When a tween boy opens a magazine and finds a tampon ad and tips on make-up, that’s it for this mag and that young buck.

That’s why Winnipeg-based What Magazine – Canada’s 14-year-old in-school publication – is splitting into two gender-specific titles. Having What’s HERS and What’s HIS will make things easier for readers and marketers alike, says president and publisher Nancy Moore. ‘I’m trying to be a lot more competitive.’

Moore is also developing partnerships with boy and girl retailers for in-store promos. So far, she’s inked a deal for girl retailers with the YM Group (Stitches, Sirens and Urban Planet), and has two to three male-skewed retailers in her sights. ‘It will allow advertisers to do a promo or sampling so they get a lot more reach,’ Moore says.

The new formats – with a circ of 180,000 for girls and 100,000 for boys – launch in September.