Escape Closes As Dennis Questions Its Future

The men’s Internet title Escape has closed as publishers Dennis decided that the title had little hope for future growth. The title, which launched in October 1996, had consistently achieved circulation higher than its original targets with the most recent ABC figure (Jan-Jun 1997) showing sales of just over 20,000.

However the title’s former editor, Mark Higham, told Newsline that Dennis Publishing could not see the title growing in the future, either in terms of sales or advertising revenue. Higham said that he was very pleased with the title itself and that he believed it portrayed male Internet usage very honestly.

Escape was originally shelved as an Internet users magazine but was soon moved to the men’s section due to its content of boobs, bums and female celebrities. Unfortunately, notes Higham, most Net users have figured out how to find these things for themselves and no longer wish to pay for a Internet ‘girl guide’.

Higham also believes that the lack of expansion in ad revenue is due to the ad industry’s reluctance to accept this ‘true’ nature of Net usage by most men; advertisers, complains Higham, are in the main only happy to associate themselves with the business aspect of the Internet. Because of this a number of Internet consumer magazines are either repositioning themselves or have closed (Future’s Net Directory and Connect, along with Paragon Publishing’s Internet Today, have all recently closed). This is due to what Higham terms a ‘lack of buoyancy’ in the marketplace for consumer Internet titles.

Should market conditions alter favourably Higham and Dennis may consider regenerating Escape. At this stage, however, he could see no signs of growth.

Dennis Publishing: 0171 917 7686