Magazine chiefs fear wrath of green lobby
The most pressing worries for magazine publishers are the economic slowdown, the potential public concern about the environmental impact of the business and the robustness of the NRS readership data.
Leading publishers spelt out their biggest headaches at the closing session of the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) annual conference yesterday (7 May).
Sylvia Auton (pictured) chief executive of IPC Media, first raised the potential problem of the public’s environmental anxieties regarding the magazine industry and said: “I think the Government is desperate for tax and we are a sitting target and something ridiculous could happen like being charged for every unsold copy.”
Paul Keenan, chief executive of Bauer Consumer Media, added: “The extent to which we can demonstrate environmental responsibility will become a significant issue for all of us.”
Auton added that she believed magazines would still be in existence for years to come but added that she had no doubt “consumers want us to deliver content across a plethora of platforms” and this was putting a strain on resources.
Keenan echoed the worry about the economy and said this brought into sharp relief the debate about how much should be invested in digital offerings and how an “adequate return” can be generated. He pointed out that the burgeoning number of websites, whether magazine or non-magazine related, all depended on advertising but at least traditional publishers had a “capability” in selling advertising.
When queried about new launches, the response was that it was unlikely that there would be any mass appeal UK consumer magazines debuting this year but that there was a plenty of activity in niche sectors and in the international market. Stevie Spring, chief executive officer of Future Publishing, said: “We are taking different types of bets. We are taking lots of small bets rather than betting the farm on any large launches, particularly out of sector.”
The NRS readership data came under scrutiny and Auton said: “If the NRS has not got the confidence of the advertising agencies it’s unfortunate but it is the reality we are dealing with." She added that the NRS should invest more in training in how agencies can better use the information to buy media.”
Clive Foskett, publisher at independent company Signature Publishing, said that in the smaller sectors “issues of currency become second place to relationships with advertisers” and that a magazine can be number one in its market without the endorsement of a currency.
Keenan defended the NRS and said that the result of a current overhaul of the system “will greatly strengthen the arguments with major advertisers that magazines should be at the heart of their media planning.”
