Although the third quarter ABCs will be something of a disappointment for many publishers of the female glossies, one star performer, heat magazine, has bucked the trend with a 4% growth in circulation measured against the Jan-June 2004 audit period, according to publishers.
More impressively, heat's celebrity and entertainment news package now sells more copies per week than many other prestigious titles do in a month.
Heat's 46 734 weekly copies sold, outpaces Elle (45 445), Femina (46 675), marie claire (42 342) and Top Billing (40 832).
Newcomer, heat's 4% circulation rise is all the more powerful when ranked against the decline of other long-established titles. Fair Lady (-16.9%), Femina (-7.1%), Marie Claire (-17.9%), Oprah (-5.6%), People (-6.9%), Rooi Rose (-18%), Sarie (-3.1%), Style (-19.8%) and True Love (-13.4%) all posted reduced ABCs in the third quarter.
Cosmopolitan posted an increased ABC for the quarter (+2.2%) but this is still lower in percentage terms than the increase shown by Heat (+4%).
Heat's publisher, Kim Browne, is characteristically confident about the success of the title and cites various editorial, marketing and publishing initiatives already in implementation through to 2005 which will continue to win the brand further readership support. "As a publishing strategy, UCM has and will continue to invest heavily in marketing and innovation for both its titles - heat and FHM."
