It would be easier, at this point, if publishers had given us a consistent pattern to report; like, closures. But magazine fortunes are not so straightforward, it seems. Amid the cutbacks, there are also green shoots
Sure, BSkyB (NYSE: BSY) is cutting its monthly Sky Movies and Sky Sports mags to bi-monthly from March, after bringing publication in-house from Haymarket (via MediaWeek). But…
— IPC Connect is spinning a new £2.20-a-month title, GoodToKnow Recipes, off its female advice exchange site GoodToKnow, after launching the online recipes section last month.
— And BBC Magazines is starting a £2.50-a-month new spin-off for kids, Top Gear Turbo Challenge, from its TV car brand. The new title revolves around cover-mounted collectable cards that unlock games on topgearturbo.com.
So, after a year when many titles slashed staff and even went online-only, others clearly see opportunities in specific niches. GoodToKnow director Oswin Grady, in the release, identifies “a major gap in the magazine market for a practical food magazine for mass-market mums” and Top Gear Turbo Challenge’s publisher Duncan Gray, on Brand Republic, reckons his new one will “drive significant retail sales”.
Though many publishers profits dive, bosses like Future CEO Stevie Spring, who just launched a sub-only mag targeted at the readymade new audience of World Of Warcraft players, continue to believe titles aimed at passionate readers can be successful as ever.