IPC Media Case Study

IPC Media produces over 85 iconic media brands, with their print brands alone reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 44% of UK men. All together it’s almost 27 million UK adults and their online brands collectively reach 20 millions users every month.

‘The Field’ launched in 1853 and within a year became the largest newspaper in Europe, with 24 pages. Eight further IPC titles that are still thriving today were launched in the late 1800’s, for example, Country Life, Horse and Hound, Shooting Times and more. In the early 1900’s there were three new arrivals to become a part of IPC Media – Yachting Monthly, Cage Birds and Motor Boat. In the 1920’s, Ideal Home, Homes and Gardens and Woman and Home were all launched. In the 1930’s, Woman’s Own, Woman, Caravan, Stamp Magazine and Prediction were all published and are still going strongly today. In the 1940’s, a key wartime role was played in IPC’s women’s weeklies, keeping up the morale of Britain’s women and supplying an essential information service on behalf of the Government. In the 1990’s, What’s on TV, Loaded, Now, NME, IPC Connect, IPC SouthBank and IPC Country & Leisure Media. In the 2000’s, Nuts, Pick Me Up, TV easy, LOOK and a few more were published. Right up until modern times, IPC Media were still publishing or reconstructing more magazines.

The Publications IPC Media is associated with are:

MEN’S PORTFOLIO

Country Life (IPC Inspire)
Horse & Hound (IPC Inspire)
Rugby World (IPC Inspire)
Decanter (IPC Inspire)
Nuts (IPC Inspire)

FAMOUS WOMEN”S WEEKLIES

Look (IPC Connect)
Now (IPC Connect)
What’s on TV (IPC Connect)


UPMARKET WOMEN”S DIVISION…LUXURY FASHION

Marie Claire (IPS Southbank)
InStyle (IPS Southbank)
Essentials (IPS Southbank)

The Structure of the Company:

Pinpointing exactly how far IPC's roots stretch back into the midst of publishing history is a complicated business. The International Publishing Corporation Ltd was formed in 1963 following the merger of the UK's three leading magazine publishers – George Newnes, Odhams Press and Fleetway Publications – who came together with the Mirror Group to form the International Publishing Corporation (IPC). And IPC Magazines was created five years later, in 1968. But those three original magazine businesses each had their own illustrious history, having been established in 1881, 1890 and 1880 respectively, with a number of the titles they launched in the late 19th Century still being published today under the IPC umbrella. And when The Field, launched in 1853, joined the IPC stable in 1994 following the acquisition of Harmsworth Magazines, it saw our family tree reach back even further.


IPC Media has a many different types of magazines ranging from music to golf. There are also beauty and fashion magazines, country life, interior design and TV/Radio genres. As the magazine types range massively, it would conclude that the target audience is varied too. For example, Ideal Home would probably be targeted at women aged 20-50 because it’s about starting a home or creating the perfect house for yourself. On the other hand, Golf would be more likely to be aimed at males. The age range could be very wide because golf interests a lot of people at different ages.

Date Completed: 1/10/2010