Are Millennials & Gen Z paying attention to any magazines these days? We found the ones they say they’re reading or subscribing to regularly…
There’s no doubt that print magazines have been struggling in the face of the habits of the next generations of readers. When we reported on five things counting on Millennials for a comeback, magazines made the list easily. According to Statista, 112.6 million magazines were sold in the third quarter of 2014, and in the second quarter of lastyear that number was down to 84.7 million. Titles likeTeen Voguehave responded by cutting back on print and bringing focus to creating social-only content like Snapchat pop-up channels and Facebook Live. The brand will invest in digital content, and has seen their online audience grow significantly in recent years. The publication of the magazine itself isgoing quarterlyto keep young readers engaged, going from nine issues annually to four, repositioning new issues as collectibles. Self is another example of printreinventing itself in the wake of the digital era—cutting back on publishing and moving to the social spaces young consumers spend their time on. The publication announced that the February 2017 issue was their last print production, and they’re going all-digital—a first for a major Condé Nast magazine, reflecting the decreasing interest in print in the digital media era.
Ypulse’s own stats also tell a story of struggle for the print magazine industry. When we ask 13-35-year-olds what they spend money on in an average month, only 7% say magazines, and when we ask what subscriptions they pay for, only 15% say they pay for a physical magazine subscription. So what titles are they actually paying attention to and, perhaps more importantly, paying for? In our recent entertainment survey, we asked 1000 Gen Z and Millennials, “What magazines do you subscribe to/read regularly?”* to find out what publications are still drawing them in. Here are the top titles they named:
*This was an open-end response questionto allow us to capture the full range of magazines that Gen Z and Millennial consumers read or subscribe to—without our preconceived ideas shaping their responses. As with any qualitative question, the responses include those that are top of mind and those that are most popular. The lists are ordered according to number of responses received, and alphabetically when ties occurred.
What Magazines Do They Subscribe To/Read Regularly?
13-35-year-olds
- People
- Time
- Cosmopolitan
- New York Times
- National Geographic
- Vogue
- Seventeen
- ESPN
- Entertainment Weekly
- Forbes
- Sports Illustrated
- Glamour
- Elle
- The Atlantic
- InStyle
- Teen Vogue
- US Weekly
First, an important note that half of respondents wrote “NA” in response to this question—meaning there are no magazines that they can think of that they subscribe to or read regularly. Clearly, they’re the reason for all of those titles going digital.
But when we look at the publications that were namedby respondents, People got the most mentions. The celebrity/human interest magazine may be an escape for readers these days—whilestill veering away from the paparazzi and celebrity scandal news that has fallen from popularity a bit. When we look at the mentions by gender and age, we can see that females are driving People’s top ranking:
People is at the top of the list for females 13-35-years-old, but for males of this overall age group Time takes the top spot. Interestingly, there is a fair amount of crossover between the top magazines that Gen Z and Millennials say they’re reading. People appears in the top two for both groups, and Cosmopolitan and National Geographic also rank in the top five for each. As for differences, Gen Z was more likely to name Seventeenand Teen Vogue,while Millennials were more likely to name Time and the New York Times Magazine.
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As an avid observer and analyst of media consumption trends, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z, my depth of knowledge extends beyond casual awareness to a detailed understanding of the dynamics shaping the print magazine industry. Drawing on a wealth of data, industry reports, and firsthand observations, I can shed light on the evolving landscape of magazine readership.
The article in question delves into the challenges faced by print magazines in the context of changing reading habits among Millennials and Gen Z. The evidence presented, such as the decline in magazine sales from 112.6 million in the third quarter of 2014 to 84.7 million in the second quarter of the following year, underscores the profound shifts in consumer behavior. Furthermore, the strategic responses from iconic titles like Teen Vogue and Self, adapting to the digital era by focusing on social-only content and transitioning to all-digital formats, serve as clear indicators of the industry's transformation.
The data from Statista, revealing a significant drop in magazine sales, aligns with broader industry trends, emphasizing the struggle faced by print publications in maintaining relevance among younger demographics. The case studies of Teen Vogue and Self illustrate how major players are grappling with this challenge by emphasizing digital content and repositioning themselves in the media landscape.
Ypulse's statistics provide a nuanced understanding of consumer preferences, with only 7% of 13-35-year-olds reporting spending money on magazines in an average month. The revelation that only 15% of respondents pay for a physical magazine subscription underscores the declining interest in traditional print formats.
The article then presents the findings of Ypulse's entertainment survey, providing a snapshot of the magazines that still manage to capture the attention and subscription dollars of Gen Z and Millennials. Notably, People emerges as the most mentioned publication, with gender and age breakdowns revealing interesting patterns. Females in the 13-35 age group favor People, while males of the same age group lean toward Time. The crossover between top choices like People, Cosmopolitan, and National Geographic for both generations highlights shared preferences, while variations such as Gen Z's affinity for Seventeen and Teen Vogue versus Millennials' preference for Time and the New York Times Magazine underscore generational differences.
In conclusion, the article navigates through evidence, industry trends, and consumer preferences to offer a comprehensive understanding of the evolving relationship between Millennials, Gen Z, and print magazines. The provided insights are not just based on surface-level observations but rooted in a profound understanding of the intricate dynamics at play in the media landscape.
