Welcome to the blog of Dr. Lisa Burns' Media Studies senior capstone class (2 pm section) at Quinnipiac University. If you're looking for the latest on media industry trends and insightful media analysis, you've come to the right place!
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Lifestyle & Niche Media Blog 4, Question 2 (March 2nd)
How are magazines adapting to their audiences?
What are some of the strengths of magazines and what are some of the challenges
facing the magazine industry today? Limit:
7 responses
Ashley Shankar Part 1 Magazines are adapting their industry for their audiences. There are several strengths and weaknesses of the magazine industry today.
In "Magazine Media Factbook 2020" it states, “Including magazines, are the most trusted media sources for news and information. These attributes are among the many benefits magazine media offers to advertisers.” With the increase in fake news and unaccredited media outlets, people trust traditional media outlets to provide the most accurate information. This is a strength for the magazine industry. It also states “The total number of print consumer magazines remains strong [...] 139 new print magazine brands were launched to appeal to a broad range of reader interests. Magazine media brands continue to expand their reach with compelling content shared via video and mobile web, platforms that are enjoying robust growth.” This is a strength for the magazine industry because a broad range of topics enables them to meet the interests of many readers. Another strength is that with the dominant virtual world, magazines are available on online platforms. I also believe this is a way that magazines are adapting to their audiences. Since being virtual is a priority for some people, adapting magazines to online platforms helps to satisfy their audiences. The article, “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 – And What That Means for 202” states, “In 2020, despite setbacks caused by the pandemic, BIPOC and Latinx representation on covers was generally up [...] And it's worth noting that the bulk of covers that put the spotlight on BIPOC and Latinx folks happened after June.” This is important because content created by magazines is important for its readers on trending issues. Inclusive magazines showed the world during the challenging time that these people matter and as a reader you should also support them. This shows BIPOC and Latinx people that they are important, and they deserve to be in the spotlight (for good reasons) as well. I believe this is the way magazines are adapting to their audiences. A magazine that makes an effort to emphasize inclusion (especially now) is adapting to their audience's needs for support, demolishing stereotypes, and possibly making people rethink actions/thoughts.
Ashley Shankar Part 2 The article, “The Digital Transformation in Publishing Has Left Plenty of Space for Print'', states, “For Gen Z, the first generation to fully grow up in a digital world, to develop a fondness for print was an unexpected plot twist. They are actually looking for downtime. Gen Z-ers and Millennials don’t want to be connected every minute of the day [...] They also love to read.” This is another strength for magazines because traditional print provides a break for those who need it in a highly virtual world. The physical copy allows people to disconnect and be comfortable with an interesting magazine. The article “The Future of the Magazine Industry” discusses some of the weaknesses of magazines. Since magazines are printed through paper and other non-recyclable products, they are not good for the environment. With the clear rise of global warming, many people are becoming cautious about their actions and things they can do to make the plant healthier which includes not purchasing physical copies. Additionally, since many resources are available for free, having to pay for the same information in a magazine is a weakness. Many readers are looking for ways to save money and still enjoy their hobby and without the price. Lastly, the article states, “Traditional media organizations are increasingly unable to keep up with leaner, trendier, online-only platforms that multiply in number each day. Although some may express pushback against this idea [...] a prime example of the troubles faced by traditional print publications as they navigate an increasingly digital world.” This is a weakness because, in a dominantly virtual world, information is quickly evolving. If people want to, they can get the details they need/want they got it at a click of a button. Since magazines are printed the information needs to be thoroughly gathered and then published which can take a large amount of time, and ultimately a setback for magazines.
Works cited Benedict, Catherine, et al. “The Future of the Magazine Industry.” Business Today Online Journal, Business Today Online Journal, 31 Oct. 2018, journal.businesstoday.org/bt-online/2018/the-future-of-the-magazine-industry. Caruso, Aron. “The Digital Transformation in Publishing Has Left Plenty of Space for Print - Folio:” Folio, Folio: 7 May 2020, www.foliomag.com/digital-transformation-publishing-left-plenty-space-print/. "Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021. Web. Rivas, Mekita. “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 - and What That Means for 2021.” Fashionista, Fashionista, 4 Jan. 2021, fashionista.com/2021/01/diversity-in-magazines-2020.
