According to the latest insight gleaned from the findings of a new Nellymoser study, publishers continue to embrace mobile in the presentation and publication of today’s leading magazines.
Mobile activation in the top 100 U.S. magazines has dramatically changed from 2011 to 2012, the study shows.
Several compelling patterns have emerged, notably the increasing popularity of issue-wide mobile programs and magazine branded scanning apps, particularly those leveraging augmented reality, image recognition, and invisible watermarking technology.
Other fascinating findings include:
- Number of mobile experiences has risen to 8,448 mobile activations in 2012 with Q1 at 1,472 and Q4 rising to 2,252, over 150% growth
- In September of 2012, typically a special issue month, total activations peaked at 1,312 for the year
- Augmented reality for the first time has become a strong presence, comprising almost 10% of all mobile activation points
- Magazine-specific scanning apps, such as those published by Lucky, Seventeen, GQ, Teen Vogue, Brides, Popular Science, and Maxim, were released by 12% of the Top 100
“2012 was a watershed year for mobile activated print. Close to 20% of all activations were image-based. This represents a significant shift from code-based activation (e.g. QR codes) to image-based activation,” says John Puterbaugh, Executive Vice President & Chief Digital Officer at Nellymoser. “We expect this year over year growth to continue, fueled by the unique opportunity for editors to connect their print and digital content and engage readers via mobile.”