New York, NY – Total magazine rate-card-reported advertising revenue for the first six months of 2011 closed at $9,639,726,960, posting a +4.0% increase versus the same period in 2010, according to Publishers Information Bureau (PIB).  Ad pages during the first half totaled 79,426.11, a +1.3% gain compared to January through June, 2010.

During the second quarter of 2011, magazine PIB revenue closed at $5,345,919,282, generating a +2.4% increase against the same period last year. PIB recorded 43,671.20 ad pages in the second quarter, a gain of +0.3% compared to April through June, of 2010.  This marks the fifth consecutive quarter that magazines have posted increases in both PIB ad revenues and pages, beginning with the second quarter of 2010.

First Half 2011 vs. 2010
PIB ad revenue and pages grew in seven of 12 major advertising categories January through June, 2011: Apparel & Accessories; Automotive; Drugs & Remedies; Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; Retail; Technology; and Toiletries & Cosmetics. (Twelve categories are the most significant contributors to PIB revenue, comprising more than 85% of total advertising spending.)

Three sectors exhibited double-digit page gains, driven by advertising for the following products categories:

• Toiletries & Cosmetics: cosmetics and beauty aids; hair and skin care products
• Automotive: domestic and foreign brands, driven by a mix of fuel-efficient/hybrid models, sports cars and motorcycles; also auto accessories and equipment
• Financial, Insurance & Real Estate: banks; investor consultancies and software; insurance firms

Second Quarter 2011 vs. 2010
Five of 12 major categories contributed to PIB growth in the second quarter of 2011: Apparel & Accessories; Drugs & Remedies; Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; Retail; and Toiletries & Cosmetics. Toiletries & Cosmetics, the category that boasted the highest gains and largest share of ad revenue in Q2, benefited from an influx of ads for perfumes, hair care products and cosmetics, as well as toiletries aimed at male consumers in particular.