Why Women Are Still In A Long-Term Relationship With Magazines

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Hi, my name is Susan and I’m in a committed, long-term relationship, one that doesn’t involve my husband (who, for the record – Hi, Alan – I’m also committed to). This other relationship blossomed much earlier in my life and has seen me through just about every important milestone, all the good times and the bad.

In fact, when I look back, it’s been that one constant, except for a couple of dark years when we didn’t see each other…

I am, of course, talking about my long-term relationship with magazines. What else would I be referring to? I fell hard and fast for the medium of print many, many (ahem, many) moons ago, from the moment I clutched that very first glossy magazine to my prepubescent bosom. Actually, allow me to take you back for a minute…

It’s a hot Australian summer in the mid-1980s and I’m in Queensland on holidays with my family. The air is heavy with the smell of Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil and the sounds of Madonna’s Into The Groove, and my mum buys me my very first copy of Dolly magazine. Cue angels singing.

Susan Armstrong, general manager – entertainment, Are Media

From the very first page, I was hooked. I had found my people. I felt seen and heard, like this magazine had been written for me and me alone. What I discovered that day was I knew what I wanted to be when I “grew up”: the editor of a teen magazine. What I didn’t realise at the time was I was beginning to understand the remarkable power of storytelling and the deep, long-lasting connections it makes with its readers.

It’s why hundreds and thousands of women around Australia continue to buy their favourite magazine every single week without fail: because of the way it makes them feel. Sure, a little playful gossip might capture their attention on the newsstand, but it’s what lies behind that cover – the stories about fellow Australians, the recipes and expert advice, the fashion, beauty and health articles, plus that all-important connection and community – that keeps them coming back, week after week, month after month, year after year.

That connection and community are incredibly powerful attributes of magazines – and a way for marketers to reach a highly engaged and remarkably loyal group of consumers. And the habitual behaviour of magazine buyers gives marketers a competitive advantage. For many people, buying a magazine is a weekly ritual. It’s very different to bingeing a TV show or aimlessly scrolling through social media. It’s a deliberately planned purchase – and a very frequent one at that. The frequency means marketers can connect with consumers every week or every month, shifting their perceptions (if that’s the job to be done) and moving them through the funnel more quickly.

Think you know the Entertainment Vertical at Are Media? Think again. It is what customer loyalty really looks like, and it should not/cannot be underestimated. It’s home to heritage brands with long-lasting relationships that have been around for decades. Digitally, we reach an audience of 1.88 million every month, while our print titles – Woman’s Day, New Idea, WHO, TV WEEK, Take 5 and That’s Life – have a combined readership of 4.2 million and a cross-platform reach of 5.5 million a month.

Something else that really can’t be underestimated is our dedicated, extraordinary reader. She’s a woman in midlife – she’s me and some of you, a Queenager with extraordinary spending power. Fun fact: women in midlife outspend millennials by 250 per cent. We have money. Lots of it. We’re also behind 95 per cent of all household spending decisions. We’re one of the richest demographics in the population, yet bizarrely, we are largely ignored. Studies show that 60 per cent of women in midlife feel invisible, except, that is, when they see themselves in our magazines.

In a time when we all spend too much time scrolling screens, print magazines still have a big role in people’s lives. The rising cost of living has not stopped people buying magazines – quite the opposite, as they see them as an essential purchase. Our readers are committed and habitual. They’re in a long-term relationship with us. In times of stress or financial pressure, they still turn to us for that weekly joy and escapism. We are that support system, that community. We’ve been capturing the hearts and minds of Australian women for decades, and will continue to do so for many, many, MANY years to come.

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