Consumers spend less on magazines each year. As readers shift to digital platforms and free content, publishers are under more pressure than ever to market their magazines in new and engaging ways.
Strong marketing campaigns can help magazines stand out, attract new audiences, and retain loyal subscribers.
The good news is that many top publications are finding creative ways to meet the moment, whether through interactive content, brand partnerships, or social-first strategies.
In this post, we highlight 10 real magazine marketing examples that show what’s working today. These campaigns are strategic, memorable, and effective. Check out these real-world examples for ideas on how to update your own marketing.
1. The New Yorker – The Name Drop
The New Yorker expanded its puzzles and games department with the launch of Name Drop, a daily quiz designed to build reader habit and retention. This quiz challenges readers to guess a mystery person with the help of up to six clues, adding a playful, brainy layer to the magazine’s content. Name Drop joins the Cryptic Crossword (added in June) and the standard Crossword (launched in 2018), signaling The New Yorker’s broader strategy to engage subscribers through interactive content as a buffer against churn and digital fatigue.
Key takeaways:
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Subscription retention strategy
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Habit-forming content
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Gamified reader engagement
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Expanding puzzles and games section
2. The Economist – Read With Purpose
In a bold push to grow its U.S. presence, The Economist launched its first American-focused campaign in New York City. Created with agency Loyalkaspar, the campaign featured vibrant red out-of-home placements and a tagline that encourages audiences to “Read With Purpose.” The goal? To reach the “reader of tomorrow” and boost brand awareness, recognition, and preference among younger, intellectually curious audiences. The campaign was designed to stand out in a crowded media market, pairing striking visuals with messaging that aligns with The Economist‘s sharp, analytical identity.
Key takeaways:
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First U.S.-targeted campaign
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Out-of-home brand awareness
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Youth-focused messaging
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Strong visual identity
3. People Magazine – TikTok-Style App Launch
People Magazine debuted its first standalone app in 2025, designed with a scrollable, TikTok-like interface to attract a younger, mobile-first audience. The move marks a strategic pivot by Dotdash Meredith to modernize People’s digital experience and engage users with exclusive, bite-sized multimedia content. Backed by a 70-person editorial team and launched with e.l.f. Beauty as the premier sponsor, the app is built to encourage habitual use and capture logged-in audiences. With over 10 million daily web visitors, the app serves as both a brand extension and a new revenue stream for advertisers.
Key takeaways:
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Mobile-first content strategy
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Influencer-inspired UI
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Exclusive launch sponsorship
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Audience engagement through habit-building design
4. TIME – Post-Paywall Pivot
In June 2023, TIME made a bold move by removing its paywall, signaling a strategic shift toward ad-driven revenue and broader accessibility. The results? A notable increase in advertising income, a decline in digital subscriptions, and relatively flat web traffic. While some of these outcomes reflect broader industry trends, the shift allowed TIME to focus more resources on building brand equity and advertiser relationships. CEO Jessica Sibley emphasized that the decision aligned with TIME‘s mission of reaching a wider audience with its journalism, even at the cost of subscription growth.
Key takeaways:
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Paywall removal strategy
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Increased ad revenue
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Subscriber loss trade-off
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Mission-aligned brand decision
5. Sports Illustrated – A Brand Rebuild in Real Time
Following its acquisition of Sports Illustrated’s licensing rights in March 2024, Minute Media is undertaking a full-scale brand revitalization. The strategy centers on consolidating and rebranding key properties—folding The Big Lead into SI and renaming FanNation to On SI—to streamline its sports portfolio under one iconic brand. With a renewed emphasis on quality journalism and a return to print, the marketing approach is clear: reestablish Sports Illustrated as a trusted voice in sports media while capitalizing on its legacy appeal. It’s a bold brand repositioning aimed at long-term equity and advertiser trust.
