Automobile Takes a Right Turn the Rebooted TEN Brand Has a Refreshed Look and Lots of Ad Pages
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June 26, 2017 | Vol. 70 No. 25 Read more at: minonline.com An Unexpected Sector of Magazine Media Finds Twitter Mojo Service brands, not news, show growth in May on a social platform known for immediacy. While you wouldn’t know it from the preponderance of coverage, Twitter is not being powered exclusively by 6:00 a.m. posts and subsequent retorts and press pickups of the president. In fact, one of the things we noticed in May’s Social Media Box- scores is the striking growth in Twitter engagement for the service and lifestyle categories. While news-sensitive brands on Twitter saw modest growth in the low double digits (Time 14%, New Yorker 14.5%), the Top 10 Magazine Media Brands by Twitter Engagement Growth in May (page 6) were in low- to mid-triple digits. Typically, Twitter is the most real-time of the three social platforms we track. Its rapidly refreshed feed favors breaking news—although, it did recently tweak its algorithms. Formerly ordered by the latest posts, last year the platform changed how to prioritize tweets by user engagement. It’s also been emphasizing video, and introduced live streams, along with a Moments section for important and trending stories. All of these features favor a less fevered pace in the Twitter feed and opportunity for more general content to stay on the surface longer. Only some of the magazine brands we talked to about their growth spurt on Twitter credit these changes to the platform itself. But many are more effectively tapping into Twitter’s politi- cal mojo, as well as real-time connections to readers. Continued on page 5 Magazine Review: The "New" Automobile Takes a Right Turn The rebooted TEN brand has a refreshed look and lots of ad pages. min began reviewing mobile apps several years ago when they became an emerging platform for publishers. Not only was it a way to call out some of the best features apps can offer, but it also kept you, our readers, informed on what your industry peers were up to in the digital space. At the time, apps were somewhat of a novelty, but now they are almost every bit as common as the ink-and-paper magazines you pro- duce on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. So that got us thinking: Why don't we review magazines, too? Although the print medium itself hasn't really changed, the formatting, design and reader experience has. Magazine media is finding new ways to engage readers and continue to deliver some of the best ad experiences in media. So with that in mind, we will be occasionally reviewing magazines, especially when they try something new, or are brand new to the scene. And for our first review we turn to the newly redesigned Automobile. Continued on page 2 In This Issue Not Another Teen May's Social Media Boxscores What Social Content Verticals 4 Social Brand 6 and Top 10 Rankings 12 Really Offer Publishers © 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 CAYSEY WELTON’S MAGAZINE REVIEW Editorial VP, Content: Tony Silber ([email protected]) The "New" Automobile Takes a Right Turn 203/899-8424 (Continued from page 1) Group Editor: Caysey Welton ([email protected]) Before I jump into the review, a little context is important. Automobile is a 30-year-old 203/899-8431 magazine published by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, which also publishes Motor Trend, Digital Media Editor: Steve Smith ([email protected]) Hot Rod and several other revved up enthusiast magazines. Its August issue, which hits news- 302/691-5331 stands on June 30th, is a relaunch of sorts in that it is rethinking its packaging, design, edi- Editorial Assistant: Jameson Doris ([email protected]) torial focus and reader navigation. The new format is a slightly wider 9" book, with higher Contributing Editor, Analytics: quality glossy cover stock. Instead of its 12 annual issues, it has scaled back to 10, but the Stacy Hill ([email protected]) brand indicates readers will get more out of each issue. The August issue boasts 122 total Business pages, and without actually counting, I'd say nearly half of those are high-impact ads that Publisher: Roberta Caploe ([email protected]) are almost as good as the editorial. Additionally, TEN aims to differentiate Automobile from Director of Event Operations & its other magazines by incorporating more lifestyle content and pledging to only feature cars Logistics: Kate Schaeffer ([email protected]) that enthusiasts will drool over, hence its launch campaign and quasi-tag line #noboringcars. Senior Marketing Manager: So let's get to the nitty gritty. One of the most important aspects of a magazine, especially Danielle Sikes ([email protected]) a redesigned magazine, is its cover. It's a magazine's curb appeal and is what can sometimes Marketing Coordinator: Zoe Silverman ([email protected]) sway a person to pick it up and crack it open. While the expression goes that you can't judge Senior Account Executive: a book by its cover, most magazine consumers do. In the case of Automobile, I have to say it Tania Babiuk ([email protected]) could have done better, but it by no means is a bad cover. I am not a car guy, but I am occasion- Production Production Manager: ally moved by a sexy sports car when I see one. Still, I generally think of them more as an es- Sophie Chan-Wood sential utility to optimize my suburban lifestyle. So for me to be moved by this cover I'd like to ([email protected]) Graphic Designer: Yelena Shamis see more than just an overtreated image of a Ford GT with a lot of busy text. But again, that's ([email protected]) just me. If I look at this through the lens of a car guy, perhaps I am more intrigued. But I'm not Access Intelligence, LLC President & a car guy, I'm a magazine guy and I think this cover is a bit derivative of most car magazines Chief Executive Officer: Don Pazour and it has some execution flaws. SVP, Media Group: Diane Schwartz Chief Operating Officer: Fortunately, once you get inside the magazine things get much better. The TOC is visual Heather Farley and compelling and makes the issue very easy to navigate. I love how the editors reformatted Subscriptions/Client Services: 888-707-5814 the book to navigate more like a website or app. Instead of the classic front of the book, fea- List Sales: MeritDirect, 914-368-1090 ture well, back of the book layout, Automobile is broken up into five buckets—Ethos (features, ([email protected]) interviews and columns), Design, Drives, Classic and Progress (tech and innovation). Advertising: 203-899-8498 The stories and features are beautifully designed and complement a very nice mix of con- Reprints: Wright’s Media, 877-652-5295 ([email protected]) tent. I was particularly impressed by the art direction of the Ethos feature on Horacio Pagani. Editorial Offices: 1761 Main The storytelling is excellent and the visuals and layout should keep a reader engaged. Avenue, Norwalk CT, 06851; 40 Wall Street, 50th floor, New York, Here's where Automobile really excels: advertising. As mentioned, there are a lot of ads NY 10005; Faxes: 203-854-6735, in this book and they are all excellent. Not only are they relevant to the reader, but they feel 212-621-4879; www.minonline.com Access Intelligence LLC, 9211 custom to the publication. This is the true definition of endemic advertising. Even the units Corporate Blvd, 4th Floor, Rockville, MD that aren't specifically car related, like the Copenhagen ad on 20850; Ph: 301-354-2000 Published 2017 © by Access Intelligence LLC. page 17, can appeal to an auto enthusiast. Automobile Distributed via email and online. For The magazine has a real quality feel, and shouldn't keep email and postal address changes, B- allow 2 weeks notice. Send to: Client a car lover from coughing up $6.99 if they pick this up at the Cover Design Services or call 888-707-5814. For newsstand. From cover-to-cover, most every page feels well advertising info contact 301/ 354- Overall Design A- 1629. Contents may not be reproduced thought out and not rushed. The design is consistent and ev- in any form without written permission. erything feels very unified. Content Mix A Subscription Rate: $1,199.97 Overall, this is a terrific magazine, and one that should con- Advertising A+ tinue to evolve as the editors and designers continue to play with the new concept. I do hope they improve the cover design Consumer Value A- though in future issues, because it's otherwise almost flaw- less. This is exactly what an enthusiast magazine should be. Final Grade A- 2 Magazine Media’s Most Trusted Source Since 1947 6/26/2017 minonline.com STEAL THIS IDEA Numbers Don’t Lie: Quality Experiences Matter Two recent research reports illustrate why publishers can never discount UX. More than one out of every four (28%) of internet users say they have avoided websites simply because of a previous bad ad experience. Meanwhile, nearly half (48%) say they have abandoned a destination because of intrusive or obnoxious advertising. This is part of Ra- kuten Marketing’s worldwide survey of attitudes towards advertising, which polled 2,500 adult internet users. These statements provide some evidence to what has been argued by many: users remember sites that are habitually interruptive, laggy and cluttered. Meredith’s recent experience in improving revenue per user by 20% after accelerat- ing its ad rendering speed from 15% to 20% provides further evidence of the importance of UX.