What Drove Big Gains During a Traditionally Slow Month 2016 Was
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January 16, 2017 | Vol. 70 No. 2 Read more at: minonline.com Top Story: What Drove Big Gains During a Traditionally Slow Month Trump’s November surprise, access and Amish cookies were in the mix. Traditionally, November is a struggle for digital content of all kinds as mindshare shifts to e-commerce for the month. This year, however, many of the titles tracked by the Magazine Media 360º Brand Audience Report benefitted from citizens shop- ping for any and all news around the historic election surprise. A range of publishers outside the usual political fold enjoyed some of the most extreme traffic spikes from their takes on pre- and post-Election Day news. But I was also struck by how many magazine digital success stories in November underscored the enduring power of magazine brands themselves. Maga- zines continue to command exclusivity and access that digital natives do not. New York magazine (+9.3% desktop, +114.8% mobile, +58.5% video) broke its personal best unique visitor record, led by its Daily Intelligence brand. Post-mortem pieces drew the most views. It was a similar story at Bloomberg Businessweek (-13.9% desktop, +88.9% mobile, +20.3% video) where its political content led on mobile and especially video. Businessweek is distributing digital and TV clips across both traditional digital and OTT apps, but the brand also launched a new Technology vertical in November. Likewise for Esquire (-5.4% desktop, +80.4% mobile, +177.4% video), which flexed its star columnist muscle with com- mentary from Charles Pierce, enjoyed a record-breaking month. But on the video front Esquire also upped its social game with more Facebook Live events and new video series launches. The brand wins here with its signature eclectic content mix, everything from greasy breakfast recipes to hard-rock driven Women We Love clips to "How to Tie a Windsor Knot." Continued on page 5 2016 Was a Good Year for Hearst Magazines, Says Carey The company president points to a number of big wins. Let's face it, last year was a tough year for magazine media. Ad revenue in print continued to decline, as did newsstand sales. Not to mention we saw a few legacy brands shutter. But according to David Carey, president of Hearst Magazines, 2016 was a good year. Continued on page 2 Show Us Your Best! The evolution of magazine media continues on in 2017. And while we look ahead to our future, we shouldn't forget about our past successes. With that in mind, we are now accepting entries for the 2017 Magazine Media Awards. This is your chance to gain recognition for your best work in every department—sales, marketing, editorial, design and prod- uct! Enter by Feb. 9, to get a discount, but be sure to enter by Feb. 16 to be considered. ENTER NOW In This Issue The Bold Type Gets AR Isn't Ready for the Can You Hear Face- Magazine Media The First Social 2 the Green Light 3 Spotlight 4 book Now? 6 360º Data 10 Media Hit of 2017 © 2017 Access Intelligence, LLC. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines of up to $150,000 for violations. minonline.com 2016 Was a Good Year for Hearst Magazines Editorial (Continued from page 1) VP, Content: Tony Silber In his annual New Year letter, Carey points out several wins for Hearst ([email protected]) 203/899-8424 Magazines. Of course, you'd be hard-pressed to find any company leader Group Editor: Caysey Welton write a list of woes. Nevertheless, the accomplishments are impressive ([email protected]) 203/899-8431 and worth noting. But some skepticism might be warranted. Digital Media Editor: Steve Smith Hearst is a private company, so Carey did not disclose financial spe- ([email protected]) cifics, but he does purport that six print titles—Country Living, Good 302/691-5331 Editorial Assistant: Jameson Doris Housekeeping, HGTV Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, Popular Me- ([email protected]) chanics, Road & Track, Town & Country and Woman’s Day —all cele- Business brated record-breaking years. Not bad. But was it print that really moved Publisher: Roberta Caploe ([email protected]) the needle, or was it merely a branding mechanism that allowed it to better leverage Hearst's Director of Market Development: digital assets? Laurie M. Hofmann ([email protected]) The reason we ask is that Carey, interestingly, boasts that Hearst Magazines Digital Media Director of Event Operations & posted over 80,000 pieces of content last year, which led to a 29% increase in traffic and 31% Logistics: Kate Schaeffer increase in revenue. This had our editors scratching our heads briefly because it's maybe the ([email protected]) Senior Marketing Manager: first time we've seen media measured in tonnage, but that aside, it's reasonable to wonder if Danielle