Car magazine revs ahead in reader stakes

By ANGELA GREGORY

Men's magazines appear to be doing better than women's in an annual readership survey of New Zealand publications.

Two of the strongest performers covered cars and men's lifestyle, while magazines suffered in some traditionally strong female markets, including women's lifestyle, gardening and baby care.

The Nielsen national readership survey for the 2003 calendar year shows the biggest increase in readership for a monthly magazine from 2002 went to Performance Car.

The magazine, which features modified Japanese imports, netted the biggest increase for a monthly, with 35 per cent (all figures are adjusted for population growth), followed by Air New Zealand's Panorama magazine, 23 per cent.

The publisher of Performance Car, Greg Vincent, said the success was due to the magazine being totally in touch with its readers.

"There is a ground swell of enthusiasm for these cars and excitement about them is reflected in the pages of the magazines."

He said the enthusiasm was generated by writers, editors and designers passionate about the subject.

The magazine, launched in 1996, sells just under 16,000 copies a month, but according to Mr Vincent it has a huge pass-on rate and readers ranging from students to over-40-year-olds.

The Australian men's lifestyle magazine FHM, with a 23 per cent rise in readership, was another notable in the monthly magazine class.

Among the quarterly publications to do well was New Zealand Heritage, up 35 per cent.

Published by the Historic Places Trust, the magazine was revamped in 2002 and marketed to the public, not just trust members, who receive a complimentary copy.

NZ Heritage marketing and communications manager Paul Leslie said the redesign and promotions had clearly paid off.

"There is a definite niche market for this sort of thing, a real interest in New Zealand."

Publications which showed significant readership falls included Creme, down 26 per cent, She, 13 per cent, NZ Gardener, 10 per cent, Tearaway Magazine, 9 per cent, Little Treasures, 9 per cent, and Reader's Digest, 6 per cent.

But Sheryll Davies, the general manager of Waiata Publishing, which produces Creme, said the results were misleading.

The monthly girl-teen magazine purchased from IT Media 10 months ago had had greatly improved results in the third and fourth quarters of last year, she said.

"We've had a 53.5 per cent increase in magazine sales last month ... we've very optimistic."