Tag: insight

PPA Independent Publisher Conference key takeaways
Since the event, we’ve been working away in the background to compile all the actionable takeaways from the focus sessions – you can read them below.

Innovations in publishing: key trends and insights for this year and beyond

In the opening keynote, Juan Señor walked us through the findings from the 2024-25 Innovation in Media World Report. Based on 12 months of research the work showcases AI-powered media, freemium models, and strategic principles for driving sustainable profits.

Key takeaways from the opening keynote:
- Find a niche, have a voice, and build a community.
  He also emphasised the importance of having exquisite design, as design has become content and is more important than ever.
- Pursue a three-thirds strategy to go beyond ad revenue.
  Publishers should look to receive a third of their revenue from ads, a third from readers, and the last third from other revenue streams.
- Don’t be dependent on platforms to build a business.
  You can’t build a media business on someone else’s platform and digital-first does not mean social first. Migrate away from a social media-centred strategy – you can put teasers on social but don’t give all your content away for free.
- You must have a human first, human last approach to AI.
  Only 8% of people trust generative AI, so it’s important to always fully disclose your AI use. Brands can either choose to sue, sell, or get scraped by AI – 30% of content that is training AI is journalism so it’s crucial that publishers protect their content.
- Make first-party data collection a priority and combine your data and paywall to create a tiered freemium model.
  Bundling also increases value perception and conversions, incorporate access to e-commerce services, games, and multimedia content alongside your journalism for example.
- Print is eternal and will not be replaced, but it has evolved.
  People value the quality and sensory experience – and we have seen a shift to special editions, vintage revivals, keepsakes, and coffee-table art.
The start-ups redefining publishing
- Take on feedback and pivot.
  The only way to learn is to get out there and network with peers or the people your services are aimed at. Your ability to listen to feedback and adapt to the changing demands of the market is what will make you successful.
- Think about the why.
  Your strategy needs to be customer-centric. Market research should underpin everything you do – identify what your customers need you to deliver and make sure their voice is heard in your boardroom.
- Focus on prescriptive content.
  Most publishers create descriptive content (describing what’s happening and reporting on that), but predictive content (e.g. next season’s colour will be blue) adds more value. If you want to take your content to the next level, be prescriptive (next season’s colour will be blue and here’s what that means for your business).
Events with impact: how to deliver commercial success through live experiences
- There’s been a shift towards experience-led sponsorship.
  Don’t waste an opportunity by just sticking your logo on something. People need to get to know your brand and the solutions you can offer their business. Leveraging networking opportunities and bringing together a group to share knowledge is most valuable for sponsors and attendees.
- Early bird discounts might not be the best way to secure bookings.
  The people who engage with these offers tend to be repeat bookers or were going to purchase anyway.
- Work out a format, trust it, and get buy-in from everyone.
  Find out what your audience wants and listen to that. Robust planning will allow you to build momentum, and remember, if you’ve got a premium product, don’t be scared to ask for a premium price.
Staying on top of innovation
- There’s only two reasons to invest in change…
  Maintain or increase revenue or to maintain or reduce costs.
- Sometimes off the shelf solutions work better than bespoke.
  It’s important to do your research to ensure you implement the right tech stack – intentional choices will ensure good integration.
- Start small.
  It’s easy to get overwhelmed with blue sky thinking, but sometimes focusing on something that’s achievable but will move the dial is the best place to start.
Strategies to grow your members and subscribers
- Identify your ideal customer profile.
  Use data and insights to gain a better understanding of what your audience wants, but don’t solely rely on data as it can be misleading. Make sure you get in front of your audience with surveys, events, or focus groups.
- Pay more attention to lifetime value rather than revenue.
  The goal is retention. One area of focus should be your onboarding journeys, tailor them to customers’ needs. Also, good customer service and a variety of payment plans are key factors for retaining customers.
- Make educated guesses about future consumer behaviour.
  A good way of doing this is by studying the adjacent industries, which lets you understand the kind of services your competitors and other brands are providing.
Unlocking the real value of your media business
- A clear vision is the most important factor.
  Make sure your team is on the same page and believes in the vision and regularly check in.
- Adopt a private equity mindset.
  Have a revenue and operational focus when thinking about mergers and acquisitions. Growing profit is only part of the story, it’s more important to think about how value is created.
- Reprogramme what people think their jobs are.
  Value creation is not just about spreadsheets but also the company culture. There will always be tension between strategic goals and day-to-day operations, but you will see more of a shift if your team focuses on what they can do to make your communities’ lives better.
The new revenue growth drivers
- Balance, balance, balance.
  It’s important to manage the balance between new opportunities, and existing high value but lower growth revenues that the business has been built on.
- To find new areas of growth you may need to redefine your purpose and mission.
  Take a step back and think about why your business exists and what you bring to your community – you may discover that you need to pivot focus to reach new audiences and meet the needs of your current audience.
A return to journalism: the next generation
- Journalists must be more versatile than ever.
  Multimedia content is evolving at a rapid pace, and sometimes it feels like just as you’ve mastered one platform, another comes along. But journalists need to experiment with different storytelling techniques to cut above the noise and find the right format for their content.
- The relationship between journalists and their audiences has changed.
  With the rise of content creators and user-generated content, audiences have come to expect authenticity from their storytellers via a variety of formats.
- The rise of misinformation, the dominance of social, and AI.
  These factors threaten the bedrock of trusted content but also create the biggest differentiation between untrained content creators and professional journalists bound by editorial standards. Journalists need to build communities and foster trust by delivering timely, thoughtful, and accurate content.
A huge thank you to Julian Linley for producing the agenda. And to our press team for gathering the Conference key takeaways…

