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Press Office - Press Releases
IPC DELIVERS SOLID PERFORMANCE IN TOUGH MARKET
August 17, 2006
IPC Media, the UK's biggest consumer magazine publisher, is announcing solid circulation results across its key markets, despite tough market conditions affecting all publishers.
The latest round of ABC figures (January to June 2006) highlight resilient performances from some of the most famous and well-loved magazine brands in international publishing.
IPC chief executive Sylvia Auton says: The latest ABC period marks six months that have been characterised by some of the most heated competitive activity our industry has ever seen. Our focus has remained on the creation and development of genuinely innovative magazine brands, many of which we are successfully migrating onto other platforms.
IPC Media is the market leader by every measure: by newsstand volume share, by newsstand value share and by ad share. We are also the biggest publisher of weekly magazines, driving more revenue from this tremendously important category than any other publisher.
Highlights:
- Nuts, the market-leading men's lifestyle weekly from IPC ignite!, continues to consolidate its leadership, gaining share in the weeklies sector (up 3.3 percentage points to 57.2%) as well as in the men's lifestyle sector as a whole (up 4.3 percentage points to 20.3%). It delivers a superb ABC of 304,785.
- TV easy, launched in May 2005 and the UK's first and only compact TV weekly, consolidates its position in the TV weeklies sector, up 6% on the period to 301,576.
- Celebrity and fashion bible In Style celebrates its fifth anniversary on the UK newsstand with its ninth consecutive sales increase, up to 197,031.
- In the real life sector both Chat and Pick Me Up continue to deliver excellent brand loyalty in an increasingly crowded market. Despite two high-profile launches in the period, the two titles deliver a combined circulation of almost one million copies every week.
- IPC SouthBank's portfolio of homes titles has performed strongly, with Ideal Home retaining the top spot for the 14th consecutive period. Livingetc increases sales on the period by 2.5%, despite heavily promoted competitor launches into the sector. Meanwhile 25 Beautiful Homes is up 6.6% on the year to 114,302, while Homes & Gardens and Country Homes & Interiors both show growth on the period up 2.2% to 139,017 and up 1.5% to 77,771 respectively.
- What's on TV remains the UK's favourite TV weekly and shows a circulation increase on the period of 0.4%, to 1,509,519. It announces today a cover price increase of 2p to 42p.
- Iconic music weekly NME delivers an excellent performance, up 0.8% on the year to 74,206, and driving strong brand growth in live events and online, where NME.COM is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
- Soaplife is up 9.8% on the period and 2.1% on the year.
- Amateur Gardening has shown a spurt of growth on the period up 8.3% to 49,681, taking the number one position in the weekly category.
- TV & Satellite Week is up 2.3% on the period to 211,822 more than double the circulation of its rival, Total TV Guide.
The women's weeklies market remains the biggest category in magazine publishing and has been the focus of a huge amount of activity through the period. Selling over nine million copies each week at the UK newsstand, the sector has grown massively in recent years driven both organically and by intense launch activity.
IPC Connect is the clear market leader with its six reporting brands delivering 2.7 million copy sales every week, generating £104m in annual retail sales value (RSV) at UK newsstand.
IPC Connect managing director Evelyn Webster says: There is an amazing appetite amongst UK women for weekly magazines, and Connect has the strongest portfolio of women's weeklies on the UK newsstand. That said, the sector remains incredibly competitive, with rival publishers throwing millions into new launches and sustaining their titles' circulations.
In the real life sector, Connect's two titles have shown incredible brand loyalty, despite two high profile competitive launches in the period.
Pick Me Up, delivering its third ABC result since launching in January 2005 under editor June Smith-Sheppard, shows a circulation of 445,098 settling down after the extensive launch marketing activity last year. And under editor Gilly Sinclair, Chat has extended its number two position in the market over rival That's Life, with a circulation of 554,375.
Eve says: With two high-profile launches coming into the sector head to head with Chat and Pick Me Up, the brand resilience of our titles has been excellent. Between them, these magazines are selling almost one million copies each week, generating an annual RSV of £33.8m.