Key takeaways:
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Brand consolidation strategy
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Legacy brand repositioning
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Return to print as a value signal
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Editorial quality as a marketing lever
6. Vice – Subscription Relaunch With Print at the Center
In a strategic brand reboot following bankruptcy, Vice relaunched its iconic print magazine and introduced its first-ever subscription product. Starting with its celebrated Photo Issue, the campaign leans heavily on nostalgia and brand identity to reconnect with its core audience. Vice Digital Publishing—a new joint venture with Savage Ventures—aims to reach 10,000 subscribers by spring 2025 through a blend of premium content, editorial collectibility, and multi-platform promotion. The move positions print not as a relic, but as a marketing asset that builds loyalty, renews cultural relevance, and unlocks direct reader revenue.
Key takeways:
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Subscription product debut
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Print relaunch as brand statement
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Legacy content leveraged for loyalty
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Cross-platform promotional push
7. Cosmopolitan – AI Cover Sparks Buzz for Serious Editorial Shift
Cosmopolitan made headlines with a bold, tech-forward marketing move: tapping OpenAI’s DALL·E 2 to design a digital cover. The astronaut-themed image—created entirely from a text prompt—was more than a gimmick. It marked a deliberate brand shift, using AI as a hook to promote a special issue focused on serious, future-forward topics. For a title best known for pop culture and beauty, the cover served as a strategic reintroduction to a broader audience, reinforcing Cosmo’s evolving editorial voice while generating buzz across tech, media, and design communities.
Key takeways:
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AI-generated cover art
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Brand repositioning strategy
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Cross-industry media attention
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Tech as a marketing hook
8. Vogue – Brand Power Over Search Rank
Despite not ranking highly for generic keywords like “fashion magazine,” Vogue continues to dominate the fashion media space thanks to the strength of its brand—not its SEO. With over 12.7 million print readers and 5 billion monthly press impressions, Vogue proves that building an iconic, recognizable brand can outperform even the best search engine strategies. By staying true to its mission and audience since 1892, Vogue has earned deep cultural relevance and luxury credibility. The marketing takeaway? Authority, consistency, and clear brand identity can generate buzz and loyalty that no algorithm can replace.
Key takeaways:
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Brand power over search visibility
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Consistent audience targeting
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Offline dominance fuels relevance
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Long-term trust over viral tactics
9. Better Homes & Gardens – Pinterest Partnership for Vertical Video
As part of a major push into short-form video, Better Homes & Gardens—under Dotdash Meredith—entered a yearlong partnership with Pinterest to produce 180 original, seasonal vertical videos. This collaboration positions the brand at the heart of Pinterest’s content expansion strategy and brings BHG’s lifestyle content to a highly visual, planning-focused audience. With Pinterest funding the project, the deal also strengthens BHG’s visibility on a platform already favored by its target demographic. It’s a smart marketing play that deepens engagement, grows reach, and aligns content with both seasonal trends and platform-native formats.
Key takeaways:
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Platform-native video strategy
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Seasonal content alignment
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Brand-platform partnership
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Visual storytelling for lifestyle audiences
10. National Geographic – Brand Integrity as a Marketing Strategy
While many publishers chase clicks and controversy, National Geographic has leaned into its 134-year reputation as a trusted source of scientific truth. In an era of misinformation, the brand’s unwavering commitment to accuracy and depth isn’t just editorial—it’s marketing. By positioning itself as “dauntless” in the face of post-truth noise, National Geographic has become a brand audiences trust instinctively. Its long-form storytelling, like the 36-page coverage of Hugo Eckener’s global flight, reinforces that legacy. Rather than pivoting to trend-driven tactics, National Geographic markets itself through timeless credibility and audience trust.
Key takeaways:
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Trust as a brand asset
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Consistent editorial identity
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Long-form content as brand marketing
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Anti-trend positioning in a noisy media landscape
These examples prove that great marketing helps magazines stay relevant and grow in a challenging landscape. From bold branding to platform partnerships, each strategy offers inspiration.
To elevate your own magazine experience, explore how eMagazines can help you deliver mobile-optimized editions, audio features, and more. Learn more about eMagazines.
