Ad Pages Fall 11.1% in 2008; Revenue Slips 7.8%

Rate-card reported ad revenue for the magazine industry plummeted 13.8% in the fourth quarter, bringing the total for the year down a steep 7.8%, according to the Publishers Information Bureau.

Ad pages slipped 17.1% in Q4 and 11.7% for the full year, writes Mediaweek.

The drop was felt across all of the 12 biggest magazine ad categories, including automotive (down 25.8% for Q4 and 24.3% for the year), and financial, insurance and real estate (down 36.5% for Q4 and 17.3% for the year). Drugs & remedies also saw double-digit declines, both for the fourth quarter and for the year.

Some of the more recession-resistant sub-sectors included household soaps, cleansers & polishes (within the Home Furnishings & Supplies sub-sector) and discount department & variety stores (within the Retail category).

A few magazines managed to increase ad pages by double-digit percentages, according to the PIB, including: Cookie (up 10.8% for the year), ExecutiveTravel SkyGuide (up 10.3%), Fast Company (up 23.9%), Hallmark Magazine (up 11%), Scholastic Parent & Child (up 28%), Ser Padres (up 42.2%), Technology Review (up 21.5%), Women’s Health (up 12.2%) and Wondertime (up 21%).