The magazine industry body, which celebrates its centenary this year, will publish a chart showing the combined circulation for all magazine brands with an ABC figure for print and digital editions. The move comes about as the magazine industry experiences significant growth in the consumption of magazines in digital form, particularly in the consumption of digital editions, i.e. magazines that are delivered digitally in a format identical (or very similar) to the printed version.
The PPA Combined Circulation Chart will be available to the industry for the first time from midday on February 14, when the Jul-Dec 2012 ABC figures are published. The list will be alphabeticised and provide the industry with an easy-to-understand record of the combined circulation of individual magazine brands, says the PPA. It will now be published on a half-yearly basis from this point on, in line with the ABC’s own reporting, and future editions will also record the percentage change in the combined circulation of a magazine brand.
Barry McIlheney (pictured), Chief Executive, PPA, said: “We believe the time has come to start tracking and recording the significant growth of magazine brands in the digital space, as many magazine brands are demonstrating that digital is the natural extension to their extensive and robust print base. The uptake of tablets by consumers is fuelling this demand for high-quality, familiar, and enjoyable content in digital form. We fully support the continued innovation of magazine brands in tablet and digital formats, and the work of ABC to develop its auditing tools to accurately measure today’s multi-platform magazine circulations.”
James Papworth, Marketing Director, PPA Marketing, added: “The PPA TAP Report 2012 shows that demand for magazines in print remains robust among consumers: in addition, tablet owners are more likely to read and purchase printed magazines, and more likely to engage with a wider repertoire of magazine brands. The PPA Combined Circulation Chart will help advertisers and agencies track this evolution of magazine brands across print and digital devices. We know from our recent study, Magonomics, that magazines offer the highest ROI of all media with the most cost-effective bonding and influence on readers. This bonding and influence is only increasing as magazine brands offer more and more engagement opportunities across print and digital editions.”
Nicholas Coleridge, Managing Director of Condé Nast and a member of the PPA Board, said: "It is becoming clear that digital editions of magazines are more and more important as an exciting and viable addition to print. It is essential that these are fully recognised by the ABC, if our circulations are to remain accurate and coherent. Condé Nast is 100 percent behind this move."
Stephen Noble, Head of Press Trading, Mindshare, commented: “In a short space of time digital editions have started to establish themselves alongside print as a significant choice for an ever-increasing number of consumers. A combined circulation figure – as long as it is managed in a transparent way – is a welcome step forward in quantifying how audiences are engaging with today’s magazine brands.”
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.”
