Women’s weekly Grazia has defied the economic downturn by publishing its largest ever issue.
This week’s Grazia consisted of 172 pages with 80 adverts which the publisher says is a record for the magazine since its launch in 2005.
Advertisers in the Bauer Media women’s weekly this week included Prada, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabanna and Versace.
Managing director of Grazia David Davies said: ‘The Grazia team would say that no matter how poor you are you’ve got to have good shoes, but that’s a bit flippant. Grazia is in a fortunate place for being able to provide a good environment and also driving [a high] footfall for advertisers because its weekly. It’s a very tactical tool that clients can use.”
Related
Davies said another factor to consider is that the premium fashion brands that advertise in Grazia are often global businesses that have exposure to growing markets such as the Middle East and Russia, meaning they’re not over exposed to the slowing economy.
He said: ‘It’s our biggest issue ever and that feels really good given the context. People will continue to have an appetite for luxury and trading-up and premium and those clients that cut through with great products in that environment will probably continue to do quite well, with their exposure to growing economies meaning they have the firepower to invest behind those brands.”
Grazia’s circulation rose 3.2 per cent for the first half of 2008 to 227,102, with the monthly fashion titles Vogue, Elle, InStyle and Harpers Bazaar all also seeing small increases in circulation.
Content from our partners
Despite Grazia’s advertising continuing to grow and the premium market remaining strong for the moment, Davies said he remains cautious. ‘I would expect advertising for beauty and fashion to be reasonably strong, but we’ll have to wait and see,” he said. “Glossy magazines will continue to be relevant and appropriate, people still have aspirations even in tough times. The global economy is really tough and I’m not sure how that will play out with time. It’s hard to forecast what the future will be and we work hard to make sure that our magazine hits our audience well.”
He said: ‘Everyone knows if you maintain your advertising and maintain your brand awareness during tougher times and you’ll emerge stronger with a greater market share afterwards.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
