20 April 2009

Australia’s two leading magazine publishers, ACP Magazines and Pacific Magazines, have announced new investments in the health and healthy lifestyle corner of the magazine market, tapping into one of the more buoyant consumer segments given the current economic climate.

Pacific Magazines’ planned launch later this year of Prevention, in a joint venture with US publisher Rodale, signals continued confidence in the health/healthy lifestyle segment, which accounted for approximately 2.3 percent of total annual magazine sales in 2008. The title will target women 40 years and over and be backed by a $2 million marketing campaign.

The re-launch in June of Good Health by ACP Magazines, previously titled Good Health and Medicine, will be aimed at women in the 30 to 40 year age group. The revamped health title will offer more content and new sections, in a perfect-bound format.

Total average issue net paid sales in the health/healthy lifestyle category grew by almost 6 percent in 2008, a positive performance in a challenging climate for magazines. Titles posting strong results in the ABC results for the six months to December 2008 include Health Smart from Reader’s Digest (up 19.0 percent to 85,707) and healthy lifestyle magazines Women’s Health (up 15.3 percent to 86,500) and Men’s Health (up 10.7 percent to 77,500), both published by Pacific Magazines.