The Business of Magazines

[Melancholybaby]

TOUGH FIRST HALF: British magazines posted a muted set of print circulation figures during the first half of 2012. Figures published Thursday by the U.K.’s Audit Bureau of Circulations showed that most women’s and men’s fashion and lifestyle titles either declined in circulation or grew only marginally.

As a sector, women’s fashion lifestyle titles shrank by 5.1 percent compared to the same period last year, while the men’s lifestyle sector fell 1.1 percent.

Women’s titles that notched gains compared to the first half of 2011 included Easy Living, which unveiled a redesign under new editor Deborah Joseph in March, and rose 3.8 percent to 164,019. Vanity Fair rose 0.1 percent to 100,692, while Harper’s Bazaar U.K. was up 0.4 percent to 119,274 and IPC Media’s Marie Claire rose 1.7 percent over the year to 255,021.

Condé Nast U.K.’s Glamour saw sales fall 11.3 percent to 470,138, although this was a 0.8 percent increase compared with the July-December 2011 figure. Vogue’s circulation fell 2.7 percent to 205,033 year-on-year, while Elle U.K. fell 3.8 percent to 189,568 and Tatler’s circulation dipped 0.7 percent to 87,004. InStyle U.K., published by IPC Media, fell 6.7 percent over the year to 163,432. All figures are for the print titles’ total average net circulation and distribution.

Among men’s titles, Condé Nast’s GQ’s circulation rose 1.6 percent year-on-year, to 120,139, while Hearst’s Esquire’s fell 6 percent to 54,702. Titles aimed at the younger, laddish end of the market continued to suffer — FHM fell 20.4 percent over the year to 123,844, while Nuts plummeted 20.9 percent to 90,134 and Zoo dropped 14.7 percent to 46,310.

Publishers pointed to growing digital sales of their titles, saying those are serving to buoy their often slow-growing print figures. Condé Nast U.K. published figures that incorporated digital sales of its magazines, taking Vogue’s circulation to 206,383, GQ’s to 129,791 and Vanity Fair’s to 106,934. Hearst Magazines U.K. noted that Harper’s Bazaar U.K. posted a combined digital and print circulation of 125,516, while Elle’s figure, combining digital and print circulation, rose to 196,363.

wwd.com

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Well Picardie is an incredibly intelligent woman, who understands fashion, and i can see her doing great at Bazaar, Dickisnson did not impress me so far, even if she was in the position not for a very long time. I hope they make it official soon, as for retailers stealing the editors, please that is hardly an epidemic they need to be afraid of.

 

[Srdjan]

Its hard for me to believe UK Vogue has only cca 200 000 readers. Is it maybe just in the UK itself or its worldwide?

 

[Thefrenchy]

Is French Vanity Fair finally happening? According to LesInrocks.com, French journalist Michel Denisot has been approached by CondeNast to become the editor-in-chief of the French version of Vanity Fair... See, in French: http://www.lesinrocks.com/2012/08/buzzodrome/michel-denisot-a-la-tete-du-magazine-vanity-fair/

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Its official now:

New Creative Roles at Harper's Bazaar
Justine Picardie appointed to role of Editor-in-chief; Marissa Bourke announced as Creative Director

Wednesday 22nd August 2012: Hearst Magazines UK, Hearst Corporation’s principal business in the UK, is delighted to announce the appointments of Justine Picardie to the role of Editor-In-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar and Marissa Bourke to Creative Director.
Justine, who replaces Acting Editor Jenny Dickinson, is a renowned editor, writer and author with a wealth of experience in the fashion and literary worlds. She joins Harper’s Bazaaron September 10. Marissa joins Bazaar next month from ELLE where she has been Creative Director for the past eight years.
The high profile appointments reunite Justine and Marissa in a unique creative partnership that first began in the late 90s. In their new roles, they will work with Deputy Editor Sarah Bailey and Art Director Tom Usher to build on the great work already done at Harper’s Bazaar and take the iconic luxury brand to a new era.

Jenny Dickinson will remain at Harper’s Bazaar as Consultant Editor until the end of the year. Hearst Magazine UK’s COO, Anna Jones, will continue to publish the brand until a new Group Publishing Director is appointed.
Justine Picardie has an impressive career in glossy magazines, newspapers and book publishing, and has held consultancy roles for several leading fashion brands. She is currently a contributor to both Bazaar UK and US, a former Features Director for British Vogue, formerly the Editor of the Observer Magazine, an editor at the Independent and Independent on Sunday, and a writer and columnist for The Times and Sunday Times,and the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. She also worked on the launch of Marie Claire with US Bazaar Editor, Glenda Bailey, as a consultant on the launch of RED, and is the author of five critically acclaimed books including the recent international best seller, Coco Chanel – The Legend and the Life.
Marissa began her career at The Face and Arena. Before joining ELLE in 2004, she was Art Director at British Vogue. She also freelanced for Vogue Russia, Allure New York, Esquire UK and GQ UK. Marissa has won numerous awards for her work including the SPD Gold medal (2012), SPD Members Choice Award (2011), Yellow Pencil D&AD Awards (2010) and was named BSME Art Director of the Year in 2010.