Gina Auletta Part One As digital media rises in popularity, the magazine industry is facing several challenges to keep up. However, magazines are taking the proper steps to remain successful by adapting to the changing media environment. As the 2020 Magazine Media Factbook explains, the magazine industry maintains a level of trust with readers that is unmatched by other media outlets. MPA says, “At the same time, magazine media brands continue to expand their reach with compelling content shared via video and mobile web, platforms that are enjoying robust growth. Magazine media subscribers are willing to pay for compelling content from their favorite magazine brands across multiple channels.” In other words, since the magazine industry is so trusted, consumers are willing to access their favorite brands’ content through one or more platforms. Another way that magazine brands are adapting to media changes are by working closely with people of color and other marginalized groups to properly represent diversity. For instance, the Fashionista article includes a quote from Michelle Lee, the editor-in-chief of Allure, on diversity. Lee says, “We’re also really committed to working with cosmetic chemists and dermatologists of color, which people don’t always think about…This year, Billy Porter became the first man on the cover of Allure. We had Hunter Schafer on our September cover, and in December, we rolled out our digital series, The Beauty of Accessibility, with Ellie Goldstein, the 18-year-old British model with Down Syndrome, on the cover.” Clearly, the magazine industry is working hard to adapt to changing times by releasing content on several platforms, including video and mobile web, as well as working to represent marginalized groups by working from the inside of their companies, out.
As previously mentioned, one major strength of the magazine industry is how trustworthy the content is. In fact, people have turned to magazines for information on COVID-19. MPA states, “As COVID-19 impacts public health and the economy and disrupts lives across the globe, readers are increasingly turning to magazine media as they navigate these challenges…As the needs and interests of consumers evolve, magazine media publishers are sure to be there with carefully researched and edited news, information, culture, and lifestyle content that matters to their daily lives.” It is clear that readers will continue to remain loyal to magazines as long as the brands continue to release content that is thoroughly researched and edited. On top of this, magazine brands release a wide range of content which allows them to, as MPA explains, “reach a multitude of niche audiences with impressive Return On Ad Spend (ROAS).” MPA goes on to show that the magazine industry’s ROAS is highest overall among TV and Digital media. Magazines are at $6.51 while TV has $3.23, and Digital has $2.43 in return as of 2019 (MPA). Additionally, it was extremely interesting to find out through MPA that “as an ad-supported medium, magazines deliver a more positive advertising experience that motivates readers to take action and make purchase decisions.” So, not only do magazines receive greater ROAS, the ads themselves are also more positive compared to those on other forms of media like TV, social media, etc.
Gina Auletta Part Two Although it is clear that the magazine industry has many strengths and is adapting well to the ever-changing media environment, it still faces many challenges. Besides the clear struggle of having editorial teams working on Zoom due to the pandemic, magazines negatively contribute to the impending climate issues we are facing as a planet. According to The New York Times, a 2002 study by the Energy Information Administration shows that the paper industry emits the fourth-highest level of carbon dioxide among manufacturers. The article explains the process by saying, “The life of a magazine or a newspaper starts with trees being cut down in a forest and ends with the burning or recycling of old magazines or papers. The most harmful part of the process is paper production.” That being said, the magazine industry which relies on paper production and continuously utilizes print media will likely continue to face sustainability issues. However, as technology evolves, the industry may find a way to make print magazines more eco-friendly in order to continue on their path of success.
Works Cited
Rivas, Mekita. "How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 – And What That Means for 2021." Fashionista 4 Jan. 2021.
Story, Louise. “The Hidden Life of Paper and Its Impact on the Environment.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2006.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
Stephen Halvatzis Part One The magazine industry has come a long way since its emergence to pop culture. I used to be big on magazines when I was a child. I was never into reading books required for class, and I would almost always prefer an issue of Sports Illustrated. It was reading I could do in my free time with colorful, interesting pictures to accompany each piece. Nowadays, I never read magazines because besides the supermarkets, I wouldn't know where to find them and I wouldn't subscribe to any of them. Magazines are having a hard time staying relevant in today's times due to the new wave of digital media. Instead of subscribing to magazines, outlets like newspapers, social media and other subscriptions (The Athletic) provide customers with cool interactive digital media. That's not to say magazines aren't trying to keep in touch with their followers. Subscriptions for magazines are now available digitally and have shown the changing of the times. Although you can still purchase hard cover magazines, it seems that digital magazines are the smarter, quicker and cheaper way to keep up. In fact, magazine followers are increasing each year due to the ease of digital access to subscriptions. According to the Magazine Media Factbook, hard cover magazine subscriptions are still the primary way to access subscriptions and subscriptions have increased consistently each year. Magazine audience has increased to 228.7 million as of 2019 (210.7 million in 2012) showing that magazines have been able to adapt well to the new generation of taking in news.
