IPC Media Case Study
Samantha Ashman – Media Studies
IPC media has a diverse print/digital collection of magazines, offering something for everyone in terms of printed consumer publications. They sell over 350 million copies a year.
They focus on 3 main core audiences:
- Men
- Mass-market women
- Upmarket women
Types of magazine and target audiences has IPC been associated with:
Men’s Portfolio (IPC Inspire)
- Consists of leisure brands in categories;
- Country, Shooting, Equestrian, Marine, Sport, Men’s lifesyle, Music, Cycling, Decanter, Photography
- Country Life
- Horse & Hound
- Rugby World
- Nuts
- Decanter
- Mousebreaker
- NME
Mass-Market Women’s collection (IPC Southbank)
Provides a magazine for every stage of a woman’s life.
- Comprises of famous women’s weeklies in categories;
- Fashion, Home Interest, Women’s lifestyle and Specialist (Wedding and Hair)
- Look
- Now
- Chat
- Woman
- And TV Entertainment brands
- What’s on TV
- TV Times
- TV & Satellite Week
- And online – goodtoknow network
Upmarket women’s group (IPC Southbank)
- Luxury fashion brands
- Marie Claire
- InStyle
- And lifestyle brands
- Ideal Home
- Living etc
- House to home
IPC Connect
Connect puts consumer magazines in key sectors:
Celebrity & Fashion, Lifestyle, Traditional, TV Entertainment and Real Life.
- Now
- Woman’s Own
- TV Easy
- Look
- Pick Me Up
- Chat
IPC Media’s Company History
International Publishing Corporation LTD was formed in 1963, after the merging of 3 UK leading magazine publishers (Newnes, Odham’s Press and Fleetway Publications) – Came together with the Mirror Group to form the IPC.
IPC Magazines was created 5 years later (1968).
The Field – Launched in 1853 and became the largest newspaper in Europe, with 24 pages.
8 more titles that are still publishing today were launched in late 1800s (Country Life, Horse & Hound, Yachting World, Amateur Gardening, Cycling Weekly, Shooting Times etc.)
First 4 traditional woman’s weekly magazines –
Woman’s Weekly launched in November 1911
Homes and Gardens – one of the first magazines to be published after WW1.
Woman’s Own – Launched in 1932
Woman launched in 1937
Wartime role played by IPC’s woman’s weeklies – keeping up hope and morale of Britain’s women and supplying information by Government wishes.
Surge in Music Scene –
Arrival of New Musical Express in 1952.
NME became the first major UK Title to get it’s own website – nme.com – destined to become Europe’s most popular music website.
IPC Magazines sold to Cinven for £860 million in 1998 (one of the largest sales in history). And IPC Connect, IPC Southbank, IPC Country are all formed in late 1990s.
The 2000s
IPC Magazines is renamed IPC Media in 2000
Time Inc. buys IPC Media for £1.15 Billion in Oct 2001 – biggest deal ever seen in UK
Nuts is launched in Jan 2004 – the world’s first men’s weekly magazine
Pick Me Up launched in Jan 2005
Tv Easy launched in April 2005 – Britain’s first compact paid-for Tv listings weekly - £10 million investment
Look launched in Feb 2007
January 2010 – IPC Media restructured around 3 key audience groups – Men, mass-market women and upmarket women.
Why IPC might be an appropriate publisher for a new music magazine:
IPC Media is a vast and highly successful publishing company that have continued to expand since its launch in 1963. They have continuously signed on new magazine titles to be published under their name, and they have all been successful in the UK.
They also publish the iconic music magazine, NME, which is the longest published and most respected music weekly magazine in the world. It also reaches over one million music fans a week, however, it is IPC’s only weekly music magazine, not leaving many choices for music fans.
Based on this information, I can see that IPC might be a good publishing option for a new music magazine title, as they have made NME so successful.
Also, IPC might be open to a new music publication, as although NME is hugely successful, it is only one of two existing publications they have (NME and Uncut), so they may be willing to expand their collection for music magazines, and take on a different take on a music magazine to widen their options and increase sales from a different target audience.
Types of Music/types of magazines IPC are likely to publish:
From research, I can see that IPC Media takes care of only two music magazines (One weekly & one monthly) and these are widely popular. NME is based on contemporary music, making it the most up to date music magazine, featuring all the latest music news. They also publish Uncut, which focuses on Rock music and Film, both new and old, cult and classic. This shows me that IPC may be open to a new music genre magazine, not focusing on Rock music or contemporary alone.
Bauer Media – Alternative Company
Bauer Media is Europe’s largest privately-owned publishing group. They own more than 80 influential media brands spanning a wide range of interests, which are in groups:
Women’s, Men’s Entertainment & Lifestyle, Equine, Gardening, Transport, Sport, B2B, Outdoor, Photography and Lifestyle. Including:
- Heat
- Grazia
- Closer
- Yours
- Mother and Baby
- Kerrang
- Empire
- FHM
Magazine heritage goes back to 1953, with launch of the Angling Times and the 1956 launch of Motor Cycle News, both still running today.
In 1994, they bought a small magazine called ‘For Him’ – which is now the core of the best-selling international brand FHM.
They also own multiple radio stations (Kiss Fm) and music channels like The Box.
Closer was launched in 2002 and Britain’s first glossy, Grazia, was launched in 2005.
Music Magazines owned by Bauer Media
Kerrang – Rock music on TV, radio, online and print.
Mojo – Heart and Soul of music
Q – Biggest selling music monthly magazine – World’s biggest music stars – references to politics, comedy, sport, film etc.
This shows me that they might be suitable to publish a new music magazine, filling a gap in the music magazine market, in order to gain more readers and therefore buyers, putting money into their company. Due to their evident interest in the music industry I think that a new magazine proposal would be welcomed by them.
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