Research conducted by the Magazine Publishers of America says that 262 magazines were launched last year. That’s a 2 percent increase over the number launched in 2005.
Among the new titles were 88 lifestyle magazines, 22 shelter publications, 29 magazines dedicated to sports and recreation, and 20 targeted at African-Americans. In addition, there were nine new titles aimed at Hispanic readers.
Eight of these titles made the jump from online to print.
Some of the bigger titles to launch included Conde Nast’s Vogue Living, Hallmark Publishing’s Hallmark Magazine and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s Blueprint.
Information about launch announcements was posted in the New and Noted section on the MPA’s Web site. It contains a list of consumer magazines that is updated monthly and features information about the publisher, launch date, frequency and editorial descriptions.
Magazines with less than a quarterly frequency were not included.
In response to the increase of new magazines targeting Hispanics, the MPA has published a “Hispanic/Latino Market Profile.” It provides publishers, advertisers and retailers with market data to better target the diverse Hispanic population in the United States.
According to the profile, there will be 50 million Hispanics living in the United States by 2010, accounting for 16 percent of the total population.
From 2000 to 2006, the purchasing power of Hispanics climbed more than 63 percent to $798 billion. By 2011 it is predicted to top $1.2 billion, according to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth.
The Market Profile also includes data from a 2006 study by Synovate Research showing that Hispanics engage more with magazines than with other major media.
The profile further provides market segmentation, population growth and trends, areas of geographic concentration, language preference, teen and youth markets, magazine readers and reading preferences, as well as top advertising categories, advertisers and agencies.
