Industry Research

IPC

IPC has more than 60 iconic brands. IPC creates content for multiple platforms. This includes print, online, mobile, tablets

and events. IPC is the UK’s leading consumer magazine publisher as they engage with 26million UK adults. Out of the 26million,

almost two thirds of them are UK Women and 42% of them are UK men. Their portfolio of websites reaches over 25million users

globally every month!

IPC have 3 divisions; IPC Connect, IPC Inspire and IPC Southbank. IPC Connect is their mass market in the women’s division. This

comprises of famous women’s weeklies. This includes Now, Chat and Woman. It also includes TV entertainment brands including

What’s on TV, TV Times, TV and Satellite Week and the goodtoknow network. IPC Inspire is their men’s portfolio. It has a

wealth of leisure brands such as Country Life, Horse & Hound, and Rugby World. It also includes lifestyle brands such as Nuts,

Mousebreaker and NME. IPC Southbank is the upmarket women’s division. This comprises of luxury fashion brands. This

includes Marie Claire and InStyle.

In the 1800s, a magazine called The Field was launched in 1853. Within a year it became the largest newspaper in Europe. Throughout

the Crimean War, it had its own correspondent. In 1911, the first of IPC’s four traditional woman’s weeklies, Woman’s Weekly was launched in November. In 1932, the launch of Woman’s Own

indicated the arrival of one of IPC’s traditional ‘Big Two’. This included the appearance of Woman magazine which followed just 5 years

later. Woman’s own was promoted with a free cover-mounted gift. This includes a three skeins of wool with every copy! The first issue of Woman in 1937 cost 2d. In the 1940’s, a key wartime role was played

by IPC’s women’s weeklies. This was keeping up morale of Britain’s women and also to supply an essential information service on behalf

of the Government.

In the 1950s, the increase of music had signalled the arrival of New Music Express in 1952. This involves NME to set the ball

rolling with the compilation of the first official UK record chart. In the 1963, the International Publishing Corporation was formed. This has brought together 3 rival magazine companies, Newnes,

Fleetway and Odhams Press. The traditional competitors had found themselves all working for the same parent company. In 1969, it saw the birth of a new football weekly magazine called

Shoot! This weekly magazine was launched to capitalise the upsurge of the interest in the football which has recently been

generated.

The 1980s had seen the formation of European Magazines Ltd. This is a joint venture with Groupe Marie Claire to launch the UK edition of the international title Marie Claire in 1988. In one of

the most intense arrivals in publishing history, a ground-breaking lad’s magazine called Loaded had hit the newsstands in 1994. It

hailed the outstanding launch of recent years as it spawns countless clones and opens up the whole young men’s market.

NME became the first major UK music title to get its own internet site.

IPC Magazine is sold to Cinven for £860m in 1998. This was one of the largest management buyouts in UK History. In the New

Millennium (2000s), IPC Magazines became IPC Media in 2000. Time Warner had purchased IPC Media for £1.15 billion in

October 2001. This was the biggest magazine deal ever seen in the UK. In Feb 2007, IPC Connect launches Look magazine. This was the UK’S first glossy high street fashion and celebrity style

weekly magazine.

Bauer

Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group. This is Europe’s largest privately owned publishing Group. This Group is

a worldwide media empire. It offers over 300 magazines in 15 different countries. This also includes online, TV and radio

stations.

The history of Bauer’s magazine goes back to 1953. It started with the launch of Angling Times and the achievement of Motor Cycle News in 1956. Both of these are still iconic brands within

their company. The start of the company’s radio business began in 1990 with the achievement of London dance station Kiss FM (currently called Kiss 100). This is followed by Radio City, TWC, the Metro Group and Melody FM. This has turned into Magic

105.4.

In 1994, Bauer Media Group had brought a small magazine called For Him Magazine. This is now the root of the best-selling

international multi-platform brand called FHM. In 1996, they have got a digital music TV channel called The Box. This is the

route into the small screen business, which has grown into a Box Television. This is a seven channel joint scheme TV business with Channel 4. In January 2008, Bauer Media joined the Bauer Media

Group which followed the acquisition of Emap plc’s consumer and specialist magazines, radio, TV, online and digital businesses.

Bauer Media is a multi-platform UK-based media Group. This consists of many companies collected around two main divisions, Magazines and Radio. This is widely recognised and rewarded as

being industry innovators. Closer was launched in 2002 and Britain’s first weekly glossy, GRAZIA was launched in 2005. Today,

Bauer Media extends over 80 influential brand names. This covers a diverse range of interests including heat, Parkers,

MATCH!, CAR and Yours.