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CHARTING THE INDUSTRY

Top 5 Weekly/Biweekly Five-Year Report: 'Bloomberg BW' and 'Autoweek' Rev Their Engines

Greer Jonas

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Concluding our five-year analysis of magazine advertising, we take a look at weekly and biweekly boxscores for 2007-2011 in min (February 6). Only seven of the 30 mags that we track had an upward gain in ad sales for 2011. Three titles deserve recognition here: Bloomberg Businessweek, Autoweek and New York magazine. Not only do these mags differ vastly in category and audience, but they are noteworthy in ad-page growth over a two year period (see chart below).

Weekly/Biweekly Five Year Report (2007-2011) Top 5 by Highest Gains in 2011 vs. 2010
	2011		2010		2009		2008		2007
BLOOMBERG BUSINESS WEEK	1,536.71	18.95	1,291.94	4.16	1,240.38	-34.03	1,880.32	-16.24	2,244.80
AUTOWEEK	1,005.48	18.64	847.47	8.95	777.87	-32.78	1157.26	-8.36	1,262.80
NEW YORK MAGAZINE	2,607.95	5.46	2,473.01	8.64	2,276.43	-27.35	3,133.43	-6.27	3,343.05
TV GUIDE	683.01	3.29	661.27	-9.16	727.92	-24.16	959.86	-15.76	1,139.44
NATIONAL ENQUIRER	811.49	2.53	791.48	-4.00	824.46	1.77	810.15	-10.27	902.86
US WEEKLY	1,726.38	1.75	1,696.62	-0.93	1,712.47	-4.39	1,791.12	-8.18	1,950.74
Source: min data from publisher

Bloomberg Businessweek

Ranking number one in our top 5 chart is Bloomberg Businessweek with 244.47 additional ad pages in 2011 compared to 2010 (+18.95%). As you can see from the brutal print advertising economy of 2009 (when BusinessWeek was purchased by Bloomberg LP that October) and 2008, the logical prediction would be up. We asked BBW publisher (since 2010) Hugh Wiley what was the pivotal move towards their success.

"Bloomberg Businessweek's re-design has better differentiated the magazine in the marketplace. Our new home at Bloomberg also gives us access to 2,300 journalists in 146 editorial bureaus in 75 countries around the world, and a business book which can move with the news on a global basis makes us unique. Much of our focus in 2011 was to integrate our media assets for a more cohesive approach to the market. We integrated print and digital under one sales team and hired a new custom content team at Bloomberg."

To meet with the technological changes in magazine platforms, new mobile products and iPad Apps were launched in 2011 as well as a new iPhone App due out this month (February). “Bloomberg Businessweek is arguably the only business book within its competitive set to be able to make good on a 360 degree cross platform offering. Advertisers are clearly taking notice of our unique positioning," says Wiley.

Autoweek

A clue that the downtrodden economy has little affect on the auto industry is illustrated by the biweekly magazine Autoweek who performed a 158.01 ad-page gain in 2011 (+18.64%).

"At long last, the phrase 'integrated marketing' has come to represent the type of diversification that we have long strived for, says Autoweek Media Group's Commercial Director, Ian Jones. “Our platforms have expanded and as a result we have been able to better serve our clients needs to reach new audiences. We have a multitude of touchpoints and, as a result, have benefited from the industry upswing in spending during the last 18 months."

The launch of Shopautoweek.com opened up the Autoweek brand to the masses through intuitive car shopping tools. The Notebook, Never Shop Alone and Upgrade Your Vehicle was just one of Autoweek’s successful online features in 2011. Capitalizing on the upturn of automobile buying, the site creates an easy way for the consumer to compare their needs and desires to the car of their dreams.

New York magazine

And checking in at third place is none other that New York’s own, New York magazine, with an additional 134.94 ad pages (5.46%) in 2011. Publisher (since 2003) Larry Burstein tells min, “Our success in 2011 shows the company’s transformation from what was once considered an influential regional magazine to a print and digital juggernaut.

The exploding audience at nymag.com throws a spotlight on the depth and quality of the magazine, with its acclaimed political writers, news-making feature stories, unparalleled roster of culture critics, and elegant photography and design. Nymag.com launched two new mobile products in 2011 from its popular entertainment and fashion verticals: the Clickables iPhone app and The Cut on the Runway iPad app. The big story, however, was the tremendous audience growth at nymag.com, which had a 2011 monthly average of just under 10 million unique visitors, up more than 20% from 2010."

According to Burstein, NYM has a distinctive advertising base, not just travel and food. “New York carries a list of advertising as diverse as New York itself. The magazine has performed for these advertisers who have experienced its influence nationwide.”

Can't get enough of our 2011 vs. 2010 top 5 reports? Check out our bimonthly and monthly reports. Also see the premium boxscore and revenue weekly/biweekly 5 year (2007-2011) charts in min.

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