Podcast 36: The future of women’s magazines, with Cosmo UK editor Claire Hodgson

Women’s magazines (along with other mag sectors) had a tough time in the 2010s, with Marie Claire, Now, InStyle UK, Look and Glamour among the print closures.

But Cosmopolitan UK, owned by Hearst UK, survived that difficult period and has massively grown its digital audience in the past eight years from about four million users per month to 16.8 million around the world.

It has made it its mission to be on top of the latest trends, including being one of the first UK publishers to create shows for Snapchat Discover in 2018 and experimenting with gaming platform Roblox last year.

Cosmopolitan UK editor-in-chief Claire Hodgson spoke to Press Gazette about what defines the brand in 2023, the role of a modern magazine editor, and how they are preparing for whatever the future may hold next.

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