I think one major strength of magazines is the wide range of content that they can produce. Newspapers always cover general news that interests the public, but magazines can specifically cover one subject or one hobby and make consistent creative content. There are specialized magazines for sports, gossip, politics and travel. It is not guaranteed that all of these subjects will be covered exclusively and specifically in the daily newspaper, so followers of those specific topics of content could feel more inclined to purchase a weekly subscription to a newspaper with stories they're interested in rather than a daily newspaper subscription that may have stories they're not interested in.
With the year we recently had, it was hard to find time for storylines that covered specialized topics that people are interested in, and magazines kept followers up to date. An interesting topic that has evolved into being the subject of magazine publishing is cannabis. With legalization imminent among nearly the entire country and the progression of marijuana into pop culture, it has become a subject that people can follow and get weekly insight into.
Another reason that magazines are still around and become more prominent year by year is the funding that they receive. Most magazines are funded based off of advertising you can find in each issue. However, the advertising they show off takes away from other issues magazines could shine a light on. One problems magazines have faced is their lack of diversity. Magazines, particularly covering the fashion industry, have done nothing to show support for diversity. Fashionista writer Mekita Rivas was critical on how the magazine and fashion industry has been " slow to actually do anything about it. Just look at the covers of magazines year after year. In 2020, despite setbacks caused by the pandemic (from reduced frequencies to skipped or combined months), BIPOC and Latinx representation oncovers was generally up..." (Rivas). There were strides made to be more inclusive in 2020, but the magazine industry must take more steps to feature more diversity not only in their publications, but with who they employ and who their target audience is.
Rivas, Mekita. "How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 – And What That Means for 2021." Fashionista 4 Jan. 2021.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
Benedict, Catherine, et al. “The Future of the Magazine Industry.” Business Today Online Journal, Business Today Online Journal, 31 Oct. 2018, journal.businesstoday.org/bt-online/2018/the-future-of-the-magazine-industry.
Magazines seem to be satisfied with the digitalization era in media thanks to its powerful position in the business routine. Everyone struggles to deepen into the linkage between promotions, artistic content, and the way the audience reacts to it positively while receiving a desirable product right in the digital format. However, there is a financial trouble in this process, which takes time to improve. As a result, even though magazines have to overcome monetization issues, they still benefit from digitalization. Magazines adapt to the current needs and interests of their audiences. For example, the pandemic restricted people from active life and entertainment. There would be no need for consumers to continue spending money on magazines if they cannot try wearing new fashionable accessories or visit promoted places and locations. However, a range of magazines managed to survive the period of limited capabilities thanks to doing multiple covers. It also allowed magazines to invite more stars per month (Rivas sec. 2). It is a way to adapt to a troublesome period and social demands at the same time. The power of magazines is digital transformation. Digital space allows adding more creativity to work and saving companies' budget on printing. As a result, the printing sphere changes. Omnichannel allowed retail strategy to progress (Caruso par. 2). It applies to both magazines' access to customer's preferences as well as to their business partnerships with promotions. For example, digitalization is an advanced way to search for the potential consumers and to identify their intentions, whether the product in the magazine will target them or not. Companies are willing to establish partnerships on the digital platform thanks to the guarantee of targeting wider audiences in the result. On the other hand, there is a controversial side of magazines' digitalization, which is monetization. The issue is that readers still seek free content and it results in the reduced revenue in general (Thorpe sec. 2). It happens because magazines cannot stop the popularization of their content, which is indeed has to be for free either. Promotions and excerpts from magazines how to draw the audience's attention to the full content of the issues and to pay for it. Nevertheless, it complicates magazines' adaptation to the modern working conditions. It implies being trapped with a desire to earn money for the content and to share the information about it to gain new customers. In conclusion, modern magazines benefit from digitalization, even though it challenges them because of monetization issues. Digital space is a key to multilayered cooperation between magazines and brands that they promote. Although it is a profitable advancement in contemporary publishing, magazines have to develop reliable monetization methods to receive the profit from new options to the full extent.
