1 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003 _____________________________Fall 2003 J200: Journalism and Mass Communications Magazines

1 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

J200: Journalism and Mass Communications

Magazines

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert/archive/images/dilbert2003182971030.gif

2 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

J200: - Magazines

Earliest magazines in France; catalogues of booksellers storehouses.

Characteristics Published regularly Appeal to some fraction of the public Appeals to specific interests

3 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

J200: - Magazines

On the media continuum, falls between books (more permanent) and TV (fleeting)

4 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Historical Perspectives

1704: Review. Daniel Defoe, editor 3-times a week for 9 years

1709: Tattler. Steele & Addison, eds. Covered politics, international and

theatrical news/gossip, essays Advertising

1731: Gentlemen’s Magazine. Edward Cave, ed. Hired Dr. Samuel Johnson to cover

parliament.

5 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Magazines in America

General Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, for

All the British Plantations in America

1740: Benj. Franklin announces plans to publish:

-- Published six issues

6 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003


Andrew Bradford (1741): American Magazine

three issues

Until 1800, no American magazine lasted longer than 14 months

Problem = little advertising Average circulation: 500

7 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003


After 1800: Magazines blossomed into national force

1820s, ‘30s and ‘40s: played similar role that radio would play 100 years later

1850s: Harper’s Monthly and The Atlantic Monthly founded

8 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003


Ante-bellum period: Magazines began to reach national audiences, especially special interest groups…. Farmers: Tribune and Farmer Women: Ladies’ Home Journal By 1900: Good Housekeeping,

Woman’s Home Companion, McCall's, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue….

9 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003


Magazines flourished from WWI until mid-1950s, when TV hit

What else was happening to change the industry?

10 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

How magazines met competition Subscriptions

Cut-rate offers Special editions (regional; special

interest) Demographic groups

11 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Magazine Types: Consumer

Appeal to a specific audience by demographic - e.g. Seventeen: targeted to teenage girls.

Vast majority of sell advertising on approximately 50% of their pages.

Easy-to-find compared to trade magazines Consumer magazines have (and need) a

larger circulation base than trade magazines.

Consumer magazines generate greater revenue than trade magazines.

12 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Magazine Types: Trade

Specialized business publications -often 'required reading' for a particular job, industry or profession.

Do not directly compete with consumer mags for either advertising or circulation

Generally not found on the newsstands. Both circulation and revenues are lower for

trade mags than for consumer magazines. (But ROI often higher.)

Will either have a high subscription price (compared to consumer magazines), or a 'controlled subscription' format, i.e. free to qualified individuals

13 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Magazine Types: In-house

Directed to specific company or organization’s audience Employees Stock holders Opinion makers (journalists, politicians)

Often free or subscription included in membership dues

Often off-sets costs by carrying advertising

Objective: communicate message of publishing organization

14 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Functional Magazine Categories

Entertainment/escape News/information Advocacy/opinion

15 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

How magazines met competition

Distribution and marketing Newsstand sales Positioning

Title at top“slash” bannerStrong cover graphicsSpecial racksCheck-out location

16 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

How magazines met competition

Distribution and marketing Newsstand sales Positioning

Title at top “slash” banner Strong cover

graphics Special racks Check-out location

17 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

No. of Magazines in America

18 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Topics Published in Magazines in America

19 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

No. of Magazines in America

20 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

New Magazines in U.S.

