This is, say the publishers, the largest Vogue commissioned survey to date by some margin, and builds on two decades of investment and insight.
According to Vogue, among the key findings are:
At a time of media disruption and infinite content, connections matter – it’s these connections which the busy women makes time for, and these connections which women trust and are influenced by. Notably in relation to trust, magazines and magazine websites lead the pack. When making a purchasing decision consumers were asked what outlets they trust, and magazine platforms led the field for fashion (69%), making them as trusted as friends and family. Print magazines are 44% more trusted than weekend supplements and almost twice as trusted as social media. Monthly magazine websites are 50%+ more trusted then either social media or other lifestyle websites.
The Vogue Business Report 2017 examined the evolution of media usage across platforms over a 12 month period. The net results highlight video showing the greatest growth, up 33%, with a significant increase from older millennials (ie those 25-34.) This growth in video is exemplified by Vogue, whose award-winning content has more than 423K subscribers and over 70 million views to date. Magazine websites are showing a net increase of 25%, including a higher than average result for younger millennials, those aged 20-24, whose glossy magazine habit is gaining traction. Following magazines on social shows an increase of 25% (up 42% amongst those aged 20-24) while 20% are following bloggers and vloggers more than they were 12 months ago. There’s 19% net growth for subscribing to email newsletters, and a net increase of 11% for the print monthlies, driven by millennials.
Three quarters (75%) of women in the study state they are much more focused when looking at a print magazine than when looking at any other media, underlining one of print’s unique strengths. In the battle for attention, often divided as we multitask and multiscreen in our multiplatform world, women are immersed and totally engaged when they are reading a magazine. When women encounter advertising in monthly magazines the vast majority – nine out of ten – are paying attention, and there is little difference across the age breaks. 67% of Vogue’s audience actively enjoy the advertising they encounter in their favourite magazine. Meanwhile 8 out of 10 notice the ads they see on magazine websites, considering them 38% more informative, 50% more useful, 47% more relevant and 62% more influential than ads on lifestyle sites.
87% of those polled have bought at least one designer or high street fashion, premium beauty, fragrance or luxury good as a result of seeing ads in monthly magazines, and 72% of all women polled have purchased having seen a similar ad on a magazine website.
The Vogue audience is particularly responsive to advertising, and there is evidence to show that advertising across Vogue’s core platforms generates higher purchase levels as a result of seeing advertising in print magazines AND on magazine websites. For those exposed to advertising in print and digital, almost 90% have bought something as a direct result of seeing it advertised on one or both platforms. The uplift of adding online to magazine advertising adds 10% to purchase response while adding print to online creates an uplift of 53%.
For the first time, the Vogue Business Report included a study with Gen Z girls (12-18), to address their uptake of media platforms and to get a sense of what’s on the horizon for the next generation of consumers and customers. Findings specific to Gen Z include;
• Content largely being consumed digitally, while the older 16-18 segment are starting to form a print magazine habit.
• Social use largely via Instagram and Snapchat channels
• Social is social, in addition to a means of connecting with celebs, and is a free entertainment and information source (beauty tutorials featuring heavily.) Free content offered via social channels is the route to starting a media brand habit.
Regarding social media, 66% of all women polled and 79% of millennials now follow their favourite titles and magazine editors socially, an important link to more magazine content. British Vogue now has a social following of more than 11 million, says Condé Nast.
