According to the publishers Egmont, the result exceeds expectations and demonstrates there is a strong appetite within the 13-15 year old teen girl market for this type of magazine. The positive sales figures have been complemented by impactful results across integrated digital platforms including the magazine’s website, Facebook page and Twitter.
Every issue of We Love Pop includes in-depth interviews, behind-the-scenes exclusives, pics and high-end cover gifts. The title has a strong digital presence and online community that ‘bridges the gap’ between magazine issues. The website traffic of 55,000 unique users and 298,862 page views since launch is combined with over 14,000 Facebook fans and over 2,000 Twitter followers. The multi-platform nature of We Love Pop sees a high level of interaction and engagement by the user.
The host of platforms available to advertisers across print, website and social media has attracted a variety of advertisers including Universal Music, BooHoo, So Fragrance and SJM Concerts. Integrated editorial sponsorship packages, that have multiple touch-points, can extend the depth of advertising campaigns to this hard-to-reach group of consumers. An example of this integrated offering is BooHoo, which ran display advertising complemented by banner ads and editorial contributions in the fashion section.
The launch of We Love Pop was supported by an above-the-line marketing campaign including bespoke point-of-sale activity with high profile retailers Tesco (an all store listing), Asda, Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and WHS Travel. In addition, an outdoor advertising campaign ran across 30 London bus routes and a digital marketing campaign included bespoke activity with Stardoll (which attracted 39,000 members, all receiving themed WLP gifts), Sugarscape and Vevo.com. The digital activity utilised the associated platforms across the website and social media to significantly increase the number of followers and fans.
Siobhan Galvin, Publisher said: “It is fantastic to see such a strong set of results for the first issue of the magazine and we anticipate similarly robust figures for issue two. The focus that We Love Pop placed on launching a brand that utilises multi-platforms, along with our in-depth research, allows us to give the readers a truly integrated experience.”
Richard Paul, magazine buyer at WHSmith, comments: “It is always positive to see new titles launch, especially those like We Love Pop which are well researched, well written and deliver a product that the customer enjoys reading. Early sales of this title have clearly demonstrated the effort that Egmont has put into launching this title has paid off.”
Neil Ivey, director at Mediacom, comments: "Pop music is back in fashion. Stars like Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Beyonce have revived interest in the charts and are all over the tabloid papers and gossip mags. But where is the 21st century Smash Hits to cater for the needs of the 13 to 15 year old who is the core target for these stars?
Egmont, a publisher that knows the kids' market inside out, might well have come up with the solution. We Love Pop launches on 20th July aimed to give exclusive news on the really big names in music to teenage girls. If you want a poster of Justin Bieber for your bedroom wall, you've got it. And if you want to communicate with JLS, here's your solution.
It's encouraging to see a publisher launching a magazine into the teen sector. We need to encourage youngsters to read mags so that they develop the habit in later life. I wish the title well. It looks good: glossy cover, short snappy features. It sounds good: free music downloads. My only disappointment is that it doesn't yet offer the lyrics to Glad You Came by The Wanted so that I can sing along."
Neil Allen, trading director at Starcom MediaVest Group, comments: “Egmont have clearly invested in the launch of We Love Pop, and through their other titles and research, appear to understand how to reach a savvy teen audience. Although this is one of the sectors that has seen the way that the audience consume media probably change the most, there is still an appetite for magazines. Content like posters and covermounts are very attractive incentives for a market in this age group.
Using the wealth of social media at their disposal to get the content out there is a smart move. Having The Wanted and Justin Beiber tweeting about the new launch to their thousands of Twitter followers, plus a presence on Vevo and Facebook, should drive trial. The ongoing challenge will be getting the balance right between the freely accessible content on their website and what is available in the monthly magazine.”