In the meantime, ELLE Magazine has announced it is close to appointing a replacement Creative Director for Marissa. The appointment is in line with exciting new editorial developments at ELLE to be unveiled in due course.
Justine Picardie commented: “I’m tremendously excited to be taking this position on a magazine that has already achieved so much under the great leadership of former Harper’s Bazaar Editor-In-Chief, Lucy Yeomans. Bazaar has an inspiring heritage as a luxury brand from the days of Carmel Snow, Alexey Brodovitch and Diana Vreeland, to Fabien Baron and Liz Tilberis, and I hope to celebrate the creativity and editorial ambition of the title with the same dedication as my predecessors. I’m also delighted to be reunited with Marissa Bourke with whom I worked with at Vogue, and to join Sarah Bailey, and the very talented team at Bazaar. It’s an exciting time for the magazine and this creative partnership promises a dynamic future for the brand.

Marissa Bourke commented: "My ambition is to draw on the extraordinary and unparalleled history of Harper's Bazaar, while repositioning it for a new era. I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity to develop a modern visual language, that has its roots in the legacy left by the great masters of 20th century design."

Arnaud de Puyfontaine, Chief Executive,Hearst Magazines UK also commented: “The appointments of Justine and Marissa to their respective roles at Harper’s Bazaar is an exciting milestone for the prestigious luxury brand, which recently posted its highest ever ABC figure, up 2.0% year on year and up 5.2% for combined print and digital edition sales. Justine and Marissa are hugely talented and highly respected in the industry, and I look forward to seeing the results of this unique creative partnership at Harper’s Bazaar. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Jenny Dickinson for her hard work as Acting Editor.”

hearst.co.uk

 

[vogue28]

What should we anticipate from Justine Picardie, at British Bazaar?

 

[Miss Dalloway]

^ It's hard to tell how "her Bazaar" will feel just yet , but i think this is a woman of a very strong point of view, and mostly what excites me is that she appreciates the written word. The articles i expect to be on a higher level, and i know some dont care for that in fashion magazines, but i think its very important for the book to have something intelligent to say, and not just be about stunning images full of advertisers.

So i expect from her a beautiful, well edited attractive magazine. I might end up totally disappointed though, expected Dickinson to do much better as well, then the end result was more ELLE than HB. But for Picardie, as someone who has enjoyed her books, the standard is set even higher, imo.

 

[ohmycolin]

I'm going to miss Marissa at ELLE. She is a brilliant Creative Director, and given the way the magazine's been going lately, I have a feeling that will be the nail in the coffin (despite how much I love it)

Glad that Jenny is staying on at Harper's as a consulting editor though - she's got a brilliant vision.

 

[Thefrenchy]

In an interview to Les Échos, Xavier de Romatet (CEO of Conde Nast France) Vogue Paris' sales remained stable during the first semester of the year. The relaunch of the magazine's website was a success and the amount of unique visitors increased from 350 000 to 500 000. Finally, he talked about Vogue Travel in France and how 50 000 copies will be distributed in the French luxury hotels. The first issue of VTIF will contain 146 pages, 30 of them being ads.

Source (in French http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-...t-a-l-assaut-des-touristes-chinois-354593.php

 

[SugarMe]

Sally Singer Out at T

Sally Singer is out as editor of T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Singer joined the Times back in July 2010 after a long run at Vogue as fashion news and features director. At the time, she succeeded Stefano Tonchi who left T to become editor in chief of W. A spokeswoman confirmed to WWD that Singer is leaving at the end of the week.

"I'm sorry to announce that Sally Singer will be leaving T magazine and The Times at the end of this month," said executive editor Jill Abramson, in a note to the staff. "Sally's contributions are clear to anyone who's read the magazine during her tenure. Gorgeous visuals, interesting stories and enterprising features — both in print and online — have been hallmarks of her stewardship. We wish her every success. " No successor has been named.

wwd.com

 

[tigerrouge]

10 for Australia (mumbrella.com.au

10 launches in Australia with former ACP team reunited

August 27th, 2012

European luxury magazine 10 and sister title 10 Men is to launch in Australia.

