April 20, 2009 (LOS ANGELES)–The Advocate and Advocate.com, the world’s leading multi-platform news provider directly targeting the LGBT audience, successfully implemented a new print and online strategy now accessing millions of gay and lesbian consumers globally. According to a recent article in “The Business Insider,” of 249 major magazines tracked by a Magazine Publishers of America study, The Advocate was one of only 28 titles to bring in more revenue in the first quarter of 2009 than it did in the first quarter of 2008. During the first quarter of 2009 The Advocate saw a 12.5% increase in revenue over first quarter 2008. In addition, The Advocate has seen an increase in ad pages, bucking an industry-wide trend. The website’s unique visitors and page views also continue to grow on a monthly basis.
“No other LGBT media company currently creates the vast array of original, award-winning content across a variety of platforms targeted exclusively to the gay and lesbian consumer,” said Stephen Macias, Executive Vice President and General Manager of The Advocate’s parent company, Regent Media. “Advertisers come to The Advocate confident their product is being associated with the best brand in gay media. We speak directly to our diverse community on a daily basis.”
In early 2008 The Advocate transitioned from a biweekly to a monthly format. The first monthly edition of The Advocate landed on newsstands in January 2009. The new monthly Advocate print publication, recently nominated by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage for its 2009 Media Awards, inspires LGBT consumers to continue the conversation about the headlines most important to the community. Early retail sales figures for the January and February issues of The Advocate have seen a noted increase in bookstore sales, including Barnes & Noble.
As The Advocate moved to publishing monthly, Advocate.com quickly became the daily news source for the global gay and lesbian consumer. Nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism Article, Advocate.com reports up-to-the-minute news throughout the day, keeping consumers returning to the site throughout their day.
Keeping up with technology trends, the highly trafficked Advocate.com features professionally produced video content. Having spotlighted such diverse topics as the 2008 campaign for marriage equality in California and an exclusive interview with Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham to in-depth travel guides for cities across the globe, these new video segments provide exciting opportunities for advertisers to reach the LGBT audience. Now, for the first time in the website’s history, Advocate.com offers pre-roll video to its clients. During the first two months of 2009 alone, Advocate.com’s video views have increased by 1000%. Additionally, page views on the website increased more than 35% over the past eight months.
As numbers grow both digitally and in print, the multi-platform sales strategies The Advocate team implements give advertisers direct access to the coveted LGBT audience. Recognizing the buying power of the gay consumer, an eclectic group of clients including The Campbell’s Soup Company, Kaiser Permanente, Subaru, and, most recently, Progressive Insurance have launched aggressive campaigns with The Advocate brands. Lifetime Television already reaped success from this new initiative with a successful multi-platform campaign for their critically acclaimed original film Prayers for Bobby, starring Sigourney Weaver.
These 360-degree campaigns bridge the various Advocate properties and offer advertising targeted exclusively to millions of LGBT homes in print, with online banners, and Web-based video. Additionally, advertisers benefit from added-value initiatives such as premium placement at LGBT-targeted consumer events, where the client’s products receive the undivided attention of a captivated, taste-making audience.
The Advocate is currently available to consumers as a monthly publication via subscription or by logging on to its award-winning website at www.advocate.com. The Advocate is sold in Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walden Books, and other major bookstore chains, as well as in major supermarket and drug store chains including Ralph’s, Safeway, Krogers, Target, and CVS.
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About The Advocate:
Celebrating over 40 years in print this year, The Advocate is the world’s leading gay publication of record. As of 2009, the magazine reports monthly on news, politics, business, medical issues, and arts & entertainment. Hailed by The Washington Post as the “standard of gay journalism,” The Advocate distributes almost four million copies each year. Please visit The Advocate.
