FHM To Launch ‘Travel-Sized’ Edition

Men’s magazine FHM is to launch a compact, travel-sized edition in a bid to bolster its sales amid a generally declining market.

The new incarnation of the Emap title, which recorded the highest ABC in the men’s sector for the first half of last year despite shedding more than a quarter of its sales year on year (see ABC Results Jan-Jun 2007:Big Declines In Men’s Sector), is to launch in the spring.

It will be about 70% the size of the regular edition, but will include the same content and advertising.

FHM is the market leader, recording an ABC of almost 311,600 for January to June 2007. However, the title was down by around 110,000 copies year on year.

In the past few years, the publication has seen its circulation fall from 573,713 in January to June 2004, to 311,590 copies sold on average for the same period last year.

Anthony Noguera was appointed as the editor-in-chief of the lads mag last February (see Noguera Announced As New FHM Editor-In-Chief), and the title underwent a revamp last August.

The travel-size edition will sell for the same price as its larger format, £3.80, and will contain FHM2, the “mag within a mag” introduced as part of last year’s overhaul.

The new edition of FHM will be supported with promotional point-of-sale material and a cross-platform campaign across Emap’s other brands.

Last month, Emap’s consumer magazines and radio businesses were sold to German publishing group H Bauer for £1.14 billion (see Media In The City: Emap Sells Magazine And Radio Arms To H Bauer).

Emap: 01733 568 900 www.emap.co.uk