Maxim takes a tumble
The circulation decline in lads’ magazines has been felt most savagely by the monthlies with Dennis Publishing’s title Maxim crashing 27.1 per cent to 78,463, according to latest ABC figures.
The figures for the six month period ending December 2007 also showed the pressure continues to grow on IPC to make a decision over strategy for its faltering men’s monthly Loaded. The title’s decline was arrested over the period, dropping only 4.5 per cent to 115,065 but the year-on-year drop was 29.2 per cent.
However, the once Emap, now Bauer Consumer Media title FHM actually saw average net circulation rise 1.1 per cent to 315,149 on the back of a relaunch in August last year. The magazine moved to celebrity covers flashing less flesh and shifted its tone slightly upmarket.
The weekly offerings from IPC and Bauer, in the form of Nuts and Zoo both lessened their rate of decline. Nuts posted a circulation of 2.6 per cent to 270,053 compared to a drop of six per cent in the previous period. Zoo fell 4.1 per cent to 179,006 compared to a drop of 8.7 per cent last time round. It appears the arival of Mike Soutar's free weekly ShortList has not cannibalised readership to any great extent. The ttile posted its first ABC figure of 462,000.
More sophisticated men’s offerings have seen rises with Rodel’s Men’s Health up 0.6 per cent to 240,315. Condé Nast’s GQ has jumped 1.3 per cent to 129,520 and National magazine’s Esquire jumped 11.7 per cent to 59,800.
Bauer is running the rule over the titles it has inherited from Emap and must be questioning the justification for Arena, which has dropped below and average net circulation of 30,000 for the first time, down 18.3 per cent to 25,232.
To visit the ABCs site and download our PDF containing the top-line results as well as analysis click here
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