Bauer Media said it has expanded portfolio of 43 brands now reaches six in 10 Australian women each month.
The new statistics come weeks after Bauer suspended eight Australian magazine titles and cut jobs following the Pacific Magazines acquisition and the impact of COVID-19.
Bauer said the addition of brands including Better Homes & Gardens, marie claire, New Idea, Who and that’s life! to Bauer’s portfolio means the combined monthly print readership reaches 6.8 million.
Across the digital channels, Bauer’s 4.7 million monthly audience has been boosted by Pacific’s 3.1 million, with combined social connections now more than 30.5 million.
Brendon Hill, CEO of Bauer Media said: “Following the integration of Pacific Magazines, we now reach more than half of Australian women each month through our expanded portfolio of brands. Across a number of key categories in print, digital and social, we are the leading media company delivering trusted and targeted content.
“Our increased reach and deep understanding of how brands can effectively connect with Australian women is needed now more than ever. Changes in sentiment and spending priorities are driving advertisers to rethink their approach, and through our ongoing research we have unique insights into how women are navigating the new world to help inform their strategy. We look forward to working with commercial partners to maximise their investments and engage with our audiences across the new portfolio.”
Subscriptions and audience surge
As Australians turn to magazines for escapism and inspiration, Bauer has seen a surge of more than 60 per cent in their subscription sales over the past month. The Australian Women’s Weekly recorded a subscription increase of 97 per cent in past 30 days compared to the previous month, while Woman’s Day is up 81 per cent , Take5 is up 87 per cent and Country Style rose by 77 per cent , showing Aussies love of printed magazines remains strong
As consumers seek out ideas to keep them busy during isolation such as new recipes, puzzles, and tips for the home and garden, magazine subscriptions have rocketed by 111 per cent over the past 30 days vs the same period last year.
In addition to some of Bauer’s biggest brands enjoying subscription boosts, audiences across its digital platforms were also up 30 per cent YoY for March. Now to Love recorded a unique audience of 1.6 million, with a 86 per cent increase in page views at 17.2 million YoY according to Nielsen Digital Content Ratings. Other sites delivering increased unique audience include Homes to Love up 28 per cent YoY, Women’s Weekly Food up 101 per cent and Gourmet Traveller up 11 per cent . Digital audiences for ELLE and Harper’s BAZAAR were also up 37 per cent and 97 per cent YoY respectively.
Bauer Media director of sales Andrew Cook added: “In times of uncertainty people return to the things they know and love which is why we’ve witnessed a sizeable increase in consumers taking out subscriptions to many of our magazines. What’s even more pleasing is these new subscribers are also investing for the longer term, moving away from three-month introductory offers to year-long subscriptions that offer enhanced value.
“In ever increasing numbers, audiences are migrating to our brands across magazines and digital platforms and are highly engaged with our social content. Forward-thinking advertisers are recognising this as an opportunity to engage consumers with targeted and relevant messages to help them adapt in what is likely to become the new normal for some time to come.”
