PIB: Consumer Magazine Ads Up Slightly in 2011
NEW YORK—The consumer magazine industry generated $20.086 billion in full-year 2011 print advertising revenue, a slight $8 million increase compared to 2010’s advertising revenue of $20.078 billion, according to the Publishers Information Bureau (PIB). Pages dipped 3.1 percent from 169,552 in 2010 to 164,225 in 2011.
“The magazine industry posted positive 2011 first quarter and second quarter advertising performances in pages and revenue, but a weakened economy in the second half of the year offset those gains as advertisers grew more skittish from diminished consumer spending, wild stock market swings and zero job growth,” said Nina Link, president and CEO, MPA–The Association of Magazine Media.
“There were pockets of strength in some categories for full-year 2011. Advertisers in the apparel, cosmetics and financial sectors increased their magazine marketing spend last year. Magazines were negatively impacted by the food sector in 2011 as rising energy and production costs in the food industry resulted in a decreased overall advertising spend. Similarly, magazines were also affected by a decline in overall advertising spending in home furnishing and supplies, a result of the soft housing market."
PIB advertising revenue and pages grew in three major advertising categories in full year 2011:
• Financial, insurance and real estate posted the strongest gains for the year, logging double-digit increases in both PIB revenue (19.4 percent) and ad pages (12.7 percent). The category was bolstered by banks, investment firms, credit card companies, insurance providers and even a handful of realtors, despite continuing softness in the real estate market.
• Another growth category for magazines, toiletries and cosmetics, showed a 9.5 percent gain in print ad revenue and a 3.8 percent boost in ad pages in 2011. The most significant contributors to the category were ads for makeup, perfumes and hair styling products.
• The apparel and accessories category experienced a 9.7 percent surge in revenue and 5.5 percent rise in pages partly due to ads for jewelry, watches and footwear. The category recorded a notable influx of ad dollars from luxury brands.