The Business of Magazines

[8eight]

Random! Does anyone know Laura Brown at Instyle's email address?

 

[Benn98]

With Michelle Lee at the Helm, Allure Is Blowing Up How Our Culture Defines Beauty
Meet Adweek’s Editor of the Year

By Emma Bazilian
1 day ago

Michelle Lee recently made a groundbreaking proclamation that Allure would no longer use the term 'anti-aging.'

For generations, products promising to “turn back the clock” have been the bread and butter of the beauty industry. According to a study from Orbis Research, the global anti-aging market was worth $250 billion in 2016, while searching for the term “anti-aging” on Sephora’s website turns up 1,700 results, from the usual serums and creams to anti-aging shampoos, herbal supplements and silk pillowcases.

The fight against age is also a persistent topic in women’s media—especially glossy magazines like Condé Nast beauty bible Allure. Until now, that is.

Two months ago, the magazine’s editor Michelle Lee made a proclamation that, for a brand like Allure, was positively groundbreaking: the magazine would no longer use the term “anti-aging.” That message was trumpeted across that title’s September cover, which featured 72-year-old actress Helen Mirren, and in Lee’s editor’s letter, where she called on the industry to stop “reinforcing the message that aging is something we need to battle.”

That decision is emblematic of the refreshingly modern point of view that Lee brought to Allure when she joined the magazine in 2015.
Allure’s subscription beauty box has seen 40 percent growth in the past four months thanks to a revamped product strategy and new website.

“It’s really become a higher mission for us to truly redefine beauty,” she says. “I want us to look at the things that we’re doing and think about how they have larger consequences for society and for women, and for us to really challenge the antiquated way that women’s publishing used to do things.”

One of the many ways that Lee is helping Allure meet that goal is by bringing more diversity to the magazine’s pages—which, she makes sure to point out, isn’t just a talking point. “In media and elsewhere, I know ‘diversity’ is definitely a buzzword right now, but the thing that makes me the most proud of our diversity is that I truly do believe that it’s coming from a totally real and raw and authentic place,” she says, pointing to content like the magazine’s April cover feature, which featured 41 women of color sharing their candid thoughts on race, inclusion, politics and more.

And it’s not just ethnic diversity that Allure is spotlighting. “If we really do want to be inclusive and diverse with what we cover, it’s important that we don’t look at diversity in such a narrow way,” notes Lee. To that effect, she championed a new video series, Dispelling Beauty Myths, which features women talking about everything from body hair and weight to albinism and mastectomies, brought transgender activist Janet Mock onboard as a contributing editor, and put Muslim model Halima Aden on the cover of the July “American Beauty” issue, marking the first time that a woman in a hijab had ever been featured on the cover of a major American publication.
In July, Halima Aden became the first hijab-wearing model on a mainstream u.s. magazine cover.

While Lee admits that she wasn’t sure early on how Allure’s longtime fans would react to the brand’s shifting point of view—“People can be very allergic to change,” she says—the transformation has been a massive success with readers both old and new. As of August, Allure’s average monthly cross-platform audience had grown 30 percent year over year to 5.9 million, per MPA – The Association of Magazine Media. Its drastically redesigned website, led by digital editorial director Phillip Picardi (who also holds the same title at Teen Vogue), saw traffic increase 24 percent YOY in the third quarter, while video views are up more than 400 percent to 10 million from 1.6 million.

Lee is already setting the stage for more innovation in 2018, noting that she wants to bring the Allure brand to readers with more consumer-facing events, ecommerce integrations (in fact, she recently hired two new staffers to focus on ecommerce specifically) and personalized digital products (like the new Best of Beauty chatbot that lets readers get beauty recommendations from Allure editors).

As for that anti-anti-aging initiative, Lee is hopeful that Allure’s message will continue to reverberate throughout the beauty industry. “As with any massive change, it takes time, but we had an overwhelming number of brands telling us that in 2018, they want to hop onboard,” she says. “I think there’s going to be a tipping point.”

Source: Adweek.com

 

[RMDV]

They do have a point, this does look very tabloidy! It seems to me that Bruce and maybe even M. Night Shyamalan (who wrote the accompanying feature) probably insisted on the cover image being used.

