The survey revealed an increase in the number of companies showing growth in both turnover and profit as the industry moves from a position of cost-cutting to cost control, and from a more internal focus on reorganisation to a more external focus on income generation.
A total of 51% of companies reported turnover growth for 2012, while 26% reported a decline. This resulted in a positive balance of 25%.
This balance figure rises to 44% when respondents were asked to forecast turnover for 2013, indicating a rise in confidence year-on-year.
Publishing Futures analyses the performance of consumer magazine and business information publishers in the key areas of advertising, circulation, digital, marketing, and strategy, considering both current and future performance.
With regard to profitability for 2012, the balance of companies stands at 61%, holding steady when compared with the previous year's figure but rising markedly to 83% when looking forward to the end of 2013.
This improved performance is reflected in publisher confidence levels which, at 8.4 out of a maximum of 10, are up strongly year-on-year. Overall, 47% stated that they felt more confident than a year ago.
Barry McIlheney (pictured), PPA CEO, said: “As our industry’s bellwether, Publishing Futures paints a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities facing publishers in 2013.
“The survey shows how, in the context of a wider and sustained economic malaise, businesses are successfully remodelling themselves to balance the shifting income from print and digital channels.
"The sector today is emerging as more efficient, more confident, and more focussed on growing revenues.”
Jim Bilton, Managing Director of Wessenden Marketing and author of the report, said: “It is clear that the industry is at an important transitional point in 2013.
“Three years ago, Publishing Futures reflected the industry’s fear of structural decline as revenue streams became increasingly unstable. Today, those fears are easing - publishers have worked hard to adapt their businesses to a difficult economic landscape while consolidating new revenue opportunities.”
Publishing Futures is an annual benchmarking survey from the PPA carried out and produced by Wessenden Marketing. The 2013 survey is the fourth in the project’s history and comprises data from 96 UK consumer, business and digital publishers that are responsible for over 5,100 branded activities. An executive summary of the report is available to download from the PPA website and the full report is available exclusively to PPA members.
About PPA
The PPA says: “The PPA promotes and protects the interests of print and online publishers of consumer and business media in the UK. The PPA has around 200 publishing companies in its membership, which collectively produce more than 2,500 consumer and business magazines and journals as well as digital media, data products and events.”
