MPA releases latest magazine consumption bible, including 360° data and many more (mostly) fun industry facts
Since 2014, the MPA has been tracking magazine consumption with its Magazine Media 360° report, and we’ve been tracking those tracks. (After all, we issue our own annual study on magazine readership, the most recent edition of which came out last month.)
Some highlights from this year’s MPA reports:
- In January of 2016, the Audience Report charted a 4.1% year-over-year increase in site visits for November of 2015, while putting gross traffic for digital magazines at 1.76 billion.
- In July, the Audience Report for the first half of 2016 charted a 6.2% year-over-year increase in site visits, while a third of digital magazines grew audience by more than 10%. Nearly a fifth grew by 25%. The niche publishers seeing the most growth included Travel (14.9%), Women’s Fashion & Beauty (14.9%), and Business & Finance (14.1%). In addition, mobile pulled away from the pack. For every one desktop/laptop unique visitor that was lost, nine new mobile unique users were added. And with new MRI data released in June, print audiences grew 1.5 percent Y-o-Y.
Now, those stats and many more have been collected in the MPA’s 2016/17 Magazine Media Factbook – recently released and available for download at Magazine.org – the digital publishing industry’s (as well as print’s) definitive compilation of magazine media research and statistics.
“Nothing informs a discussion better than solid data, and the 2016/17 Magazine Media Factbook has plenty of conversation starters,” MPA President and Chief Executive Officer Linda Thomas Brooks said in a statement.
“The research continues to show that magazine media is the most trusted, inspiring and influential of all media, and several new studies provide even more proof of magazine media’s unique ability to drive sales.”
Here’s a small sampling of key facts and figures from the MPA Factbook, or, as they call them “Tweetable Truths”:
- Magazine media total audience grew to 1.75 billion in 2015 across platforms – an increase of 6.2%
- The #MM360 Brand Audience Report measures monthly volume in print+digital, web, mobile web and video
- Devoted #magmedia users have more BFFs than TV or radio users, spreading their ideas over a wide social circle.
- The top 25 #print magazines reach more adults and teens than the top 25 primetime TV shows.
- Net audience for #print and #digital magazines continues to grow.
- The total number of adults who read #digital edition magazines had grown rapidly since 2011.
- The median age of #magazine readers (47.1) reflects the median age of the U.S. population.
- Magazines show the highest return on advertising spend–the ultimate KPI.
- Advertising in print in combination with other media adds substantially to brand awareness.
- Print magazines excel in reaching super influential consumers in #healthcare and #healthy living.
- Luxury goods category influencers are devoted print #magazine readers.
- Print #magazine readers strongly influence #technology buys – second only to online.
And our favorite by far:
- More than any other devoted media users, affluent #magmedia readers are most likely to own a boat.
Boats are a good thing. Steady industry gains are a great thing. What are some of your favorite stats from the MPA Factbook? Let us know in the comments!
To read more of the MPA Factbook, visit Magazine.org.