Devangi Sharma – MA Journalism Graduate, City, University of London
Joyce Badibanga – Brixton Finishing School 2024 Alumni
Isabel Dempsey – MA Magazine Journalism, City, University of London
December 11, 2024

Spotlight on the PPA’s Independent Publisher Network

What’s the purpose and remit of this group?

The Independent Publisher Network exists to bring together like-minded owners or senior leaders of independent media businesses, to share, learn from each other, and lean on each other during challenging times.

It’s open to CEOs, MDs, and senior leaders from any small-medium independently owned media business, usually with an annual turnover of under £10m.

The group has quarterly meetings, either in person or over Zoom, as well as other networking events, and occasional lunches and dinners. A section of each quarterly meeting is given over to a ‘spotlight’ session, where one member presents on their business.

The community is also integral to the PPA Independent Publisher Awards and Conference in November, with members consulted fully over themes, speakers, and awards categories.

What themes are currently being discussed?

Topics that have come up in recent meetings include challenges with recruitment, how members are integrating AI into their businesses, the benefits and pitfalls of office working vs home working, and office space.

Any member is free to put forward any area of discussion for each meeting.

Why is it valuable for the industry to collaborate via groups like this?

For independent publishers, I think it’s incredibly important to have an outlet such as this, where businesses can be completely open, and share ideas with each other.

Running an independent business can feel like a lonely place sometimes. When I worked on media brands that were part of bigger businesses in the past – such as RBI and the (now departed) UBM – there were regular forums where counterparts from different brands within the business could get together and share experiences. As an independent this is much harder to achieve, which is why this network is so valuable.

What have you found useful from being part of this group?

Speaking personally, I can say getting together online during Covid kept me sane, which was a sizeable achievement! As TTG Media faced immense challenges in 2020 and 2021, given our exposure to the travel industry, sharing my experiences and hearing how every business had their own Covid ‘story to tell’ was like a form of therapy.

A few years ago discussions with the group also gave me an idea, which was integral to the launch of a major new product at TTG Media, which will be worth more than £500,000 revenue to the business this year.

More generally, the group regularly produces benchmarking reports, and shares new and emerging technology solutions. Sometimes external speakers will join the sessions.

The personal involvement of the PPA’s CEO Sajeeda Merali, and Managing Director – Commercial and Events, Hannah Bray, also ensures members are kept fully up to date with developments in publishing and media, including public and regulatory affairs.

What is front of mind for Independent Publishers at the moment?

Recruitment. AI. Data. Balancing the cost of running your business with the investment necessary to drive growth. Defining your future in a rapidly changing landscape – not every PPA member is a publisher, in the purest sense, anymore.

What should we look out for next?

More learning sessions are in the pipeline, and we’re hoping to bring more PPA members into this community, increasing the information sharing.

How can people get involved?

I’d love to see more independent PPA members engage with the group. They can contact the PPA on events@ppa.co.uk or get in touch with me directly at dpearce@ttgmedia.com to discuss any aspects of the Independent Publisher Network.

