NatMags To Close CosmoGIRL!
NatMags is to close declining teen title CosmoGIRL!, with the company set to put further focus on new digital only offering, Jellyfish.
The decision to close CosmoGIRL! after six years is the result of a review carried out on NatMags’ entire portfolio. The company is also said to be restructuring.
CosmoGIRL! is edited by Celia Duncan, who is the mastermind behind weekly girls e-zine Jellyfish (see NatMags Names Digital Magazine). Jellyfish was initially on a 14-week trial that was set to end this week, but this has now been extended until September.
The publisher is now said to be refocusing Jellyfish, moving away from the younger teen market and looking to reach 18 to 25 year olds.
Under the company’s organisational restructure, Meribeth Parker has been appointed as publishing director of the Young Women’s Group, comprising SHE, Company and Zest. She succeeds Justine Southall who was promoted to publishing director of Cosmopolitan earlier this month.
Meanwhile, publishing directors Liz Kershaw and Matt Salmon will be given additional responsibilities. Kershaw will add House Beautiful to her remit, while Salmon will now oversee You and Your Wedding, Cosmopolitan Bride and youandyourwedding.co.uk within the Lifestyle group.
In recent years, CosmoGIRL! has seen its circulation slide in an increasingly turbulent teen market. In July to December 2004, the title recorded an ABC of 213,311, which had slipped to 131,956 by the same period last year.
In the last consumer magazines concurrent release from the ABC, the teen sector recorded a host of declining circulation figures.
Bliss saw a very large decline, of over 45% year on year, whilst TV Hits was down by more than 25% year on year.
Sugar, the title with the largest total circulation figure in the sector, of more than 200,500, suffered a year on year decline of almost 20%. However, it stayed relatively static period on period (see ABC Results Jul-Dec 2006:Troubled Times For Teen Magazines).
National Magazine Company: 020 7439 5000 www.natmags.co.uk