Samir Husni's New Magazine Guide http://www.mrmagazine.com/home.html

Monthly start-upshttp://www.mrmagazine.com/titles.html

http://www.mrmagazine.com/home.html

http://www.mrmagazine.com/titles.html

21 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

20th Century American Magazines

Era of “personal editor” (1920-’40s) Arnold Gingrich: Esquire Harold Ross: New Yorker Henry Luce: TIME Norman Cousins: Saturday Review

22 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



23 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



24 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



25 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

20th Century American Magazines: Modern Editors

Jann Wernner: Rolling Stone

26 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



Tina Brown:Vanity FairNewYorkerTALK

27 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



Tina Brown:Vanity FairNewYorkerTALK

Stephen Brill:Brill’s Content

28 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

New Types of Magazines

City Magazines

29 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003


City Magazines Special Interest

magazines

30 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



magazines One-shots

31 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



magazines One-shots In-flight

magazines

32 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003



magazines One-shots In-flight magazines Product magazines

(Lotus, Ford Times)

33 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Magazine Circ. (c. 1996)

Excel File TopMagCircData1996

34 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Magazine Ads v. EditMagazine Advertising v. Editorial

1970-2002

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1970

1980

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

% Edit

% Ads

% Ads % Edit

1970 46 541975 46.5 53.51980 53 471985 52.4 47.61990 50.7 49.31991 48.6 51.41992 48.4 51.61993 49.9 50.11994 48.1 51.91995 49.1 50.91996 50.8 49.21997 50.7 49.31998 48.3 51.71999 49.4 50.62000 50.3 49.72001 45.1 54.92002 46.6 53.4

Source: Hall's Magazine Reports, Dec. 2002http://www.magazine.org/resources/fact_sheets/ed2_9_03.html

Magazine Advertising v. Editorial1970-2002

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1970

1980

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

% Edit

% Ads

35 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Total U.S. Mag. Circ 1970-2002

Annual Combined Paid Circ. of All ABC Magazines: 1970-2002

050,000,000

100,000,000150,000,000200,000,000250,000,000300,000,000350,000,000400,000,000

Single Copy

Subscript.

36 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Before You Launch Your New Magazine*...

Find an Editorial Approach

Know what potential readers want.

How presently served.

Consider editorial slant

Editorial slant can drive customers away or increase loyalty

37 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Before You Launch Your New Magazine...


Research Prospective Readers

Know/ understand reading habits/ preferences audience

Know their lifestyles, attitudes and values

Info. costly/ time consuming, but invaluable Research on I-net;

local library

38 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Before You Launch Your New Magazine...



How will you use the info. for editorial positioning, circulation building and “connection to reader” efforts?

How will you connect with your readers?

39 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Before You Launch Your New Magazine…



How will you connect with your readers? Why? Just to sell

“eyeballs”? Promote

transactions between advertisers and readers?

Management structure

Old: Publisher Editor Art Director

Today: Publisher Editor Art Director Mgr. Of

Information Services

40 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003





Advertising Sales

Advertising volume and revenue growth -- NOT circulation per se -- most often determine a publishing launch success or failure

41 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003





Advertising Sales

How identify potential advertisers and inform them of your “opportunity” for them?

Where are your best prospects? Where are they currently advertising?

Strengths and weaknesses of competition?

42 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003





Advertising Sales

Should you allow potential advertisers to participate in prototype development?

How can you find, train and manage the right sales team?

What milestones should be established to control your and advertiser expectations of your progress?

43 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003





Advertising Sales Circulation

What methods to promote and sell via newsstand, direct mail, telephone and agency?

What methods or benchmarks will you use to test the effectiveness of these?

44 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003





Advertising Sales Circulation

What methods can you use to make charter subscription program successful?

What should your per name subscription costs be? Could they be lowered by using a fulfillment bureau, or by moving them in-house?

Can you earn additional income from such things as mail list sales/rental etc.?

45 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003





Advertising Sales Circulation Launch Strategy

Promotion and monitoring of your launch make or break new magazine

46 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003_____________________________Fall 2003

Magazines today

NYT: “Slate Sets a Web Magazine First: Making Money”http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/business/media/28SLAT.html

NYT: “Utne Revamps Bimonthly Magazine”http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/business/media/28UTNE.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/business/media/28SLAT.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/business/media/28SLAT.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/business/media/28UTNE.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/business/media/28UTNE.html

Documents

1 J200 - © J.T.Johnson 1999-2003 _____________________________Fall 2003 J200: Journalism and Mass Communications Magazines