In the celebrity sector, Now delivers an ABC of 539,902, down on the period and the year. The magazine has avoided a strategy of rolling TV advertising, focusing investment instead in both the editorial product and new channels. Recent weeks have seen Reality TV Now join the stable of Now specials, while Nowmagazine.co.uk launched earlier this month with a whole range of exclusive editorial content, including material supplied by world famous Time Inc. sister weekly People.
Eve says: Now is the textbook definition of a big brand. We're building more opportunities for readers to enjoy the brand on different platforms in different ways and the website is only the beginning.
In the mainstream weeklies category, Woman and Woman's Own have both been given significant make-overs in recent months, the impact of which will not be reflected until the next round of ABC figures.
Woman, under new editor Jackie Hatton, has been reinvented with a complete redesign, a raft of new editorial franchises and 16 pages of additional regular content. Sister title Woman's Own has been similarly re-styled, and both titles are driving RSV with cover price increases during the period. Woman delivers an ABC of 417,362, while Woman's Own has produced a circulation of 367,729. The two magazines deliver a combined RSV of £31.1m.
Eve adds: With both these iconic magazines we have engaged with our readers like never before. Woman and Woman's Own remain relevant and central to the lives of hundreds of thousands of women across the UK and are in better health now than they have been for many years.
Woman's Weekly continues to lead the mature sector of the weeklies, delivering an ABC of 391,426 for the period, and retaining its position as one of the UK's top 20 weekly titles.
IPC tx
The TV weeklies market remains rock solid, selling more than five million copies every week. The market continues to be hotly contested and very dynamic, with IPC tx committed to delivering innovation and driving cover prices across its market-leading portfolio.
With TV easy, the UK's first compact TV weekly, posting a 6% rise on the period at 301,576, and IPC tx flagship title, What's on TV, up 0.4% period-on-period at 1,509,519 copies IPC tx has seen its weekly sales in the value sector reach over 1.8 million.
And today, IPC tx managing director Philippa Brown announces that the cover prices of What's on TV and TV easy are increasing to deliver almost £1.85m more in retail sales value. From September, What's on TV will increase cover price by 2p from 40p to 42p and sister title TV easy will increase by 2p from 38p to 40p.*
Philippa says: These price increases show that IPC tx is absolutely committed to driving its cover prices, and once again we are leading the way in the value sector to deliver our retail partners nearly £1.85m of additional retail sales value!
I'm delighted with the performance of the tx value portfolio, which is selling 12% more since the launch of TV easy with a total sale of over 1.8 million copies each week.
TV easy, IPC tx's ground-breaking launch of May 2005, has grown and reinvigorated the TV weeklies market. Philippa says: We're very pleased with TV easy. With an increase of 6% on the period, TV easy is ahead of forecast and establishing itself as a favourite armchair companion for hundreds of thousands of readers across the UK. What is more, TV easy has brought new, younger and more affluent consumers into the market.
Meanwhile, What's on TV has just announced the launch of What's on TV mobile, allowing TV fans across the UK access to the latest TV news and programme listings through their mobile phone.
Philippa says: What's on TV is the UK's favourite TV weekly and is a very powerful brand that translates well onto the mobile platform. We're developing a number of initiatives that will extend the What's on TV brand into the digital space.
Elsewhere in the tx portfolio, TV & Satellite Week is up period-on-period by 2.3% to 211,822, selling more than double Total TV Guide. TV & Satellite Week, the highest priced TV weekly with a cover price of £1 is celebrating a double digit increase in RSV, up 11.5% year-on-year at £11m. This figure firmly positions TV & Satellite Week as a major retail title, overtaking TV Quick.
TVTimes, tx's leading title in the premium sector, is down 10.9% year-on-year at 372,712, slowing the decline seen in previous periods. The new look and 5p cover price increase is already delivering benefits to TVTimes's RSV, which is up year-on-year, marking only the second time the title has increased RSV in seven years.
Phillipa says: We're delighted with the performance of TVTimes. This is an improving sales trend, which is fantastic, particularly as we have not experienced the full benefits of the new look, which we'll see next period. TVTimes's new look has successfully moved the magazine into the premium sector with a higher cover price, which has increased its RSV.
