The first issue of Scarlett magazine shows promise, say buyers, but the spring entry needs to fine-tune and diversify its editorial content if it wants to succeed in the long term.
Scarlett, a business/lifestyle publication targeting professional women aged 30 to 60, will come out six times a year with editorial designed to inspire women – without the usual recipes and makeup tips found in women’s service books.
Sunni Boot, president of Zenith Optimedia of Toronto, says while this is a good niche for Scarlett, the first issue really didn’t address the many roles and interests of a professional woman.
Boot felt the first issue had too many profiles of successful women and not enough editorial on other topics of interest: ‘My mind is broader than just reading about these women. I am way beyond where I feel I want to admire somebody based on gender.’
The lack of recipes and makeup tips isn’t a problem for Boot, who keeps on top of women’s magazines for clients such as L’Oréal, but she says professional women are more than just business, so the editorial should reflect that.
‘Anyone who has done the research would know that most women’s service books actually do fulfill the needs and speak very well to professional women. To take a woman and say you are just raw ambition is to absolutely not know women. She is also a mother or grandmother.’
The verdict: The magazine will be of interest to its target but after seeing the first issue Boot won’t rush to buy it herself and will give the publication some time to refine the content before recommending Scarlett to her clients.
The May/June premiere issue from Scarlett Communications of Vancouver had a print run of 100,000, with 55,000 copies distributed via the Globe and Mail and the rest on newsstands. So far, advertisers such as Acura, Sheraton Centre Toronto, Tropicana, Infiniti, HSBC and Hugo Boss have jumped in.
The ultimate goal is to establish a distribution that is primarily subscriber-based, but during its introductory phase the magazine will piggyback on the subscriber lists of papers such as the Globe, the National Post, the Ottawa Sun and Vancouver Sun.
EnRoute eyes new channels
With fewer people flying, Spafax Canada’s EnRoute magazine – until now available exclusively on Air Canada flights – is looking to new distribution channels. The first stage, mailing to Aeroplan’s Super Elite members, began in May and a test of place-based free distribution is underway. EnRoute is now available in boutiques, hotels, golf clubs, restaurants and car rental locations in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. Although the book’s circulation is still officially 172,000, an increase in audited circulation will be realized once distribution contracts are signed at the end of the test.
Frequency up for Saturday Night
Saturday Night magazine is sticking with distribution through the National Post, but in 2004 the number of issues per year published by St. Joseph Media will go up while controlled circulation goes down. Frequency will jump from six to 10 issues and circulation will drop from 300,000 to 200,000.
Backbone redesigns, repositions
Tech and e-business bimonthly Backbone is going through a redesign and repositioning to be unveiled in its September 2003 issue. It’s tagline, ‘The strength of e-business,’ will change to ‘Business. Technology. Lifestyle,’ and all articles will now be posted online.
Distribution via the Globe and Mail, newsstands, subscribers and trade shows is being enhanced by tapping into the databases of technology companies. Backbone had been distributing 100,000 copies through the Globe, but is now cutting that back by 20,000 while adding 40,000 new copies via direct subscribers and distribution to the tech company lists.
Along with sworn distribution from Globe Distribution Services, Backbone will also have audited circulation through the Canadian Circulation and Audit Board. Backbone was launched in January 2001 by Publimedia Communications of Vancouver.
New magazines: What you need to know
Chill – The magazine
Publisher: Chill Media Group in partnership with The Beer Store
Launch date: August/September issue out mid-August
Frequency: Six issues per year
Target demo: Male beer consumer, primary: 35 to 34 (white collar); secondary: legal drinking age to 54 (blue collar)
What’s inside: What guys talk about when they sit down and relax with a beer. The inaugural issue includes features ‘The Man Room’ and ‘Power to the Pigskin’ along with regular departments ‘Beaver Watch’ (about things Canadian), ‘Suds and Grub’ (food/barbecuing), ‘Survival 101’ (topics such as how to survive a chick flick), ‘Rec’ (cars and guy flicks), ‘Toolbox’ (sports themed), and ‘On the Road’ (travel).
Circulation: 200,000 copies, free distribution exclusively through The Beer Store’s 436 stores in Ontario
Ad rate: Full-page one-time rate is $11,530
The buyers say: Chill has stiff competition from the first free distribution alcoholic beverage book in the market, the LCBO’s Food & Drink, which buyers consider a very good lifestyle property. There’s significant crossover between liquor and beer with a lot of the same people going into the stores.
But Debbie King, EVP/managing director at Zenith Optimedia, says there aren’t a lot of male-skewed magazines available, so there is a place for Chill if the editorial content is top-notch. ‘They could do something male-skewed, but the editorial isn’t going very deep with [articles on] barbecuing and Don Cherry. It sounds pretty stereotypical.’
Fashion Quarterly
Publisher: Kontent Publishing (Inside Entertainment) in partnership with CHUM (FashionTelevision tie in)
Launch date: Sept. 5
Frequency: Quarterly (September and November 2003, March and May 2004)
Target demo: Upscale male and female fashion followers, 56% expected to be 18 to 49 with an average age of 41
What’s inside: Like FashionTelevision, expect behind-the-scenes access to fashion and lifestyle trends from the runways of Paris and Milan, Toronto’s ultra-chic shops and the haute monde of Montreal.
Circulation: 200,000 total (186,000 through the Globe and Mail. 11,000 at upscale newsstands nationally, 3,000 to fashion industry leaders and at industry events)
Ad rate: Full-page, four-colour goes for $17,000
The buyers say: Fashion and beauty are growing categories and there is no saturation in the field of fashion. Women’s service books do feature fashion but Fashion Quarterly will be more upscale. It has good audience potential.
Debbie King of Zenith Optimedia says, ‘Its tie-in with FashionTelevision is great because broadcasters are looking for affordable content and it allows you to partner with those things. Fashion and beauty marketers are year-round advertisers. There is a lot of money spent in books directed to women but if fashion is your calling, our stable of fashion books isn’t really that large.’
