Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

It's a challenging time for magazine publishers, right? Of course, because it's a challenging time for anyone in the business of creating content and attracting audiences -- even (or especially) pure-play digital companies.

The truth is, there are countless Silicon Valley startups, propped up by venture capital, that would kill to have the revenue of any of the magazine brands on our 2016 Magazines of the Year list.

Starting with The New Yorker, which is the Magazine of the Year (read our storyhere), and followed by the diverse range of titles (presented below in alphabetical order) that round out our list, these are modern content brands that are mastering print and digital. They're iconic, they're beloved by readers and advertisers and, get this, their bottom lines are about generating actual revenue. --The Editors...

According to a Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) study, magazines deliver the highest return on advertising spend (ROAS), with an average return of $3.94 for every dollar spent on advertising.

The study, which was presented today at the Advertising Research Foundation Audience Measurement 2016 conference, revealed the next closest media platform is display advertising with a ROAS of $2.63.

“Over the past year, there has been a preponderance of evidence to prove the effectiveness of print advertising and the power of magazine media to both tell and sell,” stated Linda Thomas Brooks, president and chief executive officers of MPA – The Association of Magazine Media....