Time magazine has the highest ‘digital IQ’ of any magazine, according to ‘think tank’

The Cutline

Magazines love lists--especially when they're on them.

An index ranking the top magazine brands by their "Digital IQ" was released this week by New York-based group L2, which describes itself as a "digital innovation think tank." According to New York University clinical marketing professor Scott Galloway, who developed the rankings system, the study was an attempt to "quantify and rank the digital competence" of 87 magazines, with the hopes of developing some sort of barometer for managers looking to get bigger returns on their digital investments.

To arrive at the "digital IQ," the study took into account the effectiveness of publications' websites, mobile applications, social media presence (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) and digital marketing efforts (which, for some reason, includes "presence on Tumblr").

Here, according to the think tank, are the top 25, along with their corresponding IQs:

1. Time -- 140
2. People -- 136
3. Self -- 134
4. Men's Health -- 131
* Sports Illustrated -- 131
6. New York -- 129
7. GQ -- 128
8. Glamour -- 127
9. Entertainment Weekly -- 126
10. Cosmopolitan -- 125
11. The Economist -- 124
12. National Geographic -- 123
* The New Yorker -- 123
* Runner's World -- 123
15. O, The Oprah Magazine -- 121
16. Seventeen -- 120
* Wired -- 120
18. Esquire -- 119
19. Teen Vogue -- 118
20. Elle -- 117
* Forbes -- 117
* In Style -- 117
23. Better Homes and Gardens -- 115
* Food & Wine -- 115
25. Golf Digest -- 114

Time came out on top with a "strong presence across nearly every platform; inspiring." But the ranking rationale for other titles is not so positive. Wired, which tied for 16th place with Seventeen, was called an "iPad pioneer," but "underwhelms with otherwise analog showing." At number 34, Rolling Stone's "site has good cadence," but "other digital properties lack rhythm."

Click here for the full 46-page study.