Current Independent Publisher Network members:

Anthem Publishing	APL Media	Burlington Media Group
CPL One	DJ Murphy	Gruppo Media
London Review of Books	Newtrade	Pensord
Real Response Media	Shard Financial Media	Taylist Media
Terrapinn	The Stage Media Company	Think Publishing
TTG Media Limited	Wanderlust	Western Business Media

The PPA Independent Publisher Conference and Awards return on Friday 22 November. First look agenda launching next week, and the Awards entry deadline is Monday 2 September.

August 9, 2024

Google’s U-turn on third-party cookies
Google announced earlier this week that they will not be getting rid of third-party cookies. Instead, users will be offered a new experience that lets them make an informed choice about their web browsing. They also shared plans to introduce IP protection in ‘Incognito mode’.

The phasing out of third-party cookies would have a significant impact on media, publishers, and advertisers, so the PPA welcomes this move.

The PPA is aware that our members and the industry as a whole, will have questions about what this pivot means in practical terms. Despite this major announcement, many things are still unknown, but we will keep you updated as information becomes available.

Google executives are currently in discussion with regulators, including the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

In their announcement, Google still commits to overall investment in ‘privacy-preserving’ alternatives. Google Privacy Sandbox technologies and APIs will still be a central part of future Google’s privacy strategy. Therefore, we believe that members will still need to invest in technology related to privacy solutions.

Even with this development, we feel that members should not change current plans and roadmaps. As it should not be assumed that we will return to a purely third-party cookie world. Members should ensure they have a first party data strategy to alleviate the impact of changes like this.

If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with the PPA’s Head of Digital, Mel McVeigh: mel.mcveigh@ppa.co.uk

Further reading:
- In shock decision, Google abandons third-party cookie deprecation plans
- After years of uncertainty, Google says it won’t be ‘deprecating third-party cookies’ in Chrome
- Google cookie U-turn could be another meteor heading for publishers
July 25, 2024
The Big Issue and Canopy Media join forces for media sales partnership

This partnership follows the success of Canopy’s existing long-term partnerships which include The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Reach PLC, Hearst UK, Future plc, DC Thomson, The Spectator, and HELLO! Magazine.

With an engaged audience, partnering with The Big Issue offers brands an exclusive opportunity to align with a heritage brand and delivers access to a desirable audience are environmentally, socially, and ethically aware.

Paloma Walder, Managing Director at Canopy, said: ” The Big Issue creates significant social impact and we are delighted to help support driving profit through cross-platform ad sales, which in turn supports The Big Issue in continuing their mission to help millions of people in the UK who are affected by poverty. At a time when premium publishers face more challenges than ever before, Canopy is the right partner to deliver focus on driving sales.”

Russell Blackman, Managing Director at the Big Issue, added: “The publishing industry continues to evolve at pace, and we’re committed to providing our commercial partners with the best products and services in the marketplace. Now that we’re part of the Canopy family, we have more resources than ever to extend our reach and help advertisers gain maximum brand exposure and engagement via our trusted and respected brand. Canopy’s depth of expertise and commitment to superior service sits perfectly alongside our own passion for delivering a high-quality experience through all of our content channels.”

July 8, 2024
PPA responds to election result

As with before the election was called, our team will continue to call for the swift roll out of AI regulation and a data protection bill that promotes data fairness, unlocks growth and delivers the best outcome for specialist publishers.

PPA Chief Executive, Sajeeda Merali comments:

“As we welcome a new administration and the promise of change, two key policy areas for specialist publishers are AI and data. Labour has said it intends to introduce binding regulations for powerful AI companies, requiring them to report before training models over a certain capability, conduct safety testing, and maintain strong information security protections. It’s crucial for the new government to understand the specific regulatory needs of our members, and we will advocate for transparency provisions to address copyright infringement.

The previous Government’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, which was discarded in the pre-election “wash-up”, proposed centralising cookie consent with browsers instead of individual websites. This could have worsened data unfairness in the digital market, affecting revenue and publisher-user relationships. We seek a bill that balances privacy needs with being pro-business and pro-consumer.

Labour must grasp how regulatory policies impact our members and avoid a broad-brush approach to the complex data and digital landscape. With this new opportunity for change, we look forward to their support in helping our sector thrive.”

July 5, 2024
General election: implications for publishers and the status of key bills
With the announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that an election will take place on 4 July, the current parliamentary term was brought to an abrupt end and the main political parties began campaigning.

By law, parliament must be dissolved 25 working days before the general election (in this case by 30 May). Due to the pre-arranged timetable for recess, this meant that all the bills making their way through parliament had to complete passage by Friday 24 May or be thrown out. This process is also known as parliamentary wash-up.

