Zoo Weekly: debut sold 150,000-plus
Emap claims to have hit its target and sold more than 150,000 copies of the first issue of Zoo Weekly, a figure which IPC says it has surpassed with rival men’s weekly Nuts.
Initial estimates appear to show the titles have successfully created a brand new magazine sector.
IPC declined to reveal whether Nuts had exceeded its target of 200,000, but IPC ignite! group publishing director Eric Fuller said: “Nuts is comprehensively outselling Zoo Weekly and we’re extremely happy about the way it is being taken up by men across the UK.”
However, Dharmash Mistry, managing director of Zoo publisher Emap Consumer Media, said: “We are pleased with the early indications. At this stage, it’s very encouraging to see so much sampling in the new men’s weekly market, which I am sure IPC will agree with.”
As for IPC’s claim that Nuts had outsold Zoo, Mistry said. “It’s too early to make any calls. The first 10 or 12 issues are often market research and issues, products and teams get better.
We clearly have a different approach to IPC, which is to spend our money over a longer period of time rather than skewing the spend upfront.”
Nuts and Zoo are fighting for male readers aged 16 to 30. While Zoo offers more topless pictures, Nuts presents itself as a more respectable read. Nuts has been heavily promoted on TV and on the London Underground, while Emap appears to be holding back the bulk of its investment for later on.
The two will release their debut ABCs in August.
By Ruth Addicott
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