Emap consolidates teen titles to tackle difficult market

LONDON – Emap is bringing Smash Hits, Bliss and Sneak closer together and has appointed Rimi Atwal to the role of group publishing director of teenage titles.

Atwal will focus on building the success and profitability of the three magazines, which were previously handled separately. She was previously the publishing director of Smash Hits and Sneak.

The teenage publishing sector is facing a struggle. Digital TV, mobile phones and the internet have reduced the amount of time teenagers spend reading magazines.

However, Bliss and Smash Hits put on sales in the latest set of ABCs, up 6.4% and 5.5% respectively. The circulation for Sneak, however, was down 11.3%.

Smash Hits is Emap's flagship teen title and managed to regain 5.5% of its sales in the recent ABCs. BBC rival Top of the Pops lost the same amount in a gloomy sector. Smash Hits' circulation for the six months ending in June was 120,701 copies.

Smash Hits was the one bright point in the teen entertainment category, with every other title posting significant falls.

Rimi said: "The battle on the teen newsstand makes this one of the toughest challenges anywhere in the magazine world. Emap built its reputation on its teen portfolio and we are determined to meet the challenge of publishing successful magazines that respond to the needs of today's teen audience."

Rimi will report to Marcus Rich, the managing director of Emap Performance, who has responsibility for the division's magazine, TV and interactive businesses.

Rich said: "Not only does Emap want to be a player in the teen market; we want to be the biggest and most profitable teen player. Rimi will begin work immediately on the plan to make this happen."

He added a single teen-focused ad team would give agencies and clients a clearer sense of the portfolio.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .

Topics

Market Reports

Get unprecedented new-business intelligence with access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s new Market Reports.

Find out more

Enjoying ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s content?

 Get unlimited access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s premium content for your whole company with a corporate licence.

Upgrade access

Looking for a new job?

Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

Create an alert now

Partner content