There were three key Bills in the House of Lords that were of significance to specialist publishers:
1. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill completed its passage in the House of Lords last week and became the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA).

This new law gives powers to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to take steps to tackle market failures that stem from the dominance of large technology companies (see our explanatory document here). It also establishes new rules for subscription providers, to protect consumer rights and combat so called ‘subscription traps’.

The central Government and the CMA will now work with stakeholders to determine how the DMCCA should be implemented.

PPA next steps: On competition, the CMA has published a consultation document on its guidelines for the new regime. The PPA will be meeting with members of the Digital Policy and Regulatory forum to understand members’ views on this as we develop our formal response.

On subscriptions, the Department for Business and Trade in central Government has set up a working group to engage stakeholders on the consultation for this part of the DMCCA which the PPA’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Eilidh Wilson, will sit on. We will continue to liaise with the members of the PPA’s subscriptions group to understand the operational and commercial concerns about the new subscription laws. However, we have been given assurance that this element of the DMCCA will not be enforced before Spring 2026.
1. The Media Bill
The Media Bill also completed its passage in the House of Lords and become the Media Act. This law contains provisions to repeal Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act which, if enacted, would force publishers to sign up to a state-backed regulator or pay both sides’ legal costs if they were sued.

PPA next steps: The PPA is delighted that this was passed as it protects press independence. We will continue to support the work of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
1. The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill did not complete its passage in parliament and has been thrown out.

The PPA is pleased that the Bill did not become an Act of law as it would have given powers to the Secretary of State to centralise cookie consent with browsers. This would have prevented publishers from being able to collect data from their own cookies and leave the sector at the mercy of browsers such as Google chrome to access any kind of user data.

PPA next steps: The PPA has engaged with key political stakeholders in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the House of Commons and the House of Lords about our concerns regarding cookie centralisation. The PPA will support the next Government in developing legislation that promotes data fairness for users and specialist publishers.

What the election means for Artificial Intelligence

Addressing the lack of regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains a top priority for the PPA, as open AI systems continue to benefit from the use of copyrighted data scraped from specialist publishers’ websites without their permission. The PPA has been calling for the roll-out of regulatory mechanisms to enforce transparency from AI developers about what data they are scraping and how it is being used.

The Government made no regulatory interventions but did commit to “exploring mechanisms for providing greater transparency so that rights holders can better understand whether content they produce is used as an input into AI models”.

The election means that it will be incumbent on the next Government to establish a regulatory regime for AI. There have been reports of speculation that Labour could publish a policy document outlining a position on this before the election takes place. Labour leader Keir Starmer, and Shadow Technology Secretary Peter Kyle have both made statements (see here and here) on the record indicating they would take a tougher regulatory approach than the Conservatives. However, we are yet to see a detailed policy commitment from Labour on establishing transparency provisions for AI in the interests of copyrights holders.

AI and copyright are at the heart of the PPA’s policy manifesto, published last year. We will continue to lobby key political stakeholders for regulatory interventions and will monitor the election campaigns for key announcements on AI.

PPA next steps: The PPA has designed policy positions and nourished political stakeholder relationships in anticipation of this general election. The next Government will be responsible for the implementation of the regulatory regime for digital competition and will have the opportunity to design new bills on AI and data fairness. The PPA will continue our advocacy work to ensure that digital regulation upholds rather than inhibits the interests of specialist publishing businesses and their readers.

For more information, please contact our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk
May 30, 2024
Lords discuss the PPA’s concerns in debate on Data Protection Bill

What are centralised cookie controls?

Cookies are small bits of user data that are designed to improve user experience. Every time a user visits a website, you are often presented with a cookie banner. Users will either get targeted ads (if cookies are accepted) or generic ads (if cookies are rejected).

With the aim of reducing “cookie fatigue”, a clause in the Bill will allow for the Secretary of State to have the powers to “centralise” these cookie controls, done through one’s browser – such as Google Chrome or Safari. This will mean users will not have to accept or reject cookies on each site, but rather they will accept it one time on their browser.

The impact on publishers

Such cookie controls could override the existing cookie consent relationships between users and publishers. It could be that many internet users would not consent to cookies from their browser, but are more likely to consent to the webpage of a publisher which they trust. Additionally, this action will have adverse effects on businesses that rely on data from cookies to verify the performance of digital adverts – a significant part of their business models.

