Bauer Media axes Dolly print edition
Bauer Media has axed the print edition of Dolly just seven months after the publisher took it to a bi-monthly print edition with a mobile-first focus.
The magazine – which launched in 1970 – had a January to June circulation of 30,010 according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation figures.
Nick Chan, CEO at Bauer Media, said in a statement: “Dolly readers predominantly engage with the brand on digital and social platforms and they do so with greater frequency than is possible with a bi-monthly magazine – this means it’s no longer feasible to continue publishing the magazine on a regular basis.
“Dolly has played a part in the lives of many Australians over the years, which is why we’re delighted its outstanding content continues but now, exclusively, on the channels today’s teens prefer to interact with most.”
All full-time staff impacted by the change are expected to be offered other positions within Bauer.
The last bi-monthly issue of Dolly, with three collectors covers featuring members of Aussie band In Stereo, goes on sale from December 5.
In August, Chan told Mumbrella he would prefer a higher-frequency of publishing for Dolly.
“It works for Dolly at the moment. I’d rather a higher frequency within this marketplace, but at the same time the pick-up is encouraging,” said Chan.
“We will look at these markets with a pretty open mind in terms of what we need to do. If anything what we’ve seen in the past four to five years is the consumer has more choice, more options and is probably more demanding than ever before,” he said.
“Magazines have always published to publishing cycles that have suited its internal workings and in the years to come we need to adapt to consumer demand.”
“I’m solely digital so I don’t know the ins and outs but I do know that it has been floated. Like I said, we are adapting all the time. But that is the extent of my knowledge,” she said.
Dolly editors have included Lisa Wilkinson, Marina Go, Lucy Cousins, Tiffany Dunk. The current editor isJosephine Rozenberg-Clarke.
The axing of the print edition of Dolly comes just weeks after rival publisher Pacific Magazine announced it was re-launching Dolly competitor, Girlfriend, as mobile-first with the print edition of Girlfriend changing to “seasonal“.
For Bauer, the decision to axe the print edition of Dolly follows on from the publisher selling its Adventures titles at the end of October, the closure of Cleo in January and the decision to cease publishing motorsport magazine Auto Action in May.
The decision to offload Auto Action followed on from the magazine publisher closing Top Gear in October of last year and selling three of its motorcycle titles – Australian Motorcycle News, Australasian Dirt Bike and Motorcycle Trader – to boutique publisher Citrus Media in August.
Bauer Media also closed Women’s Fitness, with Citrus Media saving the title.
The publisher has also seen publisher Marina Go and publisher Matt Dominello depart recently.
At the end of last month Bauer announced its executive team, with Nick Chan welcoming former Pacific Magazines colleague Fiona Legdin to the company as general manager of fashion, health & beauty.
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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Anything & anyone left at Bauer?
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For over two decades my then client Bonne Bell was a consistent advertiser and promotional partner with Dolly, in print and then, additionally, digitally. Sad to see the magazine go but obviously it’s no use persevering with a medium if the audience no longer relates to it. Would be great if there were sufficient audience interest to support at least an annual print edition.
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Not surprised. They should have closed it a year ago instead of putting a band-aid on the haemorrhage. From all reports it’s lost its way in the last year anyways, not like what we grew up with.
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Is there a growth story at all at Bauer? It seems to be endless cuts and rationalisation.
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Well, that’s about it for the magazine industry, yeah? Dolly was the entry way into consumption of the format for a lot of people. If the industry today looks like a smaller, leaner version of what it did five years ago, in 2021 it will be unrecognizably different.
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There are plenty of magazines that have broken business and distribution models. In my view, Dolly and Girlfriend both face huge issues as magazines with a cover price.
They are supposed to typically target a female teen/youth/young adult audience. Can’t remember the last time I saw someone that fit that demographic walking into a newsagent to buy a magazine or newspaper.
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