Emap is concerned by the impact of the weeklies on its flagship title, one of the publisher's biggest profit earners. In attempting to curb lost sales, Emap believes FHM has become too similar to the weeklies in tone and content, weakening its £3.50 premium price proposition. The weeklies sell for £1.30.
From the October issue, on sale 31 August, FHM will relaunch exactly two years after its last makeover, which was also driven by sales losses to the weeklies.
The new look will include classier cover-shoots, in terms of celebrity subjects and design, with the aim of appealing to older, more aspirational, men than the weeklies. FHM.com will also relaunch next month.
The move comes at a time when politicians are calling for some men's titles to be moved onto retailers' top shelves and echoes SMD Publishing's decision earlier this month to tone down the content of its racy lad's monthly, Front.
Mark Gallagher, press director at Manning Gottlieb OMD, said FHM was suffering because the weeklies have interrupted buying habits.
"People realise they're plying a vast cover price for a monthly, so end up buying one or two weeklies a month instead and don't go back to the monthlies," he said.
Other men's titles set to post declines in the first half ABCs, out next month, are Emap's Zoo and Arena, with IPC's Loaded and Dennis' Maxim expected to incur double-digit percentage drops.
Older titles GQ, Men's Health and Men's Fitness are among the few predicted to show growth.
At Emap's annual general meeting this month, Adam Broadbent, the company's outgoing chairman, singled out an increasing rate of decline in the men's market and motoring magazines as influences on its recent profit warning for 2006.
Colin Grimshaw, page 21.
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