How Magazines Engage Diverse and Relevant Audiences

Gareth Jones, Insight

Magazine brands are a powerhouse in the UK, reaching 38 million adults every month—that’s 69% of the adult population. For some perspective, Ipsos iris data shows that from July 2023 to June 2024, an average of 38.3 million people visited Facebook.com monthly. During the same period, Amazon.co.uk also saw 38.3 million monthly visitors, Instagram attracted 32.9 million app users, and TikTok had an average of 24.9 million monthly users.

The latest PAMCo data reveals that while 30 million people visit magazine websites each month, print is still relevant. Although 55% of UK adults read digital content, 38%—over 20 million people—still enjoy reading print magazines.

PAMCo also highlights how digital magazine content appeals across age groups, with 8.8 million readers aged 15-34, 10.5 million aged 35-54, and 10.8 million over 55. Notably, print magazines remain most popular with those over 55, with 9 million readers, demonstrating print’s unique ability to reach this demographic.

Magazines continue to serve diverse communities. For instance, 1.9 million magazine readers identify as something other than heterosexual, and print media is particularly effective at reaching disabled audiences, indexing at 117.

Key Highlights:

• 19 million UK adults (35%) read print magazines each month.
• 30 million UK adults (55%) read magazine content online.
• Magazines over-index for women across all platforms, especially in print (109 for overall digital and 126 in print).
• Digital magazine content over-indexes for 35-54s (112).
• Print magazines over-index for those aged 55+ (123).
• 1.9 million readers identify as something other than heterosexual.
• 5.9 million disabled readers over-index for print (117).
• 30 million magazine readers identify as the main shopper in their household.

Male Audience:

• 16 million men read magazines monthly, with 6.7 million preferring print and 13 million online.
• There’s an even split across age groups, with print being especially effective at reaching men aged 55+ (index 127) and a readership of 3.2 million.
• 5% of male readers (800k) are not heterosexual, representing 70% of this community and an index of 114.

Female Audience:

• 21.3 million women read magazines monthly, with 12.7 million in print and 16.6 million online.
• Readership is balanced across age groups: 5.8 million aged 15-34 (72%), 6.9 million aged 35-54 (81%), and 8.6 million aged 55+ (78%).
• Digital magazines over-index for women aged 35-54 (112), while print strongly over-indexes for those aged 55+ (119).
• Magazines reach 12.9 million ABC1 women and 8.4 million C2DE women monthly.
• 3.6 million disabled women read magazines each month.

The latest PAMCo data, covering the period from June 2022 to June 2024 and fused with June 2024 iris data, reinforces the enduring impact and diverse reach of magazine media.

*Source: Ipsos iris Online Audience Measurement service, Jul 2023 to Jun 2024. UK, Adults 15+. Websites: Facebook.com, Amazon.co.uk. Apps: Instagram. Brands: Tik Tok