Works Cited
Caruso, Aron. “The Digital Transformation in Publishing Has Left Plenty of Space for Print.” Folio, 2020, https://www.foliomag.com/digital-transformation-publishing-left-plenty-space-print/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
Rivas, Mekita. “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 - and What That Means for 2021.” Fashionista, 2021, https://fashionista.com/2021/01/diversity-in-magazines-2020. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
Thorpe, Esther. “What Are the Three Most Critical Challenges Facing Magazines & Digital Publishing?” Esther Kezia Thorpe, 2016, https://estherkeziat.medium.com/what-are-the-three-most-critical-challenges-facing-magazines-digital-publishing-809367279d24. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
When we were younger, magazines were the coolest thing to have. Magazines such as Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and Girls’ Life are really popular magazines for young teens/teens. Getting a magazine with perfume samples, seeing your favorite celebrities, and all of the different cutouts and offerings in a magazine makes them so much more exciting. It feels like an interactive experience. As social media has become more popular, magazines have become much less. Although to those who use social media more often magazines aren’t as attractive anymore, they are still very popular to those interested. COVID brought on many difficulties for all media outlets. Because of the pandemic, “… Conde Nast conducted more layoffs this year, Allure, GQ, and Vogue have all seen overall audience numbers decline, according to AAM data” which goes to show how much of a poor impact the pandemic has made (Hays). When lockdown began at the beginning of the pandemic, editorial teams were tasked with producing entire issues of magazines virtually, with pitch meetings happening through Zoom and photoshoots orchestrated over FaceTime (Rivas). This made their jobs much harder and much more complicated. Every magazine is targeted at a different audience. Being able to adapt to their audiences and the trends occurring now is important. Magazines weren’t always quick in adapting to changes and have had a diversity problem for a very long time. In 2020 this issue took a turn and they started becoming a more diverse outlet. The vice president of fashion at Bustle Digital Group said, “Creating lasting change is not about crossing off a number of action items each year. It’s not a simple KPI that can be quantified. Inclusion is a state of mind and the responsibility of every single person in this industry” which shows how important and necessary inclusion is. Magazines have the opportunity to make a big mark in people’s lives. As stated in The Association of Magazine Media, “Magazines perform better than TV or the Internet on getting users to try new things, inspiring them to buy new things, and helping them make better purchase decisions” and this shows how great of an impact that magazines still do make on users. Being able to reach your audiences through making the content being put out interesting and interactive is necessary. Some magazines are looking to switch to online rather than staying as just print. I think when it comes to adapting to the new changes that having an online presence is great, which many magazines already do. But I don’t think that getting rid of magazines in print would be 100% effective. People enjoy getting magazines in the mail. It gives an opportunity for a different kind of enjoyment and interaction, leaving people wanting to continue their subscriptions.
Hays, Kali. “Some Magazines Suffering Amid Pandemic, Online and Off.” WWD, WWD, 24 Nov. 2020, wwd.com/business-news/media/some-magazines-suffering-amid-pandemic-online-and-off-1234654571/. "Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021. Web. Rivas, Mekita. “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 - and What That Means for 2021.” Fashionista, Fashionista, 4 Jan. 2021, fashionista.com/2021/01/diversity-in-magazines-2020.
Magazines are a form of media that are not talked about as much as electronic media but has still managed to make an impact in recent years. Surprisingly, data suggests that magazines are much more engaging than other media in many ways, “not only are readers more likely to find magazine content trustworthy, inspiring and life-enhancing, but their engagement with ads is also significantly stronger” (Magazine Media Factbook 2020). Based on the reading, print-media, such as magazines, are considered more reliable for accurate information by consumers. There is something about the physical interaction with print-media that gives consumers a different perspective of the content. The reading goes on to support these findings with neuroscience data that suggests that paper readers remember more, comprehend and recall more, distract less, and are preferred by majority including millennials (Magazine Media Factbook 2020). Aside from the benefits for the consumers, the data on advertisement engagement for magazine readers was also interesting, “Magazine return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is the highest overall” ($6.51 Magazines, $3.23 TV, and $2.43 Digital) (Magazine Media Factbook 2020). This of course would make advertisers prefer working with magazine as a media platform, which contributes to their relevance being significant to this day. Not only is it still relevant, but it is also growing according to data from the reading, “AARP The Magazine Unique Visitors from 2019- 2020 – 327.4 % growth” (Magazine Media 360 Top 10 December 2020). Magazines benefit from being trustworthy, engaging, and beneficial for advertisements, which allows it to compete with more modern electronic media in 2021. The downside to magazines, and print-media in general, is the lack of flexibility compared to digital media, “once it’s in print, in can’t be changed until the next publication, and making those changes can cost dearly” (Bean-Mellinger). Although the ROAS of magazines were reported to be the highest, it is almost much more expensive to advertise on print-media, “A single print ad can cost $20,000 or more to produce and run, digital platforms mostly cost between $1 and $20 per click” (Bean-Mellinger). Despite its weaknesses, I was surprised by magazine success and relevance today. With the benefits mentioned, it still has a place in the media world alongside digital media.
Bean-Mellinger, B. (2019, February 05). What is the advantage & disadvantage of print & electronic media? Retrieved March 02, 2021, from https://work.chron.com/advantage-disadvantage-print-electronic-media-3840.html
"Magazine Media 360 Top 10 December 2020." Alliance for Audited Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
Ashley Shankar Part 1
ReplyDeleteMagazines are adapting their industry for their audiences. There are several strengths and weaknesses of the magazine industry today.
