ABC Jan-Jun 2003: FHM Rides High In Men’s Lifestyle Market

The figures listed in NewsLine’s ABC reports are those reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) as of Thursday 14 August 2003. Late submissions and changes may be made after this date, and will thereafter be amended in MediaTel’s Press database. For full notes on how NewsLine’s reports are compiled please see Important Notes: ABC January – June 2003.

The men’s lifestyle magazine market has experienced something of a rocky ride over the last few years as it came down to earth with a bang following its rapid rise to notoriety in the late nineties. However, the latest ABC results for the six months to June 2003 suggest some degree of stability could be returning to the sector, which saw circulation rise by a modest 0.3% year on year.

There was good news for Emap’s market leading, FHM, which saw circulation rise by a healthy 3.4% to 600,568 following increased levels of publicity surrounding its High Street Honeys competition and a range of other promotions (see FHM Takes High Street Honeys To Sky).

National Magazine Company’s recent move to reposition Esquire at the more sophisticated end of the men’s lifestyle market also appears to have paid off and the title experienced a significant 23.2% improvement in the first half of this year to 69,193 (see Esquire Re-Positions For The Thinking Man).

Meanwhile, Uncut‘s blend of music and movies continued to hit the mark with its core 25 to 44 year old readership. The IPC-owned title welcomed an impressive 26.7% year on year increase in circulation to 105,781, up from 83,487 in the same period the previous year.

However, IPC stablemate, Loaded, proved less fortunate in the six months to June and the ‘original lad’s mag’ suffered a 15.2% year on year decline in circulation to below the 300,000 mark, despite recently launching its biggest promotion to date (see IPC To Boost Loaded With Biggest Promotion To Date).

The latest ABC results also brought less than impressive news to Dennis Publishing’s Maxim, which saw circulation dip by 7% year on year to 56,315. However, the title recently underwent a redesign to distance itself from its main competitors and strengthen the appeal to its core twenty-something readership (see Maxim Redesigned For Core Readership).

Elsewhere, Highbury Cabal’s Front magazine experienced a sharp 21.5% year on year drop in circulation to 110,323 and Emap’s The Face slipped by 10.6% to 43,717, down from 48,913 in the same period the previous year.

Dennis Publishing’s recently acquired Jack recorded an initial circulation of 33,347 placing it at the lower end of the men’s market. However, the magazine, which was the brain-child of former Loaded editor, James Brown, will relaunch later this year with more pages and a new larger format (see Dennis Reveals New Look For Jack Magazine).

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