Thumbs Up For OK Magazine!
On the whole, the changes across the women’s weekly magazines sector during Jul-Dec ’98 were mostly undramatic. The women’s weekly magazine market is the largest sector in the industry in terms of sales, and currently accounts for over 8.4 million net sales (see Newsline). The total circulation of the titles shown here increased by a very substantial 67.3% year on year, although this was mostly due to the behaviour of one title – OK Magazine.
Sales of OK Magazine! increased by 76.9% year on year; The title performed even more impressively period on period: sales increased 186,000 (87.1%), the biggest success in the sector.
Northern & Shell’s OK was involved in a wrangle with rival Hello! magazine in the latter half of last year (see Newsline). Hello! accused OK‘s publisher of releasing inaccurate circulation data about Hello! which claimed that OK sold significantly more copies than Hello! during September 1998. Hello! showed only a 0.9% rise in circulation period on period and suffered the greatest actual loss in sales year on year. It dropped by over 64,000 according to last week’s ABC release, but the title still has a higher circulation than OK Magazine.
IPC’s Eva closed in mid-November last year (see Newsline). Despite a relaunch in February 1998 (see Newsline) the title failed to halt its circulation decline, and ceased publication when it had a circulation of just over 150,000.
In regard to its other women’s weekly titles, IPC Magazines announced the launch of a £9 million marketing drive involving a series of roadshows and TV campaigns (see Newsline). IPC’s titles in this market sector include Chat, Now, Woman, Woman’s Own, Woman’s Realm and Woman’s Weekly. Year on year, only Chat and Now showed any increases in circulation, rising 0.6% and 0.8% respectively.
All of IPC’s other women’s weeklies dropped in circulation year on year, with Woman’s Realm losing the greatest proportion of net sales – 14.4% year on year, despite its revamp in early 1998 (see Newsline). The publisher’s weekly with the highest circulation is Woman, which currently has net sales of 711,133.
Bauer’s Take A Break is still the most popular woman’s weekly magazine, with a total circulation that towers over all of the other titles. This was the first period where Bauer’s titles were audited by the ABC, hence the absence of annual and period comparisons for its titles Bella, Take A Break, That’s Life! and TV Quick.
As regards new launches, both IPC and Cabal Communications are expected to launch titles with a crime theme during the next period. IPC’s Chat, Crime and Passion is due out this week, and is expected to be a one off (see Newsline). Cabal has postponed the launch of Crime Weekly for sometime in March/April. An exact date is yet to be announced.
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