1. National Geographic
National Geographic consistently trounces all the usual suspects such as
The Economist and the Financial Times in surveys such as Europe 2001 and
EMS. It is one of the few titles to have been successful at masthead
programming, and its National Geographic television brand is also
expanding at full speed.
2. Reader's Digest
Another favourite read all over Europe and the most popular read in the
US, where an astonishing 43 million are said to look at it, Reader's
Digest has a seemingly unstoppable appeal. This year it also launched
research across readers in 18 European countries, which looked into
Europe's most trusted brands.
3. Playboy
The original men's magazine still sells well in Germany, although has
lost share in the UK where FHM, Maxim and Loaded are the traditional
triumvirate in the men's magazines market. Playboy is the most popular
men's magazine in the Netherlands where it has seen off competition from
rivals such as Maxim.
4. FHM
The most popular men's read in the UK and France, FHM attracts more than
three million readers in the UK alone. FHM has also launched a German
edition, a link-up between Emap and Attic Futura. In the UK, FHM's
latest ABC (700,000) is more than double that of Loaded (305,000).
5. Maxim
Maxim is now available in eight countries and this year attempted to
crack Belgium as well as Germany, a notoriously difficult market for
men's titles. It has been a phenomenal success in the US, seeing off
long-established competition such as Esquire. This year it also launched
a spin-off music title, Blender, across the pond.
6. Men's Health
Men's Health was introduced to Europe from the US where it is the
third-biggest men's title after Playboy and Maxim. Its no-nonsense
health and fitness advice as well as its trademark muscle men cover
stars photographed in black and white has won popularity all over
Europe. Men's Health is an especially popular title in the UK and
Germany.
7. Cosmopolitan
Still the market leader in the competitive world of women's monthlies in
the UK with an ABC of 452,000, but only just. Glamour is beginning to
snap at Cosmopolitan's high heels with an ABC of 451,486. Yet Cosmo's
popularity overseas, in countries as different as Russia and Spain means
it is still the undisputed queen of all women's titles
internationally.
8. Elle
Elle is a popular choice for international media buys, as proved by
Carat International's deal with Hachette Filipacchi Medias for Philips
across editions in the UK, France, Italy and Spain. The magazine is the
most popular international women's magazine in Sweden and it is a
long-time rival of its closest competitor, Marie Claire, in both the UK
and France. Elle is consistently extending its core offering with
spin-off titles such as Elle Decoration. The latest in 2001 was Elle
Girl.
9. Marie Claire
Famed for its "reportage"-style features from around the world, Marie
Claire has lost market share in the UK this year where its circulation
has slid to about 400,000. In France, L'Oreal sold its 49 per cent stake
in the Marie Clarie group to Hachette Filipacchi Medias earlier in the
year for $80.6 million. Marie Claire is still a popular read in
the Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Belgium.
10. Glamour
Conde Nast's handbag-sized monthly burst on to the UK scene this year,
imported from the US - where its readership nudges 12 million every
month. It also successfully launched in both the German and Italian
markets this year; in Germany it's already the most popular women's
monthly and in Italy it is in second place behind G&J/Mondadori's Vera.
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