Hearst Communicatons
Research Hearst publishing by looking at the Hearst UK website and the Wikipedia entry for parent company and conglomerate Hearst Communications.
1) Hearst UK is part of Hearst Communications. What is Hearst Communications and where is it based?
Hearst Communications is an American media conglomerate based in New York, it owns a range of media and business information brands including American newspapers, magazines, and half of A&E Network TV Channels and 20% of US Sports broadcasters.
2) What media industries and brands make up the Hearst Communications conglomerate?
Hearst Communications includes the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, Cosmopolitan and Esquire.
3) What was the global revenue for Hearst Communications (in dollars) for the most recent year on record?
$10.8 Billion in 2017.
4) Focusing on Hearst UK, what other magazine brands are part of Hearst UK publishing? How many UK people do they reach in print and online?
Magazines such as Men's Health, Cosmopolitan and Esquire are all magazines owned by Hearst UK and sold within the UK as well.
Read this Campaign interview with Hearst UK CEO James Wildman.
5) What is James Wildman's plan for Hearst UK?
6) What percentage ad decline are consumer magazines facing?
Consumer magazines are facing ad declines of more than 10% this year, resulting in less revenues and profits for the businesses.
7) What Wildman think about premium content and paywalls?
Wildman thinks that people should pay for their premium content however he has yet to set up any paywalls for his businesses. About 70% of Hearst's revenue still come from print and it remains "print-proud".
8) How has Hearst used diversification to grow the business?
Diversification is described in the article as the best way for a business to grow. Hearst runs about 100 events each year however he plans to focus on fewer, bigger events such as Esquire Town House. Its endorsements can drive sales for products such as Procter & Gamble’s Olay, which subsequently led to the magazine taking part in a TV ad.
Read this Hearst UK press release for their late 2017 ABC figures.
9) Is Men's Health increasing or decreasing in circulation?
Men's Health is gradually increasing in circulation by 1% and has maintained its spot as number one Men's Lifestyle magazine.
10) What explanation is provided by Hearst for the success of their magazines in a tough print market?
Hearst have done independent research which shows engagement levels among consumers who receive dynamically distributed copies is just as high as those readers who paid for a copy of their magazine. They explain further that their magazines engage and inspire readers in way different to other magazines, making them standout and be as successful as they are.
The impact of digital media on the print magazines industry
Read this BBC website feature on the print magazine industry and then this Guardian feature on the demise of NME magazine and print magazines in general.
1) Why are traditional print magazines struggling?
The invention of social media and the internet has seen a decline in readers across all magazines. However the latest ABC figures released have shown that sales are actually increasing.
2) What genre of magazines is currently bucking the trend and increasing sales? Why is this?
News and current affairs magazines are becoming more popular due to the amount of increase in current affairs across the world, leading to an increase in viewership for these magazines. Some examples are Brexit and Trump's election which has driven readers to search out factual news in order to understand current relations in the world.
3) In contrast, what magazine genres are struggling? Give examples of magazines that have declined or stopped printing altogether.
4) Look at the Guardian article in detail. What statistics are provided to demonstrate the decline in the print magazines industry between 2010 and 2017? What about the percentage decline from 2000?
Sales fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017. Since the start of the internet era in 2000, the decline in 55% from 30.8m.
5) What percentage of ad revenue is taken by Google and Facebook?
Google and Facebook both account for 65% of the $6.5bn UK digital display ad market.
6) What strategies can magazine publishers use to remain in business in the digital age?
Magazines can differentiate themselves from each other in order to grow an audience as many magazines are too similar and too generic, causing for readers to be put off by them. Wildman says, "for magazines to survive they must build a brand beyond the core print publication."
7) Why does the Hearst UK CEO James Wildman suggest that the magazine industry is not dead?
He suggests that it isn't just digital versus print and that he ran 100 events related to his magazines which were extremely successful and sold out within hours with large prices at $600 a ticket.
8) What examples from the Guardian article are provided to demonstrate how magazines are finding new revenue streams? What is the Men's Health branding used for?
Endorsement, accreditation and licensing are new successful revenue streams. Examples given were DFS sell House beautiful and Country Living range sofas and Argos sell the bestselling premium home gym based of the Men's Health magazine.
9) What signs for optimism might there be for traditional magazine brands?
