• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, October 9, 2013

Consumer magazines suffered continuing print advertising declines in the third quarter of the year, but saw big increases in digital ads delivered to iPad tablet computers, according to the latest figures from the Publishers Information Bureau.

Total print ad pages slipped 1.8% from 35,388 in the third quarter of 2012 to 34,736 in the third quarter of 2013, according to the PIB, which noted that this is a smaller decline than the first half of the year, when ad pages fell 4.8% in the first quarter and 4.5% in the second quarter. 

For the first nine months of the year ad pages are down 3.8% to 104,332.

Titles experiencing significant ad page declines in the third quarter included Popular Mechanics, where ad pages fell 29.1% to 131l Maxim, down 26.6% to 60; The Atlantic, down 25.1% to 89; Elle Décor, down 24.8% to 164; Road & Track, down 23.9% to 139; O – The Oprah Magazine, down 23.1% to 213 pages; and Conde Nast Traveler, down 21.6% to 185.

Taking a longer view, the PIB’s tally of total ad pages for the third quarter of 2013 is down 41.2% from the comparable figure of 59,113 for the third quarter of 2006, for a 41% decline over the last seven years.

On the bright side, magazine brands are enjoying strong growth in digital advertising delivered to iPads, with tablet ad units up 17.5% in the third quarter and 22% for the year to date. Combining print ad pages and digital ad units, total advertising volumes are up 6.8% in the third quarter and 7% for the year to date.

Mary Berner, president and CEO of MPA – The Association of Magazine Media, stated: “Marketers are shifting dollars in some instances from print to tablet editions, but continue to invest in magazine media. Print is improving and the tablet business is growing.”

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