Popstar! Magazine is a nationally recognized teen-entertainment magazine that blends celebrity profiles and interactivity with fresh, fun service elements.
Oct 13, 2008
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Popstar! Magazine is a nationally recognized teen-entertainment magazine that blends celebrity profiles and interactivity with fresh, fun service elements. ABC-audited circulation has grown to more than 250,000, with newsstand sales occasionally spiking to 271,000. Circulation is forecast to continue trending upward.
Frequency has been upped from 12 issues to 14, including the popular "Stars of Summer" and "Cutest Crushes" specials. Year over year, the magazine has seen newsstand sales growth of 50 percent. Ad revenues are growing, with support from the entertainment, music and beauty and fashion industries.
The typical reader is a 13-year-old girl who picks up the magazine on the newsstand and shares it with four friends. As a measure of how well Popstar! hits its target, readers send the editorial team nearly 3,000 letters and e-mails a week. Its MySpace page alone has 135,000 "friends." It keeps a library of 300 videos on YouTube, one of which had 1.5 million viewers in July 2008.
Founded by editor-in-chief Matthew Rettenmund 10 years ago, Popstar! was the first U.S. teen-entertainment title published in full color and on glossy paper throughout. A 2004 Folio: Magazine article described Popstar! as "a new blueprint for the teen celebrity magazine market," arguing that it influenced the tidal wave of celebrity tabloids of the early 2000s.
But unlike other teen celeb magazines, Popstar! keeps its editorial positive and carefully avoids scandals, an approach that appeals to family-oriented advertisers like Disney.
"Popstar! stands out in the crowd by shying away from negative items," says Rettenmund. "This attracts optimistic and open-minded readers who feel safe with Popstar! And I personally don't feel comfortable about dragging people through the mud in print, especially when they're children."
Rettenmund says the magazine is often first in the market to spot an up-and-coming teen star, which also creates a strong bond between the new celeb and the editors.
Regular features include gossip, photos, prizes, music reviews, TV and movie coverage, fashion and beauty, games and quizzes, and columns. In addition to featuring the hottest teen stars, Popstar! is known for its collectible covers-select issues that come with four different cover images.
On the Web, Popstar! is growing fast, using a myriad of digital tools. In addition to its own Web site, it engages its readers on AOL and YouTube. On MySpace, it posts pictures, unique videos and up-to-the-minute blogs, which are often Number 1 on the site.
"We find the Web a great way to build our brand," Rettenmund says. "It's really helped us to bond with our readers."
Retailer promotions include Barnes & Noble, Claire's stores, Limited Too stores and Club Libby Lu. The magazine hosts celebrity parties at Planet Hollywood in New York and has arranged for readers to meet stars including Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, Jesse McCartney, and Miley Cyrus.
Popstar! is published by Leisure Publishing, LLC, of Orlando, and is headed by Planet Hollywood's Robert Earl. Editorial offices are in New York's Times Square.
"With our ongoing inventive ideas, Popstar! is on its way to becoming an industry leader," says Balaz. "With the expanded visibility we are achieving, our advertisers are in an excellent position to benefit from our momentum."
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