Traditional magazine brands may want to consider merging or selling their brands to larger businesses in order to stay alive and within the market. Examples given are Time Inc in the US, which publishes People, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, has just been sold to rival Meredith for $1.8bn; the UK arm was picked up by Epiris.
10) How does Men's Health fit into this picture? Why do you think Men's Health has remained successful in the digital age? Do you think Men's Health will continue to publish for many years to come? Why?
I think Men's Health has been able to remain successful as they are able to remain high number of sales by keeping up with new trends and information relevant and useful to the audience. Despite the era of the internet, Men's Health have successfully been able to adapt to this and have introduced their magazine online for audiences to read. Men's Health cater and focus very specifically on their ABC1 target audience and in result have been successful and have shown to remain market leaders because of this I think they're likely to continue selling in the future as they have been able to successfully respond to the era of the internet despite other magazines losing large readers.
The Men's Health website and social media
Visit the Men's Health website, Twitter feed and Instagram. You may need to complete this part of the case study at home if it is blocked in school.
1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?
One similar aspect that both the website and the print edition share is the headlines and stories covered. The front page contains all the headlines from topics talking about style and grooming to nutrition and fitness. The website contains the main topics that Men's Health normally covers such as workouts, muscle and fitness which are all tabs at the top of the website.
2) What is the Men's Health daily newsletter and what does it include? How does this help Hearst UK to make money?
3) Look at the menu bar along the top of the website. What are the menu options? What does this suggest about the representation of men and masculinity associated with Men's Health?
The menu bar at the top of the website contains tabs that go to workout, fitness, muscle, nutrition, weight loss and style. From these tabs alone creates a hyper masculine representation of the Men's Health magazine and website as specific tabs which readers from the Men's Health would typically be interested with when reading the magazine. This shows how Men's Health reinforce typical masculine stereotypes about the physique and fitness of men (having to be strong and fit).
4) Choose one of the menu sections and write a list of the features in that area of the website. What target audience are these features aimed at?
5) Do you think the Men's Health website is trying to sell the print version or simply build a digital audience? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 'digital first' strategy?
I think Men's Health are trying to build a digital audience as information and articles from the print version are uploaded onto the website for readers to view. Some benefits this may cause are the increase in viewership online, however this is causing for the print magazine to be rendered useless resulting in less print sales and a decrease in profit.
6) How does the Men's Health Twitter feed use 'clickbait' to try and get users to click through to the magazine's website? Give examples of tweets that are designed to get the audience to click through.
The Men's Health Twitter uses clickbait in order to generate a larger viewership and have more people visit their website. They use convincing titles such as "10 ways to get a physique like Chris Hemsworth" which catch the attention of the viewer and tempt them to clicking their link.
7) How does the Twitter feed uses images and video content alongside text and links?
Men's Health compliment the clickbait tweets with the use of false and photoshopped images in order to make the article seem more convincing, leading to more people clicking on their website. Each one of the Men's Health tweets include convincing text followed by a link which take the audience to the Men's Health website and images which refer to the article. By using images and videos of actors who have "done the same workout" allows for Men's Health to tempt the audience into clicking the article.
8) What does the Men's Health Instagram suggest about the Men's Health brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?
The Men's Health Instagram page is covered in posts regarding fitness, health and diet creating an image however may not similarly appeal to the same audience as the print version. The print version of the magazine uses more sophisticated and intellectual language whereas the Instagram page is filled with simple quotes regarding fitness which would appeal more to a working class audience rather then an middle/upper class audience.
9) Is the Men's Health social media designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?
The Men's Health social media is designed to sell the print and it constantly makes references back to the original print, reminding the audience to 'check it out' or to buy it. The pages showcase the latest front covers of the magazine whilst also making references to other celebrities and quotes they've said which can be found in depth in the print version.
10) Evaluate the success of the Men's Health brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?
The Men's Health brand online is filled with clickbait and photoshopped images which create a false reality for the audience and once clicked on are found with unrealistic articles ("Why wearing glasses means you're probably more intelligent"). However the use of this successful clickbait has led to the increase in viewership for the magazine online, however i don't think that this will cause for the print magazine to be replaced as the print magazine contains useful and reliable information for consumers to read.
1) Hearst UK is part of Hearst Communications. What is Hearst Communications and where is it based?