During the parliamentary debate, Lord Clemet-Jones, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Science, Innovation and Technology) said, “The PPA has made an extremely good case. [Centralised cookie controls] would amplify existing barriers to competition in the digital market. There are provisions in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill that would give powers to the Competition and Markets Authority to address any problems, such as enforced data sharing from platforms to publishers, but centralising cookie consent would completely undermine the objectives of that legislation. It is clear that [the Data Protection and Digital Information] Bill should be amended to withdraw the provisions giving the Secretary of State the power to introduce these centralised cookie controls”.

Our Public Affairs team has followed up with relevant political stakeholders to make the case for amendments to remove the provisions for centralising cookie consent. If you have any questions, please contact them: Eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk or Natasha.anku@ppa.co.uk.

May 15, 2024
Government developing plan on copyright and AI

Lord Holmes of Richmond (the sponsor of the Artificial Intelligence Regulation Private Members’ Bill), opened the debate, which asked ministers what steps they are taking to protect intellectual property rights concerning AI since discontinuing plans to develop an AI copyright code of practice.

The Minister for AI, Viscount Camrose, said the Government is working with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to develop a way forward on copyright and AI.

In March, ahead of a debate on Lord Holmes’ AI Bill, the PPA met with the peer, alongside various stakeholders and discussed how the Bill speaks to the specialist publishing sector. In this most recent debate, Lord Holmes spoke to how regulation is mandatory to ensure the integrity of the creative sector is maintained, stating it contributes billions to the UK economy.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston (also the chair for the Digital and Communications Committee) raised concerns after having written to the Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, regarding the department’s response to the committee’s report on generative AI and large language models. The letter said the committee is “not persuaded that Government is investing enough creativity, resources, and political heft to address the problem [of copyright]”. The report also said that “issues with copyright are manifesting right now and problematic business models are becoming entrenched and normalised”.

The PPA has been in contact with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to identify the ways that Department of Science, Innovation and Technology is planning on developing the best way forward on copyright and AI for our sector.

Lord Holmes’ Bill will be entering the next stage where it will be debated in the House of Commons. Since this is a private members’ Bill, this is an unusual step.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, contact our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk.

May 15, 2024
PPA Festival: the Post Office Scandal and the power of storytelling
Computer Weekly’s coverage of the Royal Mail Horizon software scandal shone a light on one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history, and inspired an ITV drama. Within a week of the show airing, more than a million people had signed a petition and the Government announced a new law.

Hosted by Radio Times’ Joint-Editor Tom Loxley, the discussion will be about the power of storytelling to galvanize the public and influence those in authority.

Attendees of this session will hear from some of the people behind the story:
- Jo Hamilton, the former postmistress wrongfully convicted.
- Bryan Glick, Editor-in-Chief, Computer Weekly.
- Natasha Bondy, Creative Director of Little Gem Media and the Creator and Executive Producer of the drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, as well as the accompanying documentary.
Being held at the Brewery, London on 23 April, the PPA Festival will see over 25 sessions across four stages. The flagship PPA conference aims to help specialist content providers devise new strategies and explore solutions for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Agenda themes will cover all areas of B2B and B2C publishing, including product strategy and development, content creation, audience growth and engagement, data, sales excellence, talent management, and leadership insights.

Book tickets before 8 March to enjoy early bird rates. Find out more and book here.
February 22, 2024
Reasons to be cheerful: A sector defined by confidence, optimism, and opportunity
When I walk into a room of PPA members, the current vibe is one of both optimism and confidence. It’s a really exciting time to be working with publishers as they carve out their future strategies.

Print remains important but doesn’t tell the full story

Every publisher is taking a different and unique approach based on their brands, content and audiences. One size no longer fits all. Market conditions are unpredictable, and there are a variety of ways that publishers can be successful.

The latest ABC Consumer Media Report reveals that in 2023 we collectively circulated 469 million digital and print magazines across 52 different market sectors published by 64 media owners^[1]. Digital copies across the market increased by 19% year on year.^[6]

Whilst impressive, it doesn’t tell the full story and our impact and influence extends much much wider.

Actively rebalancing across platforms

Ninety-six percent of our members are multi-platform, operating across five or more channels, with a presence across digital, print, apps, podcasts and audio, events and social. Format and platform choice is considered strategically, based on the purpose of connecting with the consumer.^[2]

Take Immediate Media’s recent acquisition of Nutracheck, the UK’s leading subscription-based calorie and nutrient tracking app. This has grown audience reach by over 15% and now has over 400,000 paid subscribers.

