Feature: The ABs’ Favourite Magazines
Last week saw the release of the first wave of data from the VIPer study – a new survey into the country’s ABs (see VIPer Research To Offer Advertisers Insight Into Rich And Influential). VIPer has been developed by a consortium of media owners to examine the lifestyles, media consumption and purchase habits of the UK’s affluent and successful.
Condé Nast, publisher of upmarket magazines Vogue and Tatler, is part of the VIPer consortium. Glossy consumer magazine publishers, whose titles are an important vehicle for much up-market advertising, will be particularly interested in the results of the survey. Stephen Quinn, publishing editor of Vogue says that the As “single-handedly drive consumer spending on luxury consumer products.” Almost a quarter of Vogue‘s readership comes from ABs aged 25-54 (the target group of the VIPer survey) and the magazine reaches 5.3% of the population in this audience category. Tatler‘s readership profile is even more up-market, with 34.2% of its readers in the AB category.
The Radio Times reaches the greatest number of ABs aged 25-54, at 734,000. This is a coverage of 12.3% of the total group, and represents 18.9% of the Radio Times‘ total readership. Elsewhere in the consumer magazines sector, NatMags’ Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan and Country Living are all in the top 20 titles by AB readership. Good Housekeeping reaches 8.8% of this group each month according to the July ’98-June ’99 NRS survey.
| Top 20 Consumer Magazines By AB 25-54 Readership | ||||
| Title | Adults 15+ | Audience | Coverage % | Profile % |
| Radio Times | 3,866,000 | 734,000 | 12.3 | 18.9 |
| Readers Digest | 4,019,000 | 552,000 | 9.3 | 13.7 |
| Good Housekeeping | 1,971,000 | 525,000 | 8.8 | 26.6 |
| Cosmopolitan | 2,073,000 | 458,000 | 7.7 | 22.0 |
| FHM | 3,611,000 | 443,000 | 7.5 | 12.2 |
| Marie Claire | 1,665,000 | 401,000 | 6.7 | 24.0 |
| Hello! | 2,271,000 | 382,000 | 6.4 | 16.8 |
| Homes & Gardens | 1,521,000 | 368,000 | 6.2 | 24.1 |
| What Car? | 1,311,000 | 331,000 | 5.6 | 25.2 |
| BBC Good Food | 1,136,000 | 329,000 | 5.5 | 28.9 |
| Ideal Home | 1,536,000 | 325,000 | 5.5 | 21.1 |
| House & Garden | 1,335,000 | 320,000 | 5.4 | 23.9 |
| Vogue | 1,419,000 | 318,000 | 5.3 | 22.4 |
| BBC Gardeners World | 1,770,000 | 308,000 | 5.2 | 17.4 |
| TV Times | 3,231,000 | 284,000 | 4.8 | 8.7 |
| Whats On TV | 4,313,000 | 279,000 | 4.7 | 6.4 |
| Country Living | 830,000 | 274,000 | 4.6 | 33.0 |
| BBC Top Gear | 1,513,000 | 269,000 | 4.5 | 17.7 |
| House Beautiful | 1,042,000 | 256,000 | 4.3 | 24.5 |
| Private Eye | 623,000 | 254,000 | 4.3 | 40.7 |
| Top 20 Consumer Magazines By AB 25-54 Profile | ||||
| Title | Adults 15+ | Audience | Coverage % | Profile % |
| High Life | 414,000 | 215,000 | 3.6 | 51.9 |
| Private Eye | 623,000 | 254,000 | 4.3 | 40.7 |
| New Scientist | 458,000 | 184,000 | 3.1 | 40.1 |
| Elle Decoration | 242,000 | 85,000 | 1.4 | 35.1 |
| World Of Interiors | 272,000 | 94,000 | 1.6 | 34.5 |
| Time Out | 384,000 | 132,000 | 2.2 | 34.3 |
| Period Living | 423,000 | 145,000 | 2.4 | 34.2 |
| Tatler | 260,000 | 89,000 | 1.5 | 34.2 |
| Harpers & Queen | 364,000 | 124,000 | 2.1 | 34.0 |
| Country Living | 830,000 | 274,000 | 4.6 | 33.0 |
| Yachting Monthly | 175,000 | 55,000 | 0.9 | 31.4 |
| Country Homes & Interiors | 689,000 | 212,000 | 3.6 | 30.7 |
| Geographical Magazine | 127,000 | 39,000 | 0.7 | 30.7 |
| Country Life | 296,000 | 88,000 | 1.5 | 29.7 |
| Esquire | 343,000 | 100,000 | 1.7 | 29.1 |
| BBC Good Food | 1,136,000 | 329,000 | 5.5 | 28.9 |
| BBC Good Homes | 358,000 | 100,000 | 1.7 | 27.9 |
| Inspirations For Your Home | 380,000 | 106,000 | 1.8 | 27.8 |
| BBC Vegetarian Good Food | 314,000 | 86,000 | 1.4 | 27.3 |
| GQ | 740,000 | 201,000 | 3.4 | 27.1 |
In the men’s consumer magazine market, EMAP’s FHM reaches the most ABs, 443,000 or 7.5%, but it is NatMags’ Esquire that has the highest AB readership profile: 29.1 % of Esquire‘s readers are ABs. Condé Nast’s GQ also has an up-market audience, with a 27.1% AB profile – 3.4% of the AB population. The BBC’s magazine offerings are also good vehicles for those at the top of the social strata. The Beeb’s Good Food, Gardeners’ World and Top Gear all feature in the top 20 titles by AB audience size, with Good Food reaching 5.5% of 25-54 ABs.
According to Julie France, sales and marketing director at the More Group, ViPer is attempting to “understand rather than enumerate” this group of people. Over time it will be possible to track trends and run comparison reports across the ViPer data. The next wave of research will be available in February 2000.
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