To The Ends Of The Earth

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, March 1, 2004

Travel, culture, history, science. These are the common themes of four association-sponsored magazines that appeal to upscale Americans who pursue lifelong learning - on vacation in far-away lands or in the pages of these magazines. They break into two camps. The massive and powerful Smithsonian and National Geographic have formidable histories: The former is sponsored by an institution created by Congress in 1846; the latter sent explorer Robert E. Peary to the North Pole and still sponsors exploration. Then there are the modest (less than 200,000-circ) Archaeology, sponsored by the Archaeological Society of America and Natural History, put out by New York's Museum of Natural History. Of the two groups, NG publisher Sean Flanagan says: "While there may be a strand of similarities in brand DNA (culture and education), there are significant differences in positioning." But readers are alike - in their 40s or 50s with considerable disposable income. Mark J. Miller

Smithsonian (Smithsonian Institution)

Ad Pages: 558 (-7%)

Association subs: 1,891,217

Single copy sales: 8,594

Total Paid subs: 2,030,020

New Advertiser: BMW

Rated the No. 1 quality brand worldwide in 2003 by Equitrend, Smithsonian's affluent, educated readership numbers 7.4 million ("mass with class," says publisher Amy Wilkins). Readers are engaged with the world around them, and 33,000 of them participate in an e-mail panel, where editor Cary Winfrey tests ideas, with a 50-70 percent response rate. The top four ad categories: travel (22 percent), direct response (14 percent), pharmaceuticals (12 percent), and financial and insurance (11 percent). The monthly has expanded its consumer-electronics and liquor ad buys, and advertisers can approach the mag via many demographics: over 50, under 50, women, men, regionally and by income. Direct mail is still the main source of circ, says circulation director Lisa Dunham. The subscription price rose from $28 a year to $32. On the competition: "I love National Geographic. The most compelling connection is that both magazines have among the highest reader involvement indexes in the industry," says publisher Wilkins. "We complement each other more than compete."

National Geographic (National Geographic Society)

Ad Pages: 436 (10.6%)

Association subs: 6,355,065

Single copy sales: 258,600

Total paid subs: 6,685,684

New Advertiser: Smith Barney

National Geographic created 17 new advertising positions - with great results. Sales for 2003 set a new record for the 115-year-old monthly, reaping 34 new advertisers. The first quarter of 2004 is the biggest in NG's history. That's doubly impressive, because "there's no endemic advertising," says Sean Flanagan, vice president and worldwide publisher. Part of this success can be attributed to a new focus on selling the brand across many demographics and newsstand specials that allow "new advertisers to participate with the brand at a lower out-of-pocket," says Flanagan. (There has been a 30 to 35 percent matriculation of those advertisers.) Cross-platform and global buys account for some 12 percent, and custom advertorials, 8 to 10 percent, of NG's revenue. Its top four categories are automotive, pharmaceutical, technology and finance. On the circ side, NG has a 71.9 percent renewal rate with a sub life cycle of 12 years. On Smithsonian: "Respectfully, we compete...and collaborate when and where appropriate. NG tends to make the news, while Smithsonian tends to catalog and exhibit it."

Archaeology (Archaeological Society of America)

Ad Pages: 112 (-10%)

Association subs: 6,173

Single copy sales: 22,372

Total paid subs: 227,684

New Advertiser: Canon

Three years ago, this 50-year-old bimonthly revamped its image and traded in the dry recitation of dig finds written by academics for more first-person accounts of archaeological explorations with a broader relevance. Last fall, Archaeology became one of the first 10 magazines to have ABC audit its MRI subscriber study. "In order to be taken seriously by the agencies, we felt we had to do this," says ad director Lois Segal. The result: The bimonthly had more RFPs in 2003 than in any previous year. Traditionally, the pub's main ad category was travel, which plummeted after 9/11. Now it's establishing ties with automotive, financial services and insurance. The mag is pitching advertisers on its loyal readership (according to MRI they spend 110 minutes on average with each issue). Publisher Phyllis Pollak Katz says the magazine plans to grow its rate base to at least 300,000. On the competition: "Three years ago," she says, "we looked at all the categories our competitors were tapping into and shifted the magazine so that now we're directly competing for those same ad dollars."

Natural History (Natural History Magazine Inc.)

Ad Pages: 287 (-9%)

Association subs: 231,408

Single copy sales: 3,448

Total paid subs: 234,856

New Advertiser: Peru, Flagstaff, Az.

Natural History, originally only produced for members of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, is remaking itself into a national pub by partnering with science museums nationwide, where it will be offered to members. These new subscribers are replacing the "unwanted circulation of agencies and other low-return venues with targeted subscribers that are likely to resubscribe," says Charles Harris, president and CEO. Published 10 times a year, the title's renewal rate is already 75 percent. The new plan allows the magazine to pursue more national advertisers. Until now, revenue has been 90 percent from circulation and 10 percent from ads. Harris hopes to change that ratio. He says Natural History's RFPs have been rising. "The oil companies, automotive and a few other categories are starting to look more seriously at us again." On the competition: "There's a close relationship between what we do and Archaeology," says Harris. "Smithsonian and NG are much broader But people may buy all of them without thinking of them competitively."