Media ShopTalk: w/c 25 May 2009

This week we take a look at the January - March 2009 magazine circulation
figures.

PDF article link

Whenever a client requests an evaluation of magazine titles one is always
amazed that Huisgenoot and You always comes out tops in terms of reach.
What one finds more amazing though is that if you ask anybody
you know if they read either magazine they usually say NO! Well,
the graph below clearly shows that Huisgenoot and You have the highest
circulations over the current period: January - March 2009 as well as the
previous period - last quarter of 2008 October - December. If nobody is
reading these publications they sure are buying them!

There is a slight drop off in some numbers compared to the previous period,
however this was the end of the year and the main summer holiday season when
magazine sales are usually higher, when there is more time to enjoy a
magazine and of course a time to look for gifts! Going into the new year,
cover prices have not increased and obviously with the squeeze on the
average household spend, the repertoire of magazines is probably going to
drop for 3 or 4 magazines being purchased on a monthly basis to one or two
magazines.

Move on the other hand, aimed at the LSM 4 - 6 market enjoyed a good
increase in circulation of some 13% or just less than 21 000 copies!

What is interesting however is that Move was not the top of the list in
terms of growth year on year. Let's take a look at the top 20
magazines that have shown a growth.

Soul is in prime position with a 30% increase followed by SA Rugby at
23% and Noseweek at 14%. Within the Top 10, besides Move and Femina
the biggest increases have come from niche magazines!

However, what is probably of most interest are those magazines that have
gained or lost the most circulations quarter on quarter. The following
two tables reflect these figures

Overall Ranking

Top 20 Magazines that have lost circulation

Circulation Lost

31

Oprah

-20,649

78

Real Simple

-17,509

12

People

-16,936

64

Golf Digest

-16,157

23

Tuis/Home

-13,841

30

Reader's Digest

-12,521

14

Car

-9,965

27

Heat

-9,305

18

Glamour

-8,789

68

Cleo

-8,669

45

Elle

-8,445

61

Amakhosi

-8,316

48

House & Leisure

-8,214

25

SA Garden & Home

-7,783

1

Huisgenoot

-7,233

16

Vroue Keur

-7,029

2

YOU

-6,768

60

The Gardener

-6,512

11

Weg!/go!

-6,334

46

SA Home Owner

-6,238

33

CN House & Garden

-6,044

Overall Ranking

Top 20 Magazines that have gained the most

Circulation gained

3

Move

20,851

29

Soul

16,094

9

Finesse

9,191

5

Sarie

5,452

47

Lig

5,021

13

Ideas/Idees

4,983

83

SA Rugby

4,693

8

Drum

4,460

10

Bona

4,319

21

Fair Lady

3,963

65

Noseweek

3,195

42

Femina

2,669

80

Entrepreneur

2,289

50

Food & Home

2,257

37

Popular Mechanics

2,012

38

Marie Claire

1,935

93

Compleat Golfer

1,903

73

NAG

1,712

91

Game & Hunt

1,146

22

Real

1,127

The detailed lists with figures has been attached. PDF article link
a) Alphabetical listing

b) Ranked from highest circulating to lowest circulating magazines for
January - March 2009

c) Growth in number year on year

d) Growth in percentage year on year

(tables generated by Media 24)

Until next week!

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