The deal between Alison Veness Publishing and Zac Publishing will bring the multi-platform magazine to Australia as a biannual hardcover print magazine in February and as a digital title from September.

The titles are edited by former Harper’s BAZAAR editor and founding editor of Australian Grazia Alison Veness, who has been on a two year hiatus from publishing.

Veness has been working as a brand consultant for fashion designer Collette Dinnigan. She is joined by two former ACP staff former national group sales manager Nicki Singh in a sales role, and former Grazia bookings editor Rebecca Khoury, as associate editor.

Alison Veness said in a media release: “10 and 10 Men is a natural fit for Australian consumers who are internationally renowned for their love of fashion and have a thirst for luxury across all platforms. 10 is an independent, free-thinking and credible fashion destination among a plethora of formulaic, celebrity-obsessed publications.”

The digital edition 10magazine.com.au launches in two weeks along with presences on social media platforms including Pinterest.

The smartphone edition will launch in 2013, and the hardcover magazines will have a companion tablet edition.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Joanna Coles of US Marie Claire is leaving to become the eic of Cosmopolitan, wonder if this shake up might set the wheels in motion for other Hearst titles, like HB. One can hope. And now i wonder if Garcia might take the eic role at MC.

JOANNA COLES NAMED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF U.S. COSMOPOLITAN

Award-Winning Journalist, Women’s Magazine Veteran to Head World’s Largest-Selling Monthly Magazine and Digital Leader

NEW YORK, September 4, 2012 -- Hearst Magazines President David Carey today announced that Joanna Coles has been appointed editor-in-chief of U.S. Cosmopolitan, the world’s largest women’s magazine and the biggest-selling monthly magazine on U.S. newsstands and a leader in the digital, social media and tablet space. Coles, who had been editor-in-chief of Marie Claire since April 2006, replaces longtime editor Kate White, who has decided to shift focus to her already successful writing and speaking career. White will be staying on at Hearst as an advisor. Coles starts in her new role on September 10th, and will report to Carey.


“Joanna has done an incredible job at Marie Claire over the past six years. Her great success in television and social media, her sharp instinct about women and what they want, and her experience working on a global brand make her an ideal choice for the editor role at Cosmo,” said Carey.


“Kate is a huge talent who not only maintained Cosmo’s leadership position over the past 14 years but also launched many brand extensions, including Cosmo Radio, bestselling books and a popular tablet edition,” added Carey. “She leaves big shoes[FONT=&quot]—[/FONT]or should I say stilettos to fill, and we have no doubt she’ll continue to reach bestseller status in her post-Cosmo career.”


During her tenure, Coles, 50, helped reinvent the U.S. edition of Marie Claire into the successful brand it is today. The September 2012 issue of Marie Claire was the largest in the magazine’s history in terms of advertising pages and, under Coles, the brand launched two successful extensions, Marie Claire @Work, and the Women on Top Awards. In 2011, Coles was named Adweek’s Editor of the Year and Marie Claire was named to the Adweek Hot List. Under her editorship the magazine has won numerous awards for its journalism.


In 2008, Coles produced Running In Heels, a reality show about the magazine, set in the offices of Marie Claire, which aired on Style Network and was syndicated to 16 countries. In addition, she hired Nina Garcia as fashion director of Marie Claire and the magazine became part of Lifetime's Emmy-winning show Project Runway. In 2012, Coles served as the on-air mentor on the spinoff series Project Runway All Stars.


“Cosmopolitan is an iconic brand that resonates with women worldwide,” says Coles. “To be able to take over the flagship edition is both a huge challenge and an incredible opportunity. I relish the chance to put my stamp on Cosmo and make it the young woman’s ultimate playbook for confidence, choices and navigating change.”

Prior to Marie Claire, she was executive editor of More (September 2004 to April 2006) and articles editor of New York Magazine (September 2001 to August 2004.)


Coles arrived in the U.S. in June 1997 as The Guardian's New York bureau chief, traveling widely across America to cover news and current events. In July 1998, she became the New York columnist for The Times of London and was a frequent contributor to the BBC. In addition she has been a regular contributor on cultural and social affairs for ABC, CNN and MSNBC.


Previously, she was on staff at The Guardian, andfounded and presented a media show for the BBC. From 1987 to 1989 she was a reporter for The Daily Telegraph. She started her career at The (UK) Spectator magazine in 1984.
Coles graduated from the University of East Anglia in the U.K. with a B.A. (Hons) in English and American literature. She is a founding member of the American Friends of the Royal Court Theater.