With publisher’s focus on digital commerce there are plenty of examples of combining journalistic expertise with the authenticity of strong brands. This powerful combination translates into direct sales, with Bauer noting their Gross Basket Value for commerce content activity across Black Friday in 2023 was up 52% YoY across all their brands.

Publishers’ ability to recalibrate and evolve their propositions based on consumer need is central to this. At the PPA we call this ‘active rebalancing’ – putting your customers front and centre of your business strategy, to remain relevant and profitable.

Valuable and engaged communities

We connect with over 39 million highly engaged consumers on a monthly basis – and digital users now account for 81% of our total reach.^[3]

At our very core we still are super serving these communities on the things that really matter to them whatever the platform. This can be a business insight, someone’s passion or hobby, or the need for specific information or expertise. And we have unrivalled emotional connections with these audiences. Connections that mean they trust and engage with the content. They welcome the advertising, they research the products, and they buy what they see.

Publishers continue to find new and exciting ways to create stronger, deeper and even more valuable relationships with both new and existing customers. In 2023 Hearst launched ELLE COLLECTIVE, a new fashion and beauty membership programme which sold out ahead of schedule. New apps for Women’s Health and Men’s Health drove membership growth significantly, up 183% and 92% respectively.

And driving action is not just about sales. Campaigns harnessing the engagement of these communities can change legislation. Titles such as Grazia have spearheaded equal rights initiatives around pay and childcare to much success.

A winning formula: Trusted brands and quality content

The importance of quality and trusted journalism is more important than ever. Recent studies from both Edelman and Credos show a decline in confidence in advertisers and businesses, and trust levels at an all-time low.

There is also real concern around the validity of news and the less favourable side of AI use.

Magazine brands set the standards when it comes to trust and quality, providing true, vetted and relevant content. In a recent PPA Magnetic survey print magazines came top versus other media when it came to trust.^[4] Advertisers benefit from associating their brand with high-quality content which drives positive changes in consumer behaviour.

This year we see the 100-year anniversary of both the Radio Times and Good Housekeeping Institute – brands that have stood the test of time, and remain as relevant today as they ever were.
RadioTimes.com increased its audience reach by 25% last year^[5], with The Good Housekeeping Institute the UK’s oldest trusted source for consumer product reviews.

Subscriptions and events is where it’s happening

A rise in the number of subscriptions, acts as a true indicator of the value of our products, with consumers willing to pay for content and experiences that serve their needs and feed their passions. As a result, publisher platforms associated with a consumer focus, that deliver quality content and experiences, show the strongest growth for PPA members.

Magazine subscriptions now take the lion’s share of the total sales mix, forming 32% of total circulation.^[1] Digital subscriptions increased by 16% year on year^[6] and newsstand/single sales are now 26%.^[1]

According to the latest PPA Market Report, events account for 20% of publisher revenues^[2] – allowing enthusiasts to interact with their favourite brand and each other. This provides an even deeper emotional connection for both the publisher and attendee.

Quality interactions with consumers who love and actively seek out brand interaction is what makes the sector a valuable channel for commercial partners looking to create meaningful connections to achieve specific marketing objectives.

Robust growth ahead

Future growth will continue to come from consumer-driven revenue streams. Our recent PPA Market Report also highlighted that publishers are predicting continued growth as they extend their community touchpoints across memberships, podcasts, newsletters, and digital subscriptions.

As the transition away from third party cookies becomes a reality, publishers are in a strong position to leverage their first party data for the benefit of commercial partners

And we can’t ignore AI. While it might be considered both an opportunity and a challenge, continued experimentation is evident across the sector. This will help publishers to understand the full benefits to their business. Helping them to improve efficiency and increase customer engagement.

Combine all of this with the forecast from AA/WARC which expects a return to growth in advertising for online magazine media (+2.3%) and there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful.^[7]

I’m very much looking forward to what comes next.

PPA CEO, Sajeeda Merali
1. ABC Consumer Media Report December 2023
2. PPA Market Insight Sector Report 2023
3. PAMCo H2 2023
4. PPA Magnetic Magazine Media Survey December 2023
5. Ipsos iris December 2023
6. ABC Consumer Media Report December 2023 – titles reporting ABC in 2022 and 2023
7. AA WARC Expenditure Report Q3 2023
February 20, 2024