The Purse Factor Ultimately Won

Hearst: Women finally embracing online magazines thanks to 7-inch screens

The arrival of the iPad in 2010 was supposed to be a game-changer for magazine brands but subscriptions never took off as expected, especially among women. Now, that’s starting to change thanks to smaller screens that can fit in a purse.

Speaking at the D: Dive Into Media conference in Southern California on Tuesday, Hearst Magazines President David Carey said that 10-inch screens appealed to men for magazine content but that women were reluctant to embrace them. The 7 inch screen such as those found on the Nook or iPad, however, are leading to a surge in female subscribers.

Boldfaced emphasis added by me.

Time for me to point to these older posts I did:

One month before iPad — December 23rd, 2009: Why A 7-Inch iTablet Makes Sense

So, ideally, nothing more than a seven-inch screen for ideal grip, weight, and portability. As someone on Twitter stated, it has to be small enough to be dropped into a purse to take along (which, by the way, people are doing with the Sony Reader Touch Edition).

Almost two years before iPad Mini — December 31, 2010: I Don’t Care What Steve Jobs Says

I’m awaiting the day for him [Steve Jobs] to spin into existence the inevitable 7″ iPad. I hope that day comes in January 2011.

Over a year before iPad Mini — January 29, 2011: Mass Market Paperback Vs. Tablets

iPad fans can say anything they want. That photo makes it clear that for people who like to read, a 7″ 16:9 tablet is comparable to carrying around a mass-market paperback.

Yeah, yeah. Honk all you want about seven inches versus seven-point-nine. This isn’t a court and you’re not a lawyer. A smaller tablet, as Hearst has shown, allows things a larger tablet doesn’t. It opens up a new market.

And for magazines (note to Barnes & Noble, Kobo), 7.9 is better.

About these ads