In "Magazine Media Factbook 2020" it states, “Including magazines, are the most trusted media sources for news and information. These attributes are among the many benefits magazine media offers to advertisers.” With the increase in fake news and unaccredited media outlets, people trust traditional media outlets to provide the most accurate information. This is a strength for the magazine industry.
It also states “The total number of print consumer magazines remains strong [...] 139 new print magazine brands were launched to appeal to a broad range of reader interests. Magazine media brands continue to expand their reach with compelling content shared via video and mobile web, platforms that are enjoying robust growth.” This is a strength for the magazine industry because a broad range of topics enables them to meet the interests of many readers. Another strength is that with the dominant virtual world, magazines are available on online platforms. I also believe this is a way that magazines are adapting to their audiences. Since being virtual is a priority for some people, adapting magazines to online platforms helps to satisfy their audiences.
The article, “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 – And What That Means for 202” states, “In 2020, despite setbacks caused by the pandemic, BIPOC and Latinx representation on covers was generally up [...] And it's worth noting that the bulk of covers that put the spotlight on BIPOC and Latinx folks happened after June.” This is important because content created by magazines is important for its readers on trending issues. Inclusive magazines showed the world during the challenging time that these people matter and as a reader you should also support them. This shows BIPOC and Latinx people that they are important, and they deserve to be in the spotlight (for good reasons) as well. I believe this is the way magazines are adapting to their audiences. A magazine that makes an effort to emphasize inclusion (especially now) is adapting to their audience's needs for support, demolishing stereotypes, and possibly making people rethink actions/thoughts.
Ashley Shankar Part 2
ReplyDeleteThe article, “The Digital Transformation in Publishing Has Left Plenty of Space for Print'', states, “For Gen Z, the first generation to fully grow up in a digital world, to develop a fondness for print was an unexpected plot twist. They are actually looking for downtime. Gen Z-ers and Millennials don’t want to be connected every minute of the day [...] They also love to read.” This is another strength for magazines because traditional print provides a break for those who need it in a highly virtual world. The physical copy allows people to disconnect and be comfortable with an interesting magazine.
The article “The Future of the Magazine Industry” discusses some of the weaknesses of magazines. Since magazines are printed through paper and other non-recyclable products, they are not good for the environment. With the clear rise of global warming, many people are becoming cautious about their actions and things they can do to make the plant healthier which includes not purchasing physical copies. Additionally, since many resources are available for free, having to pay for the same information in a magazine is a weakness. Many readers are looking for ways to save money and still enjoy their hobby and without the price.
Lastly, the article states, “Traditional media organizations are increasingly unable to keep up with leaner, trendier, online-only platforms that multiply in number each day. Although some may express pushback against this idea [...] a prime example of the troubles faced by traditional print publications as they navigate an increasingly digital world.” This is a weakness because, in a dominantly virtual world, information is quickly evolving. If people want to, they can get the details they need/want they got it at a click of a button. Since magazines are printed the information needs to be thoroughly gathered and then published which can take a large amount of time, and ultimately a setback for magazines.
Works cited
Benedict, Catherine, et al. “The Future of the Magazine Industry.” Business Today Online Journal, Business Today Online Journal, 31 Oct. 2018, journal.businesstoday.org/bt-online/2018/the-future-of-the-magazine-industry.
Caruso, Aron. “The Digital Transformation in Publishing Has Left Plenty of Space for Print - Folio:” Folio, Folio: 7 May 2020, www.foliomag.com/digital-transformation-publishing-left-plenty-space-print/.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021. Web.
Rivas, Mekita. “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 - and What That Means for 2021.” Fashionista, Fashionista, 4 Jan. 2021, fashionista.com/2021/01/diversity-in-magazines-2020.
Gina Auletta
ReplyDeletePart One
As digital media rises in popularity, the magazine industry is facing several challenges to keep up. However, magazines are taking the proper steps to remain successful by adapting to the changing media environment. As the 2020 Magazine Media Factbook explains, the magazine industry maintains a level of trust with readers that is unmatched by other media outlets. MPA says, “At the same time, magazine media brands continue to expand their reach with compelling content shared via video and mobile web, platforms that are enjoying robust growth. Magazine media subscribers are willing to pay for compelling content from their favorite magazine brands across multiple channels.” In other words, since the magazine industry is so trusted, consumers are willing to access their favorite brands’ content through one or more platforms. Another way that magazine brands are adapting to media changes are by working closely with people of color and other marginalized groups to properly represent diversity. For instance, the Fashionista article includes a quote from Michelle Lee, the editor-in-chief of Allure, on diversity. Lee says, “We’re also really committed to working with cosmetic chemists and dermatologists of color, which people don’t always think about…This year, Billy Porter became the first man on the cover of Allure. We had Hunter Schafer on our September cover, and in December, we rolled out our digital series, The Beauty of Accessibility, with Ellie Goldstein, the 18-year-old British model with Down Syndrome, on the cover.” Clearly, the magazine industry is working hard to adapt to changing times by releasing content on several platforms, including video and mobile web, as well as working to represent marginalized groups by working from the inside of their companies, out.
