Vogue and Maxim are the best UK-based magazines which are fully-optimised for a multi-platform audience – with iPhone, iPad and Android apps, together with sites specially designed for iPad, Nexus 7 and smartphones – in line with research into multi-screen advertising experiences with publishing companies by BrandPerfect.org. 

The survey of 100 popular consumer-facing magazines within the US, the united kingdom and Germany found that 93 per cent  don’t offer their readers an absolutely cross-platform experience. 83 per cent of the 78 consumers magazine brands surveyed from america and UK have an app. 65 per cent of those have an iPhone app and 40 per cent have Android. Almost all  – with notable exceptions just like the BBC’s Radio Times – have a separate iPad app. But, the report says: “Without satisfactorily audited audience circulation figures available, especially where app are bundled in with print subscriptions or availabe free of charge, how [can we know] a lot of people are seeing them”

Fewer mobile sites despite easier targeting

46 per cent of the united kingdom-based magazines assessed by the corporate and 45 per cent of the German publications didn’t have a website optimised for smartphones. Just 25 per cent of the U.S. ones were within the same position. The report says: “While many publishers have invested heavily in apps, website readerships are much larger, targetable and easier to analyse.”

Many of the publishers offer a scaled version in their desktop site to pill and smartphone surfers, with varying results.  Glamour magazine within the UK scaled to suit the smaller screen, although the writing becomes rather small, while Wired magazine readers within the UK should move their screen from side-to-side to read full articles at the scaled site.

Vice and Marie Claire were missing only one of the seven criteria used each – an Android app and an iPad-optimised site respectively.