• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, October 22, 2013

According to the MPA Association of Magazine Media, the 3^rd quarter PIB release confirms that marketers continue to increase their commitment to magazine media across platforms.  PIB-member consumer magazine titles show print improving and tablet ad units with significant gains in Q3.  Print ad pages and tablet ad units on iPad editions are up +6.8% in Q3, and +7% January through September 2013 versus the same period last year. Advertising pages in print are down -1.8% in Q3, an improvement over the year to date performance which stands at -3.8%. Tablet ad units are up +17.5% in Q3, and +22% YTD. 

Consumer Magazine Advertising Trends (Q3, 2013; % Growth Year Over Year)
Quarter	Print Ad Pages	Print Ad Revenues
Q1 through Q3	-3.8%	1.6%
Q3	-1.8%	4.0%
Source: Association of Magazine Media, October 2013

Mary Berner, President and CEO of MPA, says “… encouraging trend… consistent advertising growth in magazine media… marketers are shifting dollars in some instances from print to tablet editions… continue to invest in magazine media… “

The number of measured magazines showing increases in paging and revenue almost doubled year over year 2013 versus the same period in 2012. Print advertising revenue increased +4% in the third quarter of 2013, compared to the same period in 2012, an improvement over the year to date +2% January through September performance.  

Top Ad Categories In Q3
Category	Revenue	Pages
Drugs & Remedies	+28.7%	+19.2%
Food & Food Products	+11.2%	+6.4%
Toiletries & Cosmetics	+9.9%	+5.6%
Source: MPA, October 2013

  

Top Ad Categories January Through September 2013
Category	Revenue	Pages
Drugs & Remedies	+10.4%	+5.8%
Food & Food Products	+10.4%	+5.5%
Toiletries & Cosmetics	+8.1%	+4.1%
Source: MPA, October 2013

The audience for magazine media continues to show momentum, with print and tablet readership up +2.6% (GfK MRI) in the first half of 2013. In addition, the recently released 2013 Ipsos Affluent Survey showed that 49.8 million affluents read a print magazine in 2013 vs. 47.1 million in 2012, a 6% increase.  And, 6.9 million affluents downloaded a magazine app in 2013 vs. 4.7 million in 2012, a 47% increase.  

Berner concludes that. “… Both advertising and audience continue to grow… the importance of magazine media’s imersive content to marketers and readers… ”

For more information from Publishers Information Bureau (PIB), and access to Magazine Titles in Q3 2013 vs. 2012, and YTD Sep 2013 vs 2012, please visit here.