Meanwhile, IPC tx soap title Soaplife has propelled sales to 92,558, up by 2.1% on the year and 9.8% period-on-period.
Philippa comments: Soaplife is a fantastic proposition, which really resonates with soap fans across the country. It has led the way in editorial innovation and the results speak for themselves.
IPC SouthBank
In Style, IPC SouthBank's fashion and shopping bible, is celebrating its ninth consecutive sales increase, up 0.2% on the year to 197,031. In Style recently celebrated its fifth birthday and this increase continues the magazine's non-stop growth since launch.
IPC SouthBank managing director Jackie Newcombe says: I'm delighted with In Style's performance. For five years, In Style has provided a winning combination of A-list celebrities, great fashion, shopping and beauty advice that keeps readers coming back for more. With the arrival of Trish Halpin as editor next month, In Style is on the threshold of even greater things.
In the 35-plus market, Woman & Home turns in another strong performance, down just 0.7% year-on-year to 325,223 copies. Woman & Home is also celebrating 20% growth in sales over the last three years.
Jackie says: Woman & Home continues to perform exceptionally well. It really connects with the modern 35-plus woman, shown not just in this strong ABC result, but through the interaction on womanandhome.com and the popularity of its first fashion show and other reader events.
Meanwhile, IPC SouthBank's flagship glossy, Marie Claire, is down 13.2% year-on-year at 331,127, reflecting the fiercely competitive fashion and lifestyle market.
Jackie comments: Marie Claire's performance reflects a very competitive market, and the mixed fortunes of fashion on the high street have also had an impact. The message is that magazines and their brands have to constantly evolve and, as a result of a development process that started in May, we have exciting plans for a new look Marie Claire, which we'll unveil in October.
Essentials is down 29.6% year-on-year, again reflecting the fiercely competitive glossies market. Jackie says: There's no doubt that Essentials has had a tough year but we have every confidence in its future. Essentials will see significant investment for the rest of 2006 and we are working on exciting plans for the title in 2007, which you will hear more about later.
In the highly competitive home interest sector, IPC SouthBank's portfolio continues to lead the market and Ideal Home maintains the top spot for the 14th consecutive period, selling 237,525 copies.
Meanwhile, 25 Beautiful Homes is going from strength-to-strength, up 6.6% on the year to 114,301 and there are period-on-period increases for Homes & Gardens, up 2.2% to 139,017 and Country Homes & Interiors, up 1.5% to 77,771.
Livingetc, Britain's best-selling modern homes magazine, is celebrating a 2.5% period-on-period increase at 90,487 copies. Livingetc has delivered this growth despite two high-profile launches and once again retains its top spot in the modern homes sector.
Jackie comments: The home interest magazine sector continues to be tough but there are signs of improvement with the majority of IPC SouthBank titles showing growth on the period and all growing sales on the newsstand. IPC SouthBank is the home of home interest and our portfolio continues to lead and outperform the market.
IPC ignite!
IPC ignite! titles continue to lead innovation in the highly competitive men's market.
Ground-breaking men's weekly Nuts is driving the sector, selling 76,761 more copies each week than Zoo up from 44,400 last year and delivering an ABC of 304,785 rock solid on the year. Nuts has also increased its share of the mainstream men's sector**, up 4.3 percentage points to 20.3%. The magazine's unmatched mix of humour, sport, news, TV, gorgeous women and true stories is proving unassailable both on the UK newsstand, and elsewhere - Nuts.co.uk has grown its share of the men's magazine online audience by more than 50% in the past six months. Nuts and Loaded's websites between them now attract 17 million page impressions per month.
IPC ignite! managing director Tim Brooks says: In June 2003, 1.45 million men's magazines were being sold each month. By June 2006, this figure had rocketed to 3.1 million each month, fuelled by the weekly genre which Nuts created. It's not yet three years since the magazine launched, yet two of every five magazines sold in the category are now copies of Nuts.
Elsewhere, men's monthly Loaded delivers an ABC of 185,269, down year-on- year, but outperforming its monthly competitors. Overall Loaded's share of the sector has increased from 17.6% a year ago to 19.1%. And at the all-important UK newsstand Loaded's market share increases further up from 20% in Jan-June 2005 to 22.5%. Loaded sells on average more than double the number of copies at UK newsstand than rival Maxim.
