publishing director, Kerrang!, Mojo and Q, commented:
“This is another solid set of results from Bauer’s influential music brands. Our compelling editorial products and deep understanding of our readers bring the experience and excitement of music to life in different ways for our audience. Mojo’s special Pink Floyd edition, our Q and U2 partnership with Bono’s active involvement and the very special Nevermind covers CD for Kerrang! are just three examples of how our brands engage with readers and their passion for music. We are also excited about Andrew Harrison’s arrival as the new Q editor. His proven track record in magazines and understanding of Q's eclectic audience makes him the ideal choice at an exciting stage of the magazine’s development.”
MOTORING
Car (m) – 55,028
Practical Classics (m) – 50,439
Classic Cars (m) – 36,083
Niall Clarkson, managing director, Motoring, commented:
“All three of these titles have seen period-on-period growth, which is testament to the consistently great editorial quality of our products. The recent acquisition of classiccarsforsale.co.uk has further strengthened our classics portfolio and capped a great 2011. As we enter Car’s 50th year, it remains the premium title within mainstream motoring and we have exciting plans in place to mark this milestone.”
Ends
For further information, please contact:
James Matheson, Byron McCaughey and Emma Thomas at Braben
T: 020 7025 8021 / E: bauermedia@braben.co.uk