Hearst Communications is an American media conglomerate based in New York, it owns a range of media and business information brands including American newspapers, magazines, and half of A&E Network TV Channels and 20% of US Sports broadcasters.
2) What media industries and brands make up the Hearst Communications conglomerate?
Hearst Communications includes the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, Cosmopolitan and Esquire.
3) What was the global revenue for Hearst Communications (in dollars) for the most recent year on record?
$10.8 Billion in 2017.
4) Focusing on Hearst UK, what other magazine brands are part of Hearst UK publishing? How many UK people do they reach in print and online?
Magazines such as Men's Health, Cosmopolitan and Esquire are all magazines owned by Hearst UK and sold within the UK as well.
Read this Campaign interview with Hearst UK CEO James Wildman.
5) What is James Wildman's plan for Hearst UK?
His aim is to grow share in print to stem decline, accelerate growth in digital, diversify revenues through events and partnerships, and look at acquisitions. That will be tough when consumer magazines are facing ad declines of more than 10% this year, money is flowing to Google and Facebook, and online influencers are chipping away at print brands.
6) What percentage ad decline are consumer magazines facing?
Consumer magazines are facing ad declines of more than 10% this year, resulting in less revenues and profits for the businesses.
7) What Wildman think about premium content and paywalls?
Wildman thinks that people should pay for their premium content however he has yet to set up any paywalls for his businesses. About 70% of Hearst's revenue still come from print and it remains "print-proud".
8) How has Hearst used diversification to grow the business?
Diversification is described in the article as the best way for a business to grow. Hearst runs about 100 events each year however he plans to focus on fewer, bigger events such as Esquire Town House. Its endorsements can drive sales for products such as Procter & Gamble’s Olay, which subsequently led to the magazine taking part in a TV ad.
Read this Hearst UK press release for their late 2017 ABC figures.
9) Is Men's Health increasing or decreasing in circulation?
Men's Health is gradually increasing in circulation by 1% and has maintained its spot as number one Men's Lifestyle magazine.
10) What explanation is provided by Hearst for the success of their magazines in a tough print market?
Hearst have done independent research which shows engagement levels among consumers who receive dynamically distributed copies is just as high as those readers who paid for a copy of their magazine. They explain further that their magazines engage and inspire readers in way different to other magazines, making them standout and be as successful as they are.
The impact of digital media on the print magazines industry
Read this BBC website feature on the print magazine industry and then this Guardian feature on the demise of NME magazine and print magazines in general.
1) Why are traditional print magazines struggling?
The invention of social media and the internet has seen a decline in readers across all magazines. However the latest ABC figures released have shown that sales are actually increasing.
2) What genre of magazines is currently bucking the trend and increasing sales? Why is this?
News and current affairs magazines are becoming more popular due to the amount of increase in current affairs across the world, leading to an increase in viewership for these magazines. Some examples are Brexit and Trump's election which has driven readers to search out factual news in order to understand current relations in the world.
3) In contrast, what magazine genres are struggling? Give examples of magazines that have declined or stopped printing altogether.
Look - weekly sales down 35% year on year to 59,390
Now - down 20.8% to 86,838
Closer - down 19.8% to 196,126
Heat - down 16.6% to 120,175
Grazia - down 13.4% to 110,031
4) Look at the Guardian article in detail. What statistics are provided to demonstrate the decline in the print magazines industry between 2010 and 2017? What about the percentage decline from 2000?
Sales fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017. Since the start of the internet era in 2000, the decline in 55% from 30.8m.
5) What percentage of ad revenue is taken by Google and Facebook?
Google and Facebook both account for 65% of the $6.5bn UK digital display ad market.
6) What strategies can magazine publishers use to remain in business in the digital age?
Magazines can differentiate themselves from each other in order to grow an audience as many magazines are too similar and too generic, causing for readers to be put off by them. Wildman says, "for magazines to survive they must build a brand beyond the core print publication."
7) Why does the Hearst UK CEO James Wildman suggest that the magazine industry is not dead?
He suggests that it isn't just digital versus print and that he ran 100 events related to his magazines which were extremely successful and sold out within hours with large prices at $600 a ticket.
8) What examples from the Guardian article are provided to demonstrate how magazines are finding new revenue streams? What is the Men's Health branding used for?
Endorsement, accreditation and licensing are new successful revenue streams. Examples given were DFS sell House beautiful and Country Living range sofas and Argos sell the bestselling premium home gym based of the Men's Health magazine.
