sustainable architecture:magazine

The Industry: Magazines divide broadly into consumer and business to business magazines.

Copy, Sales and Cover Price: In terms of spending on magazines, the price had been one of remarkable growth with a recent steady rise. According to an ABC market summary report of July/December 2007, Men’s Lifestyle Monthlies, Women’s Traditional Weeklies and TV Listings saw the largest volume decline in 2007. Women’s Celebrity Weeklies, Soap and Children’s magazines showed the fastest YoY growth.

Market Sector Overview: The UK magazine market was worth £1.6 billion during 2007. down 1.6% YoY. Volume sales dropped by 4.7% YoY to a total of 1.1 billion copies. In 2007 there have also been significant growth in the number of A5 compact editions within the Women’s Lifestyle/Fashion sector.

Subscriptions: In total 158.8 million magazines were sold as subscription copies in 2007, including both UK and overseas sales.

The importance of subscriptions tot he monthlies has grown, with their share of monthlies total ABC increasing by 2.0% to 25.6%.

This relationship also exists for weekly frequency titles with subscriptions share of total ABC increasing by 0.5% to 8.4%.

Readership of consumer magazines: Almost everyone reads a magazine. 75% of all UK adults read at least one of the 183 consumer titles listed on the National Readership Survey. With a total of 8,558 recorded magazines currently in circulation/business and consumer, we can say that almost every UK adult reads at least one magazine title.

Time spend reading: The average consumer magazine is read for approximately 54 minutes. By contrast, the average newspaper section is read for an average of 26 minutes. The average magazine is picked up 5.4 times. For newspaper sections, the average is 2.8.

Quality time: In addition to being read on number of occasions for long periods of time, the reading of magazines is regarded as an extremely rewarding experience. 84% of readers agree with the statement ‘you can believe what you read in it’, 81% ‘look forward to reading it’ and 87% ‘I read it when am relaxing’.

Business information: Like consumer magazines, readers regard business media publications as a principal source of interest and information.

79% read business magazines at their desk

59% read business magazines when they have a break at work

66% enjoy receiving business magazines

Whats out their… the competitors

Blueprint magazine: A monthly magazine featuring articles on architecture and design. It is one of the most established architecture magazines, although when I was asking students and professors of architecture which magazines they normally read, Blueprint was not in that list. (priced at £4.75)

Icon magazine: A monthly magazine focusing on architecture, interior design and furnishing. Every month it features interviews with architects and designers and review a range of exhibitions, books, products and film. It belongs to the category of the accessible magazines. (priced at £4.50)

Architects Journal: A weekly magazine for professional architects. It features beautiful photography, technical information, analytical reports and building studies available.

Prospect Architecture magazine: It is a quarterly magazine looking at architecture, design and specializes in the industry in Scotland. It includes images from architectural photographers as well as up-to-date news and regular features on building and design projects. Selling point of this magazine is Scotland, Scottish architects and designers. (priced at £10.00)

Architectural Review: A popular, monthly and international architecture magazine. It features a wide range of information and is a source of inspiration for architects. (priced at £8.00)

Grand Designs: Is an architectural and interior magazine and compliments the Channel 4 television programme hosted by Kevin McCloud. The magazine is an inspiration for top class interior as well as enviromentally sustainable architecture. (priced at £3.40)

 The future of magazines: As the UK magazine publishing industry evolves to absorb new technologies, publishers support their brands in all mediums and across all formats. But what is the future of the magazine itself? Readers will continue supporting print versions of magazines although reading on screens will become even more familiar in the future. People will read whether they are reading on a piece of paper or a portable screen that’s yet to be determine however, it won’t matter that much to publishers.

International publishing: The UK magazine export market is growing rapidly, driven to a large extent by the UK publishing industry. The magazine industry makes substantial contribution to the UK market, with business media titles continuing to increase their worldwide reach. Uk magazine exports generate net income of £120 million per year.

Sales Trends: In most countries consumer magazine publishers get more income from copy sales than from advertising, although this trend doesn’t exist in two of the bigest magazine markets, the US and Germany.