As previously mentioned, one major strength of the magazine industry is how trustworthy the content is. In fact, people have turned to magazines for information on COVID-19. MPA states, “As COVID-19 impacts public health and the economy and disrupts lives across the globe, readers are increasingly turning to magazine media as they navigate these challenges…As the needs and interests of consumers evolve, magazine media publishers are sure to be there with carefully researched and edited news, information, culture, and lifestyle content that matters to their daily lives.” It is clear that readers will continue to remain loyal to magazines as long as the brands continue to release content that is thoroughly researched and edited. On top of this, magazine brands release a wide range of content which allows them to, as MPA explains, “reach a multitude of niche audiences with impressive Return On Ad Spend (ROAS).” MPA goes on to show that the magazine industry’s ROAS is highest overall among TV and Digital media. Magazines are at $6.51 while TV has $3.23, and Digital has $2.43 in return as of 2019 (MPA). Additionally, it was extremely interesting to find out through MPA that “as an ad-supported medium, magazines deliver a more positive advertising experience that motivates readers to take action and make purchase decisions.” So, not only do magazines receive greater ROAS, the ads themselves are also more positive compared to those on other forms of media like TV, social media, etc.
Gina Auletta
DeletePart Two
Although it is clear that the magazine industry has many strengths and is adapting well to the ever-changing media environment, it still faces many challenges. Besides the clear struggle of having editorial teams working on Zoom due to the pandemic, magazines negatively contribute to the impending climate issues we are facing as a planet. According to The New York Times, a 2002 study by the Energy Information Administration shows that the paper industry emits the fourth-highest level of carbon dioxide among manufacturers. The article explains the process by saying, “The life of a magazine or a newspaper starts with trees being cut down in a forest and ends with the burning or recycling of old magazines or papers. The most harmful part of the process is paper production.” That being said, the magazine industry which relies on paper production and continuously utilizes print media will likely continue to face sustainability issues. However, as technology evolves, the industry may find a way to make print magazines more eco-friendly in order to continue on their path of success.
Works Cited
Rivas, Mekita. "How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 – And What That Means for 2021." Fashionista 4 Jan. 2021.
Story, Louise. “The Hidden Life of Paper and Its Impact on the Environment.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2006.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
Stephen Halvatzis
ReplyDeletePart One
The magazine industry has come a long way since its emergence to pop culture. I used to be big on magazines when I was a child. I was never into reading books required for class, and I would almost always prefer an issue of Sports Illustrated. It was reading I could do in my free time with colorful, interesting pictures to accompany each piece. Nowadays, I never read magazines because besides the supermarkets, I wouldn't know where to find them and I wouldn't subscribe to any of them. Magazines are having a hard time staying relevant in today's times due to the new wave of digital media. Instead of subscribing to magazines, outlets like newspapers, social media and other subscriptions (The Athletic) provide customers with cool interactive digital media. That's not to say magazines aren't trying to keep in touch with their followers. Subscriptions for magazines are now available digitally and have shown the changing of the times. Although you can still purchase hard cover magazines, it seems that digital magazines are the smarter, quicker and cheaper way to keep up. In fact, magazine followers are increasing each year due to the ease of digital access to subscriptions. According to the Magazine Media Factbook, hard cover magazine subscriptions are still the primary way to access subscriptions and subscriptions have increased consistently each year. Magazine audience has increased to 228.7 million as of 2019 (210.7 million in 2012) showing that magazines have been able to adapt well to the new generation of taking in news.
I think one major strength of magazines is the wide range of content that they can produce. Newspapers always cover general news that interests the public, but magazines can specifically cover one subject or one hobby and make consistent creative content. There are specialized magazines for sports, gossip, politics and travel. It is not guaranteed that all of these subjects will be covered exclusively and specifically in the daily newspaper, so followers of those specific topics of content could feel more inclined to purchase a weekly subscription to a newspaper with stories they're interested in rather than a daily newspaper subscription that may have stories they're not interested in.
