Cosmopolitan moves print to Eight-A-Year Collection – WWD

around the world is changing its print schedule.

Starting this year, Hearst-owned publications will print eight themed numbers, each dedicated to a different theme and numbered rather than tied to a specific month. In 2019, it published 12 issues, then 10 issues in 2020 when the pandemic began, and 9 issues in 2021.

“We call it ‘the 2022 collection,’ and we really wanted to create something that feels collectible and you want to live on your coffee table instead of putting it in a pile of recyclables. his regime. So the visuals are really rich and lush, sharp and sophisticated,” said Jessica Pels, editor-in-chief of around the worldtold WWD.

The first issue, “Issue 1: Love Matters,” will explore the expanded scope of how love is defined, thought, and experienced and themes will be intertwined throughout the pages. Its cover face is actress Sydney Sweeney, who is in the middle of the plot in HBO’s “Euphoria” about her character Cassie’s obsession with love. Music and travel will be among other themes this year, although some will change every year.

Thematic magazines will also get a new look – new, featured voices, contributors, photographers and illustrators, and larger sizes with rich traffic codes, which Pels believes it will help the magazine decipher what readers care about. There’s also going to be a hit, starting with a sweater collection in collaboration with denim brand Mother.

“We really respond to the needs of our readers and the way our readers live their lives. And because we interact with our readers on every platform, we can clearly understand how they spend their time and so we’ll always serve them what they want where they want and now for print, that means thicker, more than Pels says Cosmopolitan is shrinking its print frequency. “I feel like doing fewer problems is not less of a touchpoint. It’s about making print touchpoints richer, more meaningful, and ultimately longer-lasting. “

Cosmopolitan isn’t alone in reducing print frequency. Among the others, Marie Claire, which Hearst Sold to Future, currently publishing only two printing problems a year, while WSJ., The Wall Street Journal’s luxury fashion and culture magazine, cuts frequency from 12 issues to 8 in 2021 with a new focus on digital platforms . And other titles, like W, have also gone the “collectible” route, claiming they are more than just a magazine and, therefore, increasing their cover prices.

This isn’t the only major change Cosmopolitan has made in recent years. In 2020, it launched Cosmo Unlocked digital subscription, a package that includes unlimited digital access for $3 a month. For $20 a year, readers get the website, print magazine, and newsletter. Similar programs have been rolled out at Hearst’s Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health and Bicycling, while Runner’s World has had one since 2019 as the publisher appears to be less dependent on advertising dollars.

According to data from the Alliance for Audited Media, Cosmopolitan’s total audience dropped 19% in the first nine months of 2021, compared with the same period a year earlier. Print and digital editions are down 25%, but video is up almost 20%. Data provided to WWD by Cosmopolitan shows a 31% increase in website traffic in 2021.

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