Task 4: Magazine Research

In 2008, 1.103 billion magazines were circulated. There are 6 kinds of magazine: -

• Consumer - magazines found in newsagents.
• B2B - magazines related to work and businesses.
• Customer - used for marketing, usually sent through the post.
• Part Works - forms an encyclopedia, which you collect over a period of time.
• Newspaper Supplements - comes free with newspapers.
• Academic journals - published university work and discussions.

The UK boasts around 2,409 consumer magazines, and the combined consumers spend around £1.6 billion a year on the magazines, resulting in the total circulation for consumer magazines in the UK to be 46 million. In the first six months of 2010, 69 new magazines were launched.

            TV Choice is the most popular UK magazine, with a circulation of over 1 million. This is for many reasons, one being the low cost, as the magazine retails for just 45p. Glamour is the most popular women's magazine, with around 489,461 copies sold. It's popular due to it's cheap price  - around £2, and it's small size. However, the circulation figures for NME are dropping, down 14.3% last year to just 29 thousand. 

           Nearly nine out of ten UK adults read consumer magazines, with each consumer reading for an average of 50 minutes. The average UK adult buys 22 magazines a year. However, 18-24 year olds are the most influential on magazines. Around £1.6 billion is spent on advertising in consumer magazines every year. 

Magazine Publishers

1) Bauer Consumer Magazine - Kerrang, Closer, GQ, Closer (most popular)

2) BBC Worldwide - BBC Top Gear Magazine, Top of the Pops, Teletubbies, Radio Times (most popular)

3) Conde Nast - Vanity Fair, GQ, Glamour (most popular)

4) Dennis Publishing - The Week, Custom PC,  Men's Fitness (most popular)

5) Future Publishing - Photo Plus, PC Answers, PC Format

6) H Bauer - Bella, Take A Crossword, Take A Break (most popular)

7) Hearst Magazines UK - Inside Soap, Good Housekeeping, Real People, Reveal (most popular)

8) Haymarket Consumer Media - What Car?, Classic FM Magazine, Autocar (most popular)

9) IPC Media - Soaplife, NME, Woman and Home, Loaded, What's on TV (most popular)