“THE INDUSTRY SHOULD LOOK AT VOGUE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PROTECT THE FUTURE OF PRINT” ENYI NWOSU, HEAD OF STRATEGY FOR MINDSHARE WORLDWIDE 26_ PRINT POWER | www.printpower.eu
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Vogue magazine is a vital cog in the world’s fashion engine, as well as a high-revenue model for print success. In the year of its centenary, we get to the heart of why everyone wants to be in Vogue — By David Benady
VOGUE , THE BIBLE of high-class designer fashion, celebrates its British centenary this year with a bumper edition and an exhibition of its photos at London’s National Portrait Gallery. The glossy magazine has defined fashion over the past century and reminds us why print matters to readers and advertisers, so the centenary is definitely worth celebrating. Around the world, the highly influential Vogue magazine is a must-read for those in the fashion industry and a much soughtafter vehicle for showing off designer trends. Crucially, it’s also a luxurious treat for millions of women between the ages of 16-80, all fascinated by this exclusive world. Vogue maintains its mystique by treating fashion shoots as works of art, using some of the industry’s best photographers, while putting the product together with high production values, top quality paper and beautiful binding.
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As Vogue’s publishing director for the UK Stephen Quinn tells us: “Vogue’s success is based on its fashion credentials and being perceived by the magazine-buying public as the leading glossy for fashion. The print edition is an object of beauty – great photography, clever and sharp styling enhanced by wonderful layout and design.” Quinn says the top fashion brands spend 50% of their UK glossy budgets in Vogue, as they reach out to a readership of 1.2 million. And he believes that Vogue’s success is a signal of the power and longevity of print advertising. “Print advertising is effective because a high percentage of magazine readers pay attention to it and rate it above website and tablet formats. Of course, editorial enhances the message, creating the hunger for the brand and identifying a lifestyle which the reader follows,” he adds. Fashion-forward Advertisers know there are few other places that offer the credibility and influence bestowed on their brands by placing an ad in Vogue. Enyi Nwosu, head of strategy for media agency Mindshare Worldwide, who also works on the Chanel account, says Vogue offers a powerful lesson in how magazines can move with the times and become agenda-setting thought leaders in their sectors. “The industry should look at Vogue to understand how to protect the future of print," he says. "The lesson is being clear about what your proposition is – in Vogue’s case as the reference point for the fashion world. It’s really clear about exactly who its audience is and doesn’t try to be all things to all people. If you follow Vogue’s lead, you’ll have a future in this post-digital world.” Status symbol The US magazine’s 1916 launch in the UK was the first stop on Vogue’s journey to becoming a global brand. It launched in France five years later and now boasts 21 editions across the world, each with their own local flavour. Vogue’s European editions reach around seven million readers, while it boasts 23 million readers globally. Most recently, the magazine launched in The Netherlands in 2012, where it has a readership of 195,000, while its largest European readership is in Germany, with a monthly circulation of 1.5 million. It appeals to advertisers both as a national and global platform for showcasing their brands.
A strategic view Enyi Nwosu, head of strategy for media agency Mindshare Worldwide, says Vogue "offers a powerful lesson in how magazines can move with the times and become agenda-setting thought leaders"
Mainly a vehicle for top-end brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Versace and Miu Miu, it also runs ads by more accessible high street brands such as TopShop and Mango. Eleni Chalmers, director of strategy at Leo Burnett Luxury and Lifestyle, describes the emotions of a Vogue reader: “Opening the latest issue gives you permission to disengage from the rest of the world, to set aside time to immerse yourself in the gloss, colour and fantasy of fashion, beauty and luxury," she says. "Its hefty price, size and weight command attention and insist that ‘only those serious about fashion’ would bother. It’s not designed for ease. It’s designed for passion. And as such, it separates the fashion-forward ‘sheep’ from
“The print edition of Vogue is an object of beauty – great photography, clever and sharp styling enhanced by wonderful layout and design” Stephen Quinn, publishing director of Vogue
the disheveled ‘goats’. And, not surprisingly, it also acts as a relatively inexpensive marker of your own status.” An upwards trend The print title continues to perform strongly, with digital and print circulation in the UK hovering around the 200,000 mark. Vogue UK has also produced its biggest-ever March issue this year, with a massive 275 pages of advertising – an increase of 27 pages from last year – with ads from global brands such as Apple, UBS and Issey Miyake. The edition is also debuting advertisers such as designer label Christopher Kane and ba&sh. Publisher Quinn says Vogue will take out press ads for the March issue in The Times and the Evening Standard and run digital billboard ads across the country. Tammy Smulders at luxury consultancy LuxHub says Vogue also has a strong online presence and does much to create high quality images in digital media, though she adds: “There is a tangible and institutional status that the print book has, and many women like to have it on their coffee table. It’s a sign of their discernment. They have the print copy and keep it in their home.” Importantly, in these times of constant change, she says Vogue is not resting on its laurels. “Vogue is evolving as a title,” she says. “They have just launched Vogue Video, they are doing mobile apps, they are not just sitting there saying we are going to stick with print whatever else happens. They are being proactive and reacting to the changes in consumer behaviour and disruption.” By moving with the times and having a crystal clear understanding of their brand proposition, print titles can gain some of the longevity that has kept Vogue at the top of its sector for over a century.
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/ VOGUE
Vogue has a monthly global print audience of
23.5 million people Its websites have five billion page impressions every month
ÂŁ1 million
Vogue is mentioned in other print media on average four times a day, generating worth of coverage Vogue readers spend more on fashion every year than the readers of Elle, Marie Claire, InStyle, Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar
93%
Each issue of Vogue is read for an average of two hours of Vogue readers own designer fashion, while 94% own premium beauty products When Vogue readers last recommended a product to their friends, 54% of cases resulted in a purchase
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