Sikes ([email protected]) digital is driving the print train. That is, are integrated buys that promise scale what's really Marketing Coordinator: Zoe Silverman ([email protected]) behind print's success? It could be, but that's by no means a bad thing. Senior Account Executive: Investment is always a great economic indicator, and Carey points out that the company Tania Babiuk ([email protected]) is poised to increase its workforce with 100 new hires within Hearst Auto. In an era of con- Production solidation and doing more with less, this is inarguably a feather in the cap for the company. Production Manager: Sophie Chan-Wood The most telling boast in Carey's letter was the success of Hearst Magazines abroad. He ([email protected]) notes that its Japan division remains its strongest international asset. It has grown its rev- Graphic Designer: Tara Bekman ([email protected]) enue and profits seven straight years. Likewise, Taiwan has done the same for the past three Contributing Editor, Analytics: years and increased earnings 26% last year. And in Italy the company has increased profits Stacy Hill ([email protected]) Access Intelligence, LLC President & three straight years. He also notes strong years in Spain and the Netherlands, where print Chief Executive Officer: Don Pazour profits also increased for the first time since 2011. SVP, Media Group: Diane Schwartz While some in magazine media are licking their wounds from last year, Carey's letter does Chief Operating Officer: cast an optimistic outlook. It suggests that publishing houses which are innovative and nimble Heather Farley Subscriptions/Client Services: can still be profitable and grow in the current ecosystem. Still, it's inevitable there will be 888-707-5814 some winners and (possibly more) losers going forward. List Sales: MeritDirect, 914-368-1090 ([email protected]) Advertising: 203-899-8498 The Bold Type Gets the Green Light (Again) Reprints: Wright’s Media, 877-652-5295 ([email protected]) Speaking of Hearst Magazines... This week, The Bold Type, a scripted tele- Editorial Offices: 1761 Main Avenue, Norwalk CT, 06851; vision drama inspired by the life of chief content officer and former editor- 40 Wall Street, 50th floor, New York, in-chief of Cosmopolitan, Joanna Coles, was picked for pilot issues up by NY 10005; Faxes: 203-854-6735, 212-621-4879; www.minonline.com Disney's Freeform network. The Bold Type, originally developed by NBC, Access Intelligence LLC, 9211 was sold to Freeform by UniversalTV and will debut this summer. Corporate Blvd, 4th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850; Ph: 301-354-2000 Published While summertime is not exactly an ideal debut season, the series was 2016 © by Access Intelligence LLC. created by Sarah Watson, who also created the critically acclaimed NBC Distributed via email and online. For series Parenthood. email and postal address changes, allow 2 weeks notice. Send to: Client The series will follow the lives and misadventures of a handful of edi- Services or call 888-707-5814. For advertising info contact 301/ 354- tors at the fictional magazine Scarlet, which of course is loosely based on Cosmo. Melora 1629. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Hardin plays the role of editor-in-chief of the magazine, but there's no indication if she will Subscription Rate: $1,199.97 mirror the characteristics of Coles, as some say Tilda Swinton does in the film "Trainwreck." While Coles is the inspiration behind the series and had an early hand in its development, Deadline indicates this project is firmly in the hands of Freeform. Hearst declined to comment on its role in promotion and development. 2 01/16/2017 minonline.com Steve Smith's Reviews The Week’s Weak Antidepressant Relentless synopsizer The Week seems to think the world needs a little cheering up. In the shadow of a bruising election and a general disillusionment with all media institutions, the brand launched its weekly Good News compilation of upbeat takes from around the digital universe. I've seen such endeavors in positivity before, although I can’t recall one surviving very long. This attempt at an antidote to depressing times claims to focus on “feel-good tales of heroism, charity and positivity from across America." The aggregation of five stories like “Idahoans Rescue Moose From Frozen River” and “Sisters Reunite with Long-Lost Mother After 40 Years” are synopsized in a long graph in a plain numbers and un-illustrated format. It's hard to criticize such a well-meaning project, but the flaws here are evident. The story choices feel too random and not focused enough. Are we to feel good here because random Good News acts of kindness and resilience happen? This reader is looking for a firmer editorial perspective on what positive values beyond “feeling good” the newsletter is promoting.