Beauty mag "rotation" being abandoned by Conde Nast in face of change

The so-called "beauty rotation" whereby major beauty advertisers such as Revlon, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Procter & Gamble took turns in the order in which they appeared before the masthead in the front of Conde Nast magazines such as Vogue, Glamour, Self and Allure, has ended. 

According to a story in Ad Age, the rotation was a longstanding policy that hearkened back to when ads were sold on relationships between buyers and sellers. But these have eroded because of digital competition and automated advertising auctions. Some advertisers have been diverting their multi-page print buys into other media.

One ad buyer said the hierarchy was a relic. "The marketplace has changed," said a media buyer who is not involved in the negotiations. "Archaic policies should be thrown out."

The rotation was a way of encouraging companies to spend money with Conde Nast pubs and removing it may be a recognition that Conde Nast books are no longer the only game in town. There is also a big shift in media buying  habits and ad sales budgeting. 

Today...magazines such as Allure and Glamour face an onslaught of competition from not only traditional competitors like Hearst Magazines and TV networks aimed at women, but also a host of digital upstarts, including Makeup.com, a content site run by L'Oreal. 

Meanwhile, increased competition and eroding single-copy sales have stung magazine companies, which have limped through the first half of 2014, with print ad sales -- where they make the bulk of their revenue -- proving anemic ahead of the critical September issues for women's fashion magazines.