Magazines: the truth is out there

We love statistics here at StopPress. And, given our heritage, we’re also fairly big fans of magazines. So imagine our immense cerebral delight when we were sent ‘The 20 truths about magazines in New Zealand’, a compilation of statistics that clearly shows how potent a media force magazines are in this country.  
Despite the assertions of some tech evangelists and regular predictions of death, magazines actually seem to be faring pretty well and, in many cases, readership and circulation have grown over the last year, as this story shows. Of course, as competitors increase and delivery mechanisms change, some titles are indeed struggling. But, as history has continued to show, and as these statistics back up, whatever comes after does not necessarily kill what came before.
Youtube Video

So feast your peepers on what’s happening at ACP, New Zealand’s largest magazine publisher, as well as the domestic magazine industry in general. And, for your viewing pleasure, you can soak them up in handy video format or good old reliable textual format.

1. Magazine readership remains steady in an increasingly crowded and noisy media landscape. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Gross readership up one percent.
2. 91 percent of all New Zealand adults read magazines. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Net unduplicated reach of all magazines – all 18+).
3. ACP magazines reach 2.9 million New Zealanders in a year. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Annual net unduplicated reach.
4. Magazine readers pay attention to magazine ads. They don’t pay to avoid the advertising as they do with other media. Source: BIGResearch Simultaneous Media Usage Study, 2008.
5. New Zealanders spend around $219 million on consumer magazines annually. Source: MPA NZ 2009 – Retail dollar sales.
6. $7 is spent on magazines every second in New Zealand. Source: MPA NZ 2009 – Based on retail 2009.
7. Advertisers spent a total of $162 million in consumer magazines in 2009. Source: Nielsen Advertising Information Services 2009.
8. New magazines continue to be launched. ACP Magazines has launched Lucky Break, Football +, Recipes+ and Good Health in the past two years.
9. Who says that iPod-dependent teenagers have abandoned magazines? 87 percent of teens read magazines. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) All 13-19.
10. Three in every four female magazine readers is reading an ACP Magazine. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) All females 18-59. Nielsen “All Magazines” used and “Newspaper Inserted Magazines” by all ACP Media titles
11. Magazines love digital. Early research shows the average time spent reading an iPad magazine app is 60 minutes. Source: ComScore / Conde Nast: Average time spent reading iPad app is 60 minutes.
12. Magazines drive word of mouth. Our readers are influencers who shape attitudes and behaviour. Source: Roy Morgan Research (Apr 09 – Mar 10).
13. New Zealand’s top 10 magazines reach more teens than the top 10 TV programmes. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Top 10 magazines All People 10-19. Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (April 09 – March 10) All People 10-19 Programme Reach analysis for the top 10 individual programmes, assuming a two minute viewing threshold.
14. New Zealand’s top 10 magazines reach more adults than the top 10 TV programmes. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Top 10 magazines All People 18+. Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (April 09 – March 10) All People 18+. Programme Reach analysis for the top 10 individual programmes, assuming a two minute viewing threshold.
15. New Zealand’s top 10 magazines reach more female household shoppers with kids than the top 10 TV programmes. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Top 10 magazines FMHHS with kids 0-14. Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (April 09 – March 10) FMHHS with kids 0-14. Programme Reach analysis for the top 10 individual programmes, assuming a two minute viewing threshold.
16. New Zealand’s top 10 magazines reach more home owners 30-49 than the top 10 TV programmes. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Top 10 magazines Home owners 30-49. Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (April 09 – March 10) Home owners 30-49. Programme Reach analysis for the top 10 individual programmes, assuming a two minute viewing threshold.
17. New Zealand’s top 10 magazines reach more people 30-64 with household incomes $80k+ than the top 10 TV programmes. Source: Nielsen NRS (Apr 09 – Mar 10) Top 10 magazines All People 30-64 with household incomes $80k+. Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (April 09 – March 10) All People 30-64 with household incomes $80k+. Programme Reach analysis for the top 10 individual programmes, assuming a two minute viewing threshold.
18. New Zealand consumers flock to magazines for long-form journalism, superb photography, eye-catching design.
19. ACP Magazines continue to sweep up awards. Source: Qantas Media 2010, Cathay Pacific Travel Media 2010, Citi Journalism Awards 2010, Pride in Print Awards 2010
20. Magazines are a medium for seekers. They drive web search more than any other medium. Twice as much as internet advertising and social media. Source: BIGResearch Simmultaneous Media Usage Study Dec 2008