From a post “Publishers Are Reinvesting in the ‘Lean-Back’ Experience of Print Magazines,” by Leah Wynalek, on the website Publishing Executive Insight:
Retailers like REI and Callaway Golf aren’t the only companies debuting print magazines these days. Despite flipping the “digital-only” switch on many titles, major publishers continue to launch new publications–and reinvest in existing ones–with a heightened focus on paper quality, editorial value, and the luxuries of the print experience. . . .
“A luxury magazine experience is a special lean-back moment that’s transportive,” says Doug Olson, president of Meredith Magazines. “It’s about tapping into the passions of people seeking content in a range of areas of interest and giving them something that they can’t get online or through other channels–stunning images, beautiful design, and compelling storytelling that you can hold in your hands.”
As with the industry’s shift toward paid content online, the higher-quality print experience comes at a higher price to consumers–a strategic move by publishers to offset shrinking advertising revenue while still turning profit from print.
Olson says Meredith’s portfolio of more than 40 brands employs a variety of successful business strategies. For higher frequency, mass-appeal brands like People and Better Homes & Gardens, as well as luxury titles with desirable affluent readership like Travel + Leisure, advertising remains a key revenue generator. “At the same time, we are producing high-quality premium print brands at premium pricing—Magnolia Journal, Rachael Ray In Season, Coastal Living, the new Reveal, among others—focused on celebrity personalities or popular consumer lifestyle interests that are striking a chord with passionate readers,” Olson says. “This consumer-driven model that’s not reliant on advertising is also a profitable business for us.”. . .
At Hearst Autos, while the flagship Road & Track magazine (published 10 times a year) covers automotive news, the lower-frequency R&T will focus more on storytelling, featuring long-form reporting and lifestyle photography that highlights not only the cars but also “the fascinating people who build and drive them,” Michelle Panzer says. Three issues of R&T will come out this summer, fall, and winter; in 2021 the magazine will publish bimonthly and begin subscriptions. The subscription price is still being determined. . . .
“For those in any enthusiast space, whether that’s automotive or something else, there is a market hungry for well-produced, engaging content in a beautiful package,” Panzer says.
In 2018, Bonnier switched four of its titles–Popular Science, Cycle World, Outdoor Life, and Saveur–to a quarterly frequency. As part of the switch, the publications were enhanced with bigger folio sizes, improved paper quality, and more editorial pages. Gregory Gatto of Bonner Media says the frequency reduction has enabled greater editorial ambition and a better reader experience. . . .
In contrast with the trend toward lower-frequency magazines, Travel + Leisure persists as the only monthly travel magazine in the U.S. The 49-year-old publication, known for its travel photography, is a mainstay on airport newsstands and attracts an audience with sizeable spending power.
“The minute that Meredith acquired the Time Inc brands they saw that Travel + Leisure had a tremendous amount of potential,” says Jacqui Gifford of Travel + Leisure. “They know that right now, at this moment in the world, people are really prioritizing experiences over things–and travel is one of the ultimate experiences.”. . .
Giulio Capua of Meredith says having a high-quality editorial product has allowed Travel + Leisure to grow print revenue at a time when advertisers are largely decreasing their print spend. The brand’s print ad revenue increased 7% in 2019 from 2018. Its total audience also expanded across print, digital, and social by 17%.
“In the travel space, print is the ‘lean back’ experience that’s meant to engage and inspire,” Capua says. “Because of our success editorially, we are able to offer clients a full suite of solutions and they can leverage the Travel + Leisure brand across platforms where print is always a critical component.”
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