Children’s mags a bright spot amid declining print circulations

The magazine ABCs were published last week and though they point to the declining circulations of many publications, 13 of the 100 biggest sellers have managed to buck the trend.

Though the ABCs are the most respected and widely-used indicator of a magazine’s circulation, using them to support an argument about the state of the industry as a whole is increasingly unreliable. Where they do come in handy is to looking at specific trends. As reported in the Press Gazette, the magazines that have managed to increase year-on-year circulation (with percentage increase in brackets) are:

• Moshi Monsters Magazine (40.4%)

• Style at Home (22.3%)

• Fun to Learn – Peppa Pig (13.1%)

• Slimming World Magazine (11.2%)

• Cbeebies Art (9.5%)

• Easy Living (8.6%)

• Fun to Learn – Friends (7.2%)

• Time Magazine – British Isles (6.6%)

• Cbeebies Special (4.9%)

• The Week (3%)

• GQ (2.1%)

• House & Garden (1.4%)

• Empire (0.1%)

A clear trend in this small group is preschool magazines, of which there are five. Though we are told that toddlers are using iPads, it would seem publishers are yet to invest in digital copies. This should be encouraging for those who fear that print is dead, as the youngest generation are starting out with a printed product.

Emily Bell, marketing manager at Redan Publishing, believes the circulation increase is due to the strength of the characters their Fun to Learn series is based on. She said: ‘The Peppa Pig brand is extremely strong. When it comes to Peppa, she herself is the secret to our success.’

For the pre-school age group, Emily thinks nothing can beat the physical nature of stickers, pens and paper, and cover mounts. She also believes that magazines are often bought by parents or other carers as presents, and they have the benefit of being something physical you can actually hand to a child.

But that doesn’t mean digital growth is irrelevant, it just requires a different approach. Whereas other magazines are looking at how best to utilise technology to present a digital copy of their title, Redan is looking into how apps could support the main product.

Emily explained how the experience is different: ‘Our magazines encourage interactivity between parent/carer and child – it is something they do together. An app is something to keep the child happy, in the car or a restaurant, without much interaction’. This understanding of digital and print differences may be unique to the preschool market but a consideration of the consumption experience is vital for any publication’s growth and success. Emily sums up Redan’s approach to digital: ‘It would be enriching rather than cannibalising’.

Many titles combine their approach to print and online, presenting one offering which has no distinct boundaries. If the same content is presented across all platforms, it is no surprise that print numbers are in decline opposed to the more convenient and accessible online option. While it would be wrong to suggest the preschool magazine model could be applied across the industry, the importance of the digital/print boundaries, as identified by Redan, are worthy of consideration for any title struggling to maintain their printed product.

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