Lads Mags - Have They Had Their Day?
The transformation in the men’s magazine sector continues apace with the traditional ‘lads mags’ such as FHM and Loaded seeing massive falls in their circulations in the latest ABCs whilst more cerebral titles such as GQ, Esquire and Shortlist hold steady or see slight increases.
It’s clear given the still high circulations of FHM in particular that these magazines will always have their place, but their days of being a ‘mass’ phenomena are in the past as the men’s magazine market matures and fragments.
Recent research has identified a new male magazine reader labeled as the ‘4-dimensional man’, less in tune with the laddish mentality but more rounded with a strong interest in culture and a healthy lifestyle.
This observation would seem to be backed up by the figures. For example, Shortlist’s circulation continues to grow (up 1% on the previous 6 months and 1.5% year on year) whilst titles like GQ, Esquire, Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness have seen their circulations hold steady despite the recession.
It is rumored that Bauer, instigators of the ‘4D man’ research and publishers of Grazia, are poised to launch a men’s equivalent of their flagship women’s title, creating an upmarket offering for men that blends fashion and news which would appeal strongly to this newly identified demographic. Given that Bauer publish the ‘in decline’ FHM, this rumour would seem more than plausible.
One thing is for sure – for premium and luxury advertisers, the men’s sector is set to become a whole lot more interesting and, perhaps, appealing too.
Mens Magazine ABCs Jan-Jun 2010
