EMMAUS, Pa. (BRAIN) — Bicycling magazine has seen a 20 percent increase in sold advertising pages in 2014, compared to the same period last year. Publisher Zack Grice said the growth rate exceeds that of any U.S. magazine, in any category, monthly or bi-monthly, that is audited.
Ad pages sold are a key measure of a title's financial health. Bicycling, which has a circulation of nearly 400,000, is one of the only bike magazines in the U.S. whose circulation and other metrics are audited by an independent organization. Velo magazine circulation is also audited. Most magazines of Bicycling's size or larger are audited because major advertisers and agencies insist on having independent confirmation of a title's circulation and other factors.
The page growth is one factor that contributes to recent honors that Bicycling has received. The magazine is a finalist in AdWeek's Hotlist, in the Sports and Outdoor category, and in Advertising Age's Magazine A-list competition. The winners in both those competitions will be announced in the coming weeks.
"Both those competitions look at not just circulation or sales but at editorial quality, category leadership, circulation vitality, and other areas," Grice said.
