Can ‘glossy’ save magazine sales?
September 26th, 2006 by Wendy McAuliffe
In an period of magazine and newspaper circulation decline, it is surprising that women’s glossy Marie Claire has this morning announced a rise in its cover price. The November issue has been redesigned to become even glossier, but the new look will cost the consumer £2.90 instead of £2.70.
This begs the question, is glossiness enough to prevent an ever increasing magazine sales slump? It’s an interesting approach, but will it be enough to keep its readership and justify the price hike? Surely it’s no longer about look and feel, and more about price and convenience.
The news resonates with Liberate Media as we’ve just completed a proposal for a company that helps others to provide online subscription content. As leading publisher brands are looking to move their content online, Marie Claire is clearly bucking this trend. It will be interesting to see the impact this has on its circulation figures.
