If there really is a science to what sells, as editors generally
believe, we can conclude that white backgrounds and red titles are an
effective combination for moving magazines. Except that Glamour’s newsstand sales were down substantially last year,
by 17 percent through June and (as submitted to the Audit Bureau of
Circulation) 9.9 percent in the second half. Most women’s titles were
down. Part of the problem, it would seem, is that by exploiting a
winning formula, fashion magazines have made themselves
indistinguishable. This is why readers can expect to see some changes in the big March
issues, most notably in Glamour and Harper’s Bazaar, each of which are
unveiling major redesigns.
Read more at the New York Times