She is the co-author of the Three of Us, a book about moving to New York with her husband, the author and screenwriter, Peter Godwin. The couple lives in Manhattan with their two sons.

hearst.com

 

[Srdjan]

I wonder is this good news. But I doubt Cosmo is going to revamp.

 

[honeycombchild]

I hope Garcia does get it personally. I do believe she has a really great eye for what she does. She may be very commercial, but then MC is a very commercial magazine. It would make sense to me.

 

[Deleted member 116957]

I wonder is this good news. But I doubt Cosmo is going to revamp.

They probably won't do a dramatic full-revamp, but I can see the cover design and article quality/content changing quite a bit.

 

[Handbag Queen]

From today's Fashionista blog:
Marie Claire Names New Editor in Chief

By Tyler McCall Tuesday, Sep 4, 2012 / 2:47 PM

• Post a Comment

Photo: Getty

Well, that was fast.
Just hours after announcing that current EIC Joanna Coles would be moving to Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire has named her replacement.
Anne Fulenwider, who has been editor-in-chief of Brides since October 2011, will take the reins at Marie Claire. This is not the first time Fulenwider has worked with the Marie Claire team; prior to her role as EIC of Brides, Fulenwider worked for two years under Coles as executive editor of the mag.
Fulenwider says she is “thrilled” to be returning to Marie Claire, stating in a release: “I have such a strong attachment to the brand and what it delivers to the savvy, stylish women who read it. I look forward to contributing to its continued success on every front—from print to digital to television.”
No word yet if Fulenwider will also be as involved in the reality TV projects associated with Marie Claire as Coles was, but we look forward to seeing what direction the mag takes under her control. And now that there’s a position open at Brides, we expect more editorial announcements in the near future. Stand by…

 

[ohmycolin]

ELLE appoints new Creative Director

Suzanne Sykes has been named new Creative Director at Hearst Magazine's monthly ELLE. The award-winning Creative Director joins from Marie Claire US and replaces Marissa Bourke who's joining Harper's Bazaar in the same role this month (rep'd August 22). Suzanne's start date is tba.

Source: Fashion Monitor: http://www.fashionmonitor.com/News/5Ql/ELLE-appoints-new-Creative-Director

So then I guess that means ELLE's artistic direction is potentially going to be interesting, both good and bad... Marie Claire US' layouts are fairly high standard, but the covers are always so text ridden...

 

[Deleted member 116957]

^ Marie Claire has significantly less text on their covers than Elle does though I'm interested in seeing what's going to happen.

 

[Cicciolina]

http://www.wwd.com/media-news/digit...7334?gnewsid=5e16d588a04f899b9314c626c5c99691

Style.com is heading to the Middle East.

The site has entered into its first licensing agreement with Nervora to launch Style.com Arabia, based in Dubai. The new site marks the first Condé Nast Publications Inc. fashion/beauty title to have a presence in both the Middle East and North America. It’s also the first time Style.com will deliver content in another language, Arabic.

“For more than a decade, Style.com has established itself as the unequivocal leader and innovator in digital fashion coverage,” said Gina Sanders, president and chief executive officer of Fairchild Fashion Media. “Through this partnership with Nervora, we are able to deepen our presence in this flourishing fashion market as well as expand our ever-growing global reach.”

Style.com Arabia will launch in October, in both Arabic and English. The site will have a mix of original news content as well as draw from its well of curated coverage of runway shows, trend reporting and street style photography.

Shashi Menon, chief executive officer of Nervora, said Style.com Arabia comes at an ideal time, as the Middle East has a large audience of passionate and fashion-forward readers and a rapidly growing industry of regional designers.

“We aim to foster this fashion community, enhance the understanding of fashion and women in the region and further add to the dynamic and evolving Arabic media ecosystem,” said Menon.

An editor in chief has not been named for the site yet. It will launch with the URL http://Arabia.Style.com.

Judging from social media, the blogger behind http://myfashdiary.com/ is fashion editor.

 

[Thefrenchy]

CONFIRMED: French Vanity Fair on its way - set to launch before summer 2013.
According to Xavier de Romatet (CEO of Conde Nast France), the magazine will be published monthly and should be around 250-pages long. He admitted that trying to adapt VF to the French market was quite a challenge since French people's relationship with culture and money is very different compared to the Americans'. Romatet added that 80% of the content will be exclusive.
Michel Denisot will be the magazine's managing editor, and Anne Boulay (actual EIC of the French version of GQ) will be its editor-in-chief. She will be surrounded by a team of 20 people.
The magazine will cost between 4 and 5€ and will be launched before summer 2013.

Source (in French http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/medi...-francaise-de-vanity-fair-lancee-en-2013.html