Part Two
ReplyDeleteWith the year we recently had, it was hard to find time for storylines that covered specialized topics that people are interested in, and magazines kept followers up to date. An interesting topic that has evolved into being the subject of magazine publishing is cannabis. With legalization imminent among nearly the entire country and the progression of marijuana into pop culture, it has become a subject that people can follow and get weekly insight into.
Another reason that magazines are still around and become more prominent year by year is the funding that they receive. Most magazines are funded based off of advertising you can find in each issue. However, the advertising they show off takes away from other issues magazines could shine a light on. One problems magazines have faced is their lack of diversity. Magazines, particularly covering the fashion industry, have done nothing to show support for diversity. Fashionista writer Mekita Rivas was critical on how the magazine and fashion industry has been " slow to actually do anything about it. Just look at the covers of magazines year after year. In 2020, despite setbacks caused by the pandemic (from reduced frequencies to skipped or combined months), BIPOC and Latinx representation oncovers was generally up..." (Rivas). There were strides made to be more inclusive in 2020, but the magazine industry must take more steps to feature more diversity not only in their publications, but with who they employ and who their target audience is.
Rivas, Mekita. "How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 – And What That Means for 2021." Fashionista 4 Jan. 2021.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
Benedict, Catherine, et al. “The Future of the Magazine Industry.” Business Today Online Journal, Business Today Online Journal, 31 Oct. 2018, journal.businesstoday.org/bt-online/2018/the-future-of-the-magazine-industry.
Alex Hazarian
ReplyDeleteMagazines seem to be satisfied with the digitalization era in media thanks to its powerful position in the business routine. Everyone struggles to deepen into the linkage between promotions, artistic content, and the way the audience reacts to it positively while receiving a desirable product right in the digital format. However, there is a financial trouble in this process, which takes time to improve. As a result, even though magazines have to overcome monetization issues, they still benefit from digitalization. Magazines adapt to the current needs and interests of their audiences. For example, the pandemic restricted people from active life and entertainment. There would be no need for consumers to continue spending money on magazines if they cannot try wearing new fashionable accessories or visit promoted places and locations. However, a range of magazines managed to survive the period of limited capabilities thanks to doing multiple covers. It also allowed magazines to invite more stars per month (Rivas sec. 2). It is a way to adapt to a troublesome period and social demands at the same time. The power of magazines is digital transformation. Digital space allows adding more creativity to work and saving companies' budget on printing. As a result, the printing sphere changes. Omnichannel allowed retail strategy to progress (Caruso par. 2). It applies to both magazines' access to customer's preferences as well as to their business partnerships with promotions. For example, digitalization is an advanced way to search for the potential consumers and to identify their intentions, whether the product in the magazine will target them or not. Companies are willing to establish partnerships on the digital platform thanks to the guarantee of targeting wider audiences in the result. On the other hand, there is a controversial side of magazines' digitalization, which is monetization. The issue is that readers still seek free content and it results in the reduced revenue in general (Thorpe sec. 2). It happens because magazines cannot stop the popularization of their content, which is indeed has to be for free either. Promotions and excerpts from magazines how to draw the audience's attention to the full content of the issues and to pay for it. Nevertheless, it complicates magazines' adaptation to the modern working conditions. It implies being trapped with a desire to earn money for the content and to share the information about it to gain new customers. In conclusion, modern magazines benefit from digitalization, even though it challenges them because of monetization issues. Digital space is a key to multilayered cooperation between magazines and brands that they promote. Although it is a profitable advancement in contemporary publishing, magazines have to develop reliable monetization methods to receive the profit from new options to the full extent.
