Prevention Magazine Drops Print Ads, Hikes Single-Copy Cost

The Rodale-published healthy living magazine Prevention is going ad-free, starting with the magazine's July issue, which hits stands June 14. As part of the business strategy adjustment, the magazine's single copy price will rise to $4.99 from $3.99. Annual print subscriptions, which go for $24 per year, will also get more expensive, though the company has not yet announced the new pricing. "It's something that [chief executive] Maria Rodale has wanted to do for a long time," a spokeswoman said of the strategy shift. "And she's decided that now is the right time to do it." The brand is placing a greater emphasis on consumer-generated revenue going forward, as Prevention is adopting something of a paywall. "In June, Prevention.com will have an expanded set of paid content offerings that will enable subscribers to digitally access articles from the new magazine," Rodale said in a statement about the changes on Monday. That section of the website, which will include content from the print magazine, will be available only to print subscribers, or to customers who pay for a new subscription offering that hasn't yet been priced, the spokeswoman said. "We know our readers will pay a premium price for the product," she said. Last week, Emmaus, Penn.-based Rodale eliminated 40 jobs, though the company did not provide "the reason behind the latest job cuts," according to the The Morning Call, which broke the story. Prevention Editor-in-Chief Bruce Kelley, who joined the company in early 2014, is among the departing. The magazine industry has been hit hard by the steady decline of print advertising as a revenue source, though Prevention actually saw a slight increase in ad pages, on a year-over-year basis, between January and November 2015. On the digital side of things, the magazine saw 14.7% and 115.6% bumps, respectively, for its desktop and mobile audiences, according to the December 2015 Magazine Media 360° report.

Prevention Magazine Drops Print Ads, Hikes Single-Copy Cost

Featured Stories