9) What signs for optimism might there be for traditional magazine brands?
Traditional magazine brands may want to consider merging or selling their brands to larger businesses in order to stay alive and within the market. Examples given are Time Inc in the US, which publishes People, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, has just been sold to rival Meredith for $1.8bn; the UK arm was picked up by Epiris.
10) How does Men's Health fit into this picture? Why do you think Men's Health has remained successful in the digital age? Do you think Men's Health will continue to publish for many years to come? Why?
I think Men's Health has been able to remain successful as they are able to remain high number of sales by keeping up with new trends and information relevant and useful to the audience. Despite the era of the internet, Men's Health have successfully been able to adapt to this and have introduced their magazine online for audiences to read. Men's Health cater and focus very specifically on their ABC1 target audience and in result have been successful and have shown to remain market leaders because of this I think they're likely to continue selling in the future as they have been able to successfully respond to the era of the internet despite other magazines losing large readers.
The Men's Health website and social media
Visit the Men's Health website, Twitter feed and Instagram. You may need to complete this part of the case study at home if it is blocked in school.
1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?
One similar aspect that both the website and the print edition share is the headlines and stories covered. The front page contains all the headlines from topics talking about style and grooming to nutrition and fitness. The website contains the main topics that Men's Health normally covers such as workouts, muscle and fitness which are all tabs at the top of the website.
2) What is the Men's Health daily newsletter and what does it include? How does this help Hearst UK to make money?
3) Look at the menu bar along the top of the website. What are the menu options? What does this suggest about the representation of men and masculinity associated with Men's Health?
The menu bar at the top of the website contains tabs that go to workout, fitness, muscle, nutrition, weight loss and style. From these tabs alone creates a hyper masculine representation of the Men's Health magazine and website as specific tabs which readers from the Men's Health would typically be interested with when reading the magazine. This shows how Men's Health reinforce typical masculine stereotypes about the physique and fitness of men (having to be strong and fit).
4) Choose one of the menu sections and write a list of the features in that area of the website. What target audience are these features aimed at?
5) Do you think the Men's Health website is trying to sell the print version or simply build a digital audience? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 'digital first' strategy?
I think Men's Health are trying to build a digital audience as information and articles from the print version are uploaded onto the website for readers to view. Some benefits this may cause are the increase in viewership online, however this is causing for the print magazine to be rendered useless resulting in less print sales and a decrease in profit.
6) How does the Men's Health Twitter feed use 'clickbait' to try and get users to click through to the magazine's website? Give examples of tweets that are designed to get the audience to click through.
The Men's Health Twitter uses clickbait in order to generate a larger viewership and have more people visit their website. They use convincing titles such as "10 ways to get a physique like Chris Hemsworth" which catch the attention of the viewer and tempt them to clicking their link.
7) How does the Twitter feed uses images and video content alongside text and links?
Men's Health compliment the clickbait tweets with the use of false and photoshopped images in order to make the article seem more convincing, leading to more people clicking on their website. Each one of the Men's Health tweets include convincing text followed by a link which take the audience to the Men's Health website and images which refer to the article. By using images and videos of actors who have "done the same workout" allows for Men's Health to tempt the audience into clicking the article.
8) What does the Men's Health Instagram suggest about the Men's Health brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?
The Men's Health Instagram page is covered in posts regarding fitness, health and diet creating an image however may not similarly appeal to the same audience as the print version. The print version of the magazine uses more sophisticated and intellectual language whereas the Instagram page is filled with simple quotes regarding fitness which would appeal more to a working class audience rather then an middle/upper class audience.
9) Is the Men's Health social media designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?
The Men's Health social media is designed to sell the print and it constantly makes references back to the original print, reminding the audience to 'check it out' or to buy it. The pages showcase the latest front covers of the magazine whilst also making references to other celebrities and quotes they've said which can be found in depth in the print version.
10) Evaluate the success of the Men's Health brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?
The Men's Health brand online is filled with clickbait and photoshopped images which create a false reality for the audience and once clicked on are found with unrealistic articles ("Why wearing glasses means you're probably more intelligent"). However the use of this successful clickbait has led to the increase in viewership for the magazine online, however i don't think that this will cause for the print magazine to be replaced as the print magazine contains useful and reliable information for consumers to read.
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