Snoddy: “Publishers should be planning launches”

Media journalist Ray Snoddy believes that the magazine industry now has the freedom to plan and invest in launches, in preparation for when the recession ends.

Speaking at MediaTel Group’s ‘Future of Consumer Magazines’ seminar yesterday, Snoddy said the magazine industry is in a good position because “the entire sector is in private hands, which is good news”.

However, Greg Miall, managing director of Sport magazine, said: “It’s hard for publishers to launch magazines, especially in this market. You’d have to be brave.”

MediaTel data shows that last year alone saw just 35 launches compared with a fairly shocking 169 closures, mainly as a result of the deteriorating ad market, which is due to worsen this year.

Panellist Stevie Spring, Future’s chief executive, said they are “continuously launching” despite the decline, as they have generally been a “trend-bucker” in recent ABC results.

However, Spring said: “It’s not all about launches and closures, that’s a naive view. Condé Nast’s new LOVE magazine hardly counts as a launch – it’s only bi-annual.”

IPC’s recently promoted chief executive, Evelyn Webster, said that her publishing group, which houses a vast number of titles such as Loaded, NME, TV Times and Marie Claire, is keen to “invest in established brands”.

“We are spending the same money on current brands and our digital offerings,” she said. “It’s not all about launches.”

Carat’s press director and fellow panellist, Dominic Williams, gave an agency perspective: “Publishers should invest in current brands. Don’t launch – you’d be crazy, it’s so risky and there is already too much choice. Agencies are definitely going with stronger and established brands.”