Works Cited
Caruso, Aron. “The Digital Transformation in Publishing Has Left Plenty of Space for Print.” Folio, 2020, https://www.foliomag.com/digital-transformation-publishing-left-plenty-space-print/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
Rivas, Mekita. “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 - and What That Means for 2021.” Fashionista, 2021, https://fashionista.com/2021/01/diversity-in-magazines-2020. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
Thorpe, Esther. “What Are the Three Most Critical Challenges Facing Magazines & Digital Publishing?” Esther Kezia Thorpe, 2016, https://estherkeziat.medium.com/what-are-the-three-most-critical-challenges-facing-magazines-digital-publishing-809367279d24. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
When we were younger, magazines were the coolest thing to have. Magazines such as Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and Girls’ Life are really popular magazines for young teens/teens. Getting a magazine with perfume samples, seeing your favorite celebrities, and all of the different cutouts and offerings in a magazine makes them so much more exciting. It feels like an interactive experience. As social media has become more popular, magazines have become much less. Although to those who use social media more often magazines aren’t as attractive anymore, they are still very popular to those interested. COVID brought on many difficulties for all media outlets. Because of the pandemic, “… Conde Nast conducted more layoffs this year, Allure, GQ, and Vogue have all seen overall audience numbers decline, according to AAM data” which goes to show how much of a poor impact the pandemic has made (Hays). When lockdown began at the beginning of the pandemic, editorial teams were tasked with producing entire issues of magazines virtually, with pitch meetings happening through Zoom and photoshoots orchestrated over FaceTime (Rivas). This made their jobs much harder and much more complicated. Every magazine is targeted at a different audience. Being able to adapt to their audiences and the trends occurring now is important. Magazines weren’t always quick in adapting to changes and have had a diversity problem for a very long time. In 2020 this issue took a turn and they started becoming a more diverse outlet. The vice president of fashion at Bustle Digital Group said, “Creating lasting change is not about crossing off a number of action items each year. It’s not a simple KPI that can be quantified. Inclusion is a state of mind and the responsibility of every single person in this industry” which shows how important and necessary inclusion is. Magazines have the opportunity to make a big mark in people’s lives. As stated in The Association of Magazine Media, “Magazines perform better than TV or the Internet on getting users to try new things, inspiring them to buy new things, and helping them make better purchase decisions” and this shows how great of an impact that magazines still do make on users. Being able to reach your audiences through making the content being put out interesting and interactive is necessary. Some magazines are looking to switch to online rather than staying as just print. I think when it comes to adapting to the new changes that having an online presence is great, which many magazines already do. But I don’t think that getting rid of magazines in print would be 100% effective. People enjoy getting magazines in the mail. It gives an opportunity for a different kind of enjoyment and interaction, leaving people wanting to continue their subscriptions.
ReplyDeleteHays, Kali. “Some Magazines Suffering Amid Pandemic, Online and Off.” WWD, WWD, 24 Nov. 2020, wwd.com/business-news/media/some-magazines-suffering-amid-pandemic-online-and-off-1234654571/.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021. Web.
Rivas, Mekita. “How Magazines Addressed Diversity in 2020 - and What That Means for 2021.” Fashionista, Fashionista, 4 Jan. 2021, fashionista.com/2021/01/diversity-in-magazines-2020.
Hayley Cuttitta
DeleteJack Higgins
ReplyDeleteMagazines are a form of media that are not talked about as much as electronic media but has still managed to make an impact in recent years. Surprisingly, data suggests that magazines are much more engaging than other media in many ways, “not only are readers more likely to find magazine content trustworthy, inspiring and life-enhancing, but their engagement with ads is also significantly stronger” (Magazine Media Factbook 2020). Based on the reading, print-media, such as magazines, are considered more reliable for accurate information by consumers. There is something about the physical interaction with print-media that gives consumers a different perspective of the content. The reading goes on to support these findings with neuroscience data that suggests that paper readers remember more, comprehend and recall more, distract less, and are preferred by majority including millennials (Magazine Media Factbook 2020).
Aside from the benefits for the consumers, the data on advertisement engagement for magazine readers was also interesting, “Magazine return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is the highest overall” ($6.51 Magazines, $3.23 TV, and $2.43 Digital) (Magazine Media Factbook 2020). This of course would make advertisers prefer working with magazine as a media platform, which contributes to their relevance being significant to this day. Not only is it still relevant, but it is also growing according to data from the reading, “AARP The Magazine Unique Visitors from 2019- 2020 – 327.4 % growth” (Magazine Media 360 Top 10 December 2020). Magazines benefit from being trustworthy, engaging, and beneficial for advertisements, which allows it to compete with more modern electronic media in 2021.
The downside to magazines, and print-media in general, is the lack of flexibility compared to digital media, “once it’s in print, in can’t be changed until the next publication, and making those changes can cost dearly” (Bean-Mellinger). Although the ROAS of magazines were reported to be the highest, it is almost much more expensive to advertise on print-media, “A single print ad can cost $20,000 or more to produce and run, digital platforms mostly cost between $1 and $20 per click” (Bean-Mellinger). Despite its weaknesses, I was surprised by magazine success and relevance today. With the benefits mentioned, it still has a place in the media world alongside digital media.
Bean-Mellinger, B. (2019, February 05). What is the advantage & disadvantage of print & electronic media? Retrieved March 02, 2021, from https://work.chron.com/advantage-disadvantage-print-electronic-media-3840.html
"Magazine Media 360 Top 10 December 2020." Alliance for Audited Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
"Magazine Media Factbook 2020." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020. Web.