The results are in. EMMA data has revealed the most widely read Australian publications in 2014, determining who (and what) truly pulls in readers.
While the digital domain is flourishing, print publications proved they still have a dedicated army of admirers, with magazine audiences outnumbering those accessing media online.
Lifestyle magazines dominated the top spots, with Woman’s Day boasting the highest monthly audience. Along with accruing a monthly print audience of 3.4 million, its online figures hit 459,000, giving the weekly magazine a total readership of 3.75 million.
New Idea came in second, reaching 3.59 million readers monthly. The majority of this audience (3.38 million) was solely attributed to the print version of the publication.
Better Homes and Gardens edged out the Australian Women’s Weekly to score third place, attracting a total 2.68 million readers across both print and online.
In the digital realm, lifestyle-related media were also most prevalent. Taste.com.au topped the list, with 1.91 million readers accessing its content monthly via mobile (553,000) and tablet (608,000).
“The EMMA audience results reveal that magazine brands are incredibly strong – the methodology employed by EMMA allows us to survey and measure the Australian population more thoroughly than before, and the ability to look at other platforms (including digital magazines and websites) altogether is exciting,” says Pacific Magazines director Peter Zavecz.
“Most Australians still prefer their magazine in a printed format, but an increasing number of readers also like a digital magazine option – and they’re completely happy to pay for it. EMMA allows us to monitor this emerging trend from the start. So EMMA reveals to us that the future of magazines is optimistic, multi-platform and, most importantly, paid for.”
