Looking at the latest issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, I wonder if Bauer is chasing a younger reader for this title. This latest issue feels like it is targeted women under forty. Maybe they have been pitching there and I’ve not noticed it. The cover shot looks like it could be on the cover of Cleo or Marie Claire. The stories, too, feel younger-skewed.
While I am no magazine expert, I did a double-take when I saw it, thinking – that’s odd. Then I started to wonder if they are chasing a younger reader.
With the launch of Yours imminent, maybe Bauer are trying to segment their readers more clearly. Yours is targeting women 50+ – what used to be the more typical AWW reader. The challenge is that AWW is historically bought by women in their forties, fifties and beyond. This latest issue appeals less to that older demographic in my view.
I can’t see my 40+ customers who purchase AWW based on the cover or a quick browse purchasing this issue. To balance that, however, there is an opportunity for a younger shopper to purchase this issue. But to leverage that opportunity I need to change where I place the title. I wonder if this is what Bauer wants us to do.
Knowing your customer is vital in retail. For example, the typical newsagency shopper is female 35 and over with one or two kids, more often working than not. While local situations will see differences, what I have described is common.
Knowing the customer targeted by products suppliers is also important. The suppliers who share demographic information can find retailers more engaged.
If Bauer is changing the focus of AWW I’d love newsagents to be given more information – so we can adjust in-store behaviour to reflect the change.
It will be interesting to watch customer interaction with this issue of AWW.
I thought exactly the same Mark. My sales of the last issue are way down, partly seasonal but also I don’t think the AWW demographic wanted a “Body issue” with its Monday to Friday diet and cost of plastic surgery articles. Now on the cover of the January issue I notice “Why your mum is your worst critic”. Most of my customers for AWW are way (I mean decades) past caring what their parents think.
Bauer’s seems to be trying to make AWW appeal to a younger audience and all their going to achieve is to alienate some of their existing customers.
As an older woman, I admit I find the current cover extremely offputting. Who is this girl? An English socialite. What has she achieved? Nothing. BTW, I thought the last issue’s cover was wonderful, so Aussie and summery, but there was nothing in the content that made me want to buy it.
My 82 year young Mum is staying with me and I took a copy home for her to read.
Her comments on this issue was there are lots of really interesting articles – Cate Blanchett, Joe Hildebrand, Malcolm Turnbull plus some great recipes.
Would she have been put off buying a copy by the cover? No, she didn’t know who this girl is but she loves Prince Harry so would definitely have bought it to read about her.
Maybe the cover photo should have been both of them.
I think AWW will always appeal to older ladies as it’s been around for ever but maybe they are trying to also reach a younger market.