*As per tFS Community Rules, please DO NOT quote images/Instagram posts. Thank you!

Source: Pagesix.com

Ugh Yuck- this cover is horrible!

Bruce just shot an amazing story for Vogue US ft. Sasha Lane and Faretta... and this cover is the complete opposite of the elevated work he showed in Vogue.. he's probably one of the most inconsistent "big" photographer's out there..

 

[Lucien112]

WWD just announced that Teen Vogue is shuttering. Also, Allure and Glamour will go from 12 issues to 11 annually.

http://wwd.com/business-news/media/...t-80-jobs-and-lower-mag-frequencies-11040148/

 

[Benn98]

Wow! I thought the crisis was averted by going quarterly. And GQ is down to 11 issues, W down to 8?? They should just close W altogether, sorry. The time is ripe to do it now instead of investing more money in a publication which most likely won't bear any fruit unless Tonchi pulls up his socks. It seems as though they hoped TeenVogue would turn around, but how could they with such content and covers?

I'd say staffers working on W, CN Traveller, Bon Appetit and perhaps even Allure should seriously consider putting their feelers out for new jobs. You don't want to be caught with your pants down.

 

[Benn98]

In the light of what just happened to TeenVogue, I'd say Graydon is well out of order here.....

Condé Nast isn’t happy with Graydon Carter’s huge going-away bash

October 31, 2017 | 10:08pm
By: Keith J Kelly

Graydon Carter, the outgoing editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, is hoping to give himself a fabulous going away party — but his Condé Nast bosses, sources said, are balking at spending hundreds of thousands dollars for such a fête, especially when the company is looking to slash budgets by up to $100 million.

Brands inside Condé Nast are being asked to lower costs by up to 20 percent in 2018.

Carter envisions a huge party location, like at the Museum of Natural History, with lots of Hollywood swells, said one wag. But unless he can get some big-name sponsors to foot the bill, the farewell will look to be a lot more low key — “maybe a farewell dinner at Monkey Bar,” suggested a source. Carter co-owns Monkey Bar.

“Graydon thinks it should be something like President Barack Obama leaving the White House, but [Condé Nast Artistic Director] Anna Wintour won’t have it,” said the source.

Carter is prepping himself for an appearance on the cover of VF’s Hollywood issue that hits on Feb. 28. It’s the last issue he will edit.

“There will be a farewell dinner for Graydon at the beginning of December,” said a VF spokeswoman. “It’s still in the planning stages.”

Meanwhile, the search for Carter’s replacement continues.

Among the long list of candidates who have been contacted, sources said, are two from the New York Times — Andrew Ross Sorkin, the bestselling author of “Too Big To Fail” and a co-host of CNBC’s “Squawk Box” and Radhika Jones, who at one time spearheaded Time magazine’s Time 100 and Person of the Year issues while serving as deputy managing editor of the newsweekly, before jumping to the New York Times, where she is the editorial director of Times Books.Sorkin and Jones join Sally Singer, who had a short and stormy run editing T: The New York Times Fashion Magazine before returning to Vogue to run its Web site, and Tyler Brêlé, the founder of Wallpaper who is currently running Monocle, sources said, and Jess Cagle, editorial director of People, who was fingered last week by Page Six, as possible Carter successors.

Oddly, the current issue of Monocle has a delightful puff piece on a sixth candidate: Janice Min. But Min’s seven-figure salary might discourage Condé Nast executives from hiring her as they hope to save some of the $2 million compensation package being doled out to Carter.

Dana Brown, a VF deputy editor, and Mike Hogan, the head of VF’s Web site, were endorsed by Carter for the job.

But color those two as dark horses because, sources whisper, “Anna doesn’t want a Graydon spy in the job.”

Source: NYpost.com

 

[RMDV]

WWD just announced that Teen Vogue is shuttering. Also, Allure and Glamour will go from 12 issues to 11 annually.

http://wwd.com/business-news/media/...t-80-jobs-and-lower-mag-frequencies-11040148/

wow again?? Phillip should just be "EIC" now but the question is.. of what? Teen Vogue digital? Much like NYLON-- the brand will cease to exist soon sad

 

[caioherrero]

wow again?? Phillip should just be "EIC" now but the question is.. of what? Teen Vogue digital? Much like NYLON-- the brand will cease to exist soon sad

Teen Vogue is success in digital. I think that will still running in digital.