Tim adds: Clearly the dynamic between men's monthlies and their weekly counterparts is shifting. Overall, the sector continues to be in great shape for IPC, and we are proud that both Nuts and Loaded are growing their market share.
Iconic music title NME delivers a weekly sale of 74,206, up 0.8% on the year. The NME brand continues to go from strength-to-strength across a number of platforms. It has a formidable roster of live events and tours, including regular Club NME new music nights at venues across the UK. Club NME is also about to make its first foray overseas. The famous LA venue Spaceland will host weekly club nights from September.
And NME.COM is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer in fine style. The site is the biggest music news website in the UK. Alongside the opening up of editorial desks on both the East and West coasts of the US creating a 24-hour music news destination the site is pioneering new user-driven digital radio services with US technology partner Mercora. And in partnership with Sony Walkman, NME.com is hosting the competition for unsigned acts Walkman NME Breaking Bands. With bands championed by NME.COM, the winner will be given the break of a lifetime, supporting Kasabian at an exclusive NME.COM birthday party in September. 5,500 bands have already entered.
Music and movie monthly Uncut has delivered an ABC of 88,756, reflecting the highly competitive nature of the category. Uncut revealed a comprehensive new look with its May issue - the success of which will not be reflected until the next circulation period and also unveiled a three year partnership with the Mean Fiddler's new music and arts festival, Latitude, in July.
Tim adds: Uncut is a great magazine in a highly competitive sector. We gave the competition too much room in the past year. We've refocused our efforts after extensive research and development, and it's bedding in well.
IPC Country & Leisure Media
In the Country & Leisure Media portfolio two titles are reporting this period Amateur Gardening and Golf Monthly.
Amateur Gardening steals the number one slot from Garden News in the weekly gardening category to become the UK's biggest-selling weekly following a superb six months. Out-performing the market, it posts an ABC of 49,681, up 8.3% period-on-period. Amateur Gardening is the second most actively purchased title in the UK gardening market, after BBC Gardeners' World.
Golf Monthly also delivers an impressive ABC result of 73,775 and posts a year-on-year increase of 0.1% at the UK newsstand.
IPC CALM managing director Paul Williams says: It's been a great six months for both of these strong CALM brands and the teams behind them. Amateur Gardening has put in a particularly strong performance in a challenging market which has seen two recent closures.
ENDS
Editors' Notes
* IPC tx is committed to driving RSV in the TV weeklies sector over the long-term and has increased cover price across its portfolio. In the value sector, What's on TV's cover price increased by 5p from 35p to 40p in June 2005 and from September will move up to 42p. TV easy increased cover price by 3p from 35p to 38p in December 2005 and from September will move to 40p. Competitor TV Choice remains at 33p.
In the premium sector, TV & Satellite Week increased cover price by 5p from 90p to 95p in April 2005 and increased by a further 5p to £1 in December 2005, making it the highest priced TV magazine in the UK. TVTimes raised cover price by 5p from 80p to 85p in September 2005 and increased again with its new look by 5p to 90p.
**The men's mainstream sector comprises the monthlies Loaded, FHM, Maxim, Front, Arena, Esquire and GQ; and the weeklies Nuts and Zoo.
About IPC Media
IPC Media is the biggest consumer magazine publisher in the UK. Its five publishing divisions are: IPC SouthBank, IPC tx, IPC ignite!, IPC Connect and IPC Country & Leisure Media. IPC is wholly owned by Time Warner, the world's largest media group.
For further information, please contact:
Chris Taylor, head of media relations, IPC Media, Tel: 020 7261 5276,
email: chris_taylor@ipcmedia.com
Victoria Higham, senior press officer, IPC Media, Tel: 020 7261 5710, email: victoria_higham@ipcmedia.com
Anna Gawan, press officer, IPC Media, Tel:020 7261 6575, email anna_gawan@ipcmedia.com
For high-res covers and images of key IPC Media personnel go to www.ipcmedia.com/press/imagebank.php
