Research Reveals Backlash Against Women’s Magazines
The majority of women are becoming bored by the increasingly ‘dumb and trashy’ content of glossy magazines, according to a new research study.
A nation-wide survey of 250 professional women was commissioned to analyse their attitudes towards the range of glossy magazines currently available. It shows that 75% of women are dissatisfied with existing titles in the sector and would like to see them include more ‘intelligent and stimulating’ features.
The study also claims that existing women’s titles have systematically failed to appreciate the growing intellect of their readers. It shows that 55% of women believe the current range of women’s titles ‘lack interesting features’, contain ‘un-stimulating content’ and ‘too much celebrity news’.
The research, which was commissioned on behalf of new women’s lifestyle title Be Unlimited, identified a gap in the market for a title aimed at women’s brains, as opposed to endless streams of features on multiple orgasms and personal horror stories.
Women’s lives have changed irrevocably over the past 20 years, but a brief flick through contemporary women’s magazines would seem suggest that women are trapped in a time warp, still striving to be all things to all people.
Commenting on the problem, Rebekah Renton, editor of Be Unlimited, said: “Women’s lives have been transformed over the past two decades. An increasing number of women are better educated, more financially independent and are choosing to combine careers with family life.”
She added: “As a society our standards of living are increasing and many successful women are less concerned with amassing more material wealth and more focused on making sense of their lives, improving their general well being and achieving lasting happiness.”
The independent spending power of women has also grown significantly over the past twenty years, according to new research which suggests that advertisers may need to re-think their approach to gender specific marketing (see Research Reveals Spending Power Of The Superwoman).
Be Unlimited: www.be-unlimited.co.uk
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