W I think that CN should shutter now, that’s a bomb.

I love Elaine that’s so sad.

 

[Benn98]

The thing is that digital is not even a trusted secondary solution for these shuttered brands. This is actually where the nightmare starts. I hope the higher ups at CN are well aware of this?? There are bloggers and sites out on the web with far more engaging content, more dedicated audience, and more of a digital reputation than Self or Allure. Accessible sites such as Refinery29, Livestrong, that's not even mentioning the area-specific lifestyle sites such as the thriving Urban List in Australia, for instance.
I think they tried to fluke readers by changing the business model of TeenVogue in the hope that it'll catch on, but it was too late.

The fact is that print magazines took way too long to venture into digital. The ones making a killing, Vice, DazedDigital etc, they've been going for a long time.

 

[tigerrouge]

The print product is what has maintained the reputation of most of these "brands". Once the magazine ceases to exist as an actual product, and its status as such fades away, what's (currently) so special about the online content of most of these titles that it's worth seeking out amid the vast oceans of competing content on the internet?

 

[caioherrero]

The print product is what has maintained the reputation of most of these "brands". Once the magazine ceases to exist as an actual product, and its status as such fades away, what's (currently) so special about the online content of most of these titles that it's worth seeking out amid the vast oceans of competing content on the internet?

So that means a goodbye for Teen Vogue.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Not even surprised, but cutting W down to 8 issues a year, is just sad! They need to get rid of Tonchi, and reset that title, its in horrible state!

I am happy Vogue will not be cutting issues, but i guess it's only a matter of time, before they join the summer issues, or even the Holiday. Pretty sad state for magazines this year!

And lol at Graydon wanting a big goodybe bash, hahahahah sigh! Anna will be so happy to have that egomaniac out of her hair!

 

[caioherrero]

Not even surprised, but cutting W down to 8 issues a year, is just sad! They need to get rid of Tonchi, and reset that title, its in horrible state!

I am happy Vogue will not be cutting issues, but i guess it's only a matter of time, before they join the summer issues, or even the Holiday. Pretty sad state for magazines this year!

And lol at Graydon wanting a big goodybe bash, hahahahah sigh! Anna will be so happy to have that egomaniac out of her hair!

Tonchi is so bad. Idk why Anna likes him

 

[eugenius]

OK, I just spent my whole lunch-hour thinking this was a thread entitled "Business Of Fashion Magazine, #4." I was totally confused about how any of these articles on this page pertained to that magazine.

Feeling..like I should probably read more literature, and less TFS.

 

[tigerrouge]

Well, the way things are going, you won't be able to read any magazines, so it might as well be books.

 

[8eight]

Kudos to Vogue UK for keeping their redesign a huge secret.

Im guessing Edward will be doing interviews? Maybe in the papers this weekend just before the launch?

 

[Deleted member 45369]

Hmmm what is Conde dining wrong that Hearst isn't? Seems likes they've had cuts and reductions for years now while most of the Hearst titles keep chugging along.

 

[caioherrero]

more changes at Elle

http://wwd.com/business-news/media/elle-taps-bloombergs-emma-rosenblum-executive-editor-11041039/

 

[fashionmarketboy]

One can't help but wonder when Seventeen will be closing its print operations. How the heck did Seventeen last longer than Teen Vogue??? Then again, I can't remember the last time Hearst shuttered a print magazine. CosmoGirl? In fact, they're LAUNCHING new print magazines and they just bought Rodale. Obviously they're doing something right.

On another note, Interview Magazine seems to be on a roll print wise and are still retaining the best photographers and advertisers in the industry. How are they still running? Their website SUCKS and no one I know reads that magazine.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Will W be:

Dec/Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr/May
Jun/Jul
August
September
Oct/Nov

It's very strange to have 8 issues, that's a big cut.