Elle Magazine

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 10:38am on Monday, February 1st, 2010

What Makes Elle and Food Network 2010 Business Successes?

MinOnline reported on February 1, 2010:

"Magazines are at a crossroads of a tough economy and evolving media opportunities. Although print will still be at the core for many companies, the effort to extend the overall content distribution model to include Web sites, digital magazines, mobile, blogs, podcasts, virtual events, video, and other new technologies will continue to redefine what is at the core of the brand.

Let’s take a look at two different business models that are reaching their audiences across multi-platforms while staying loyal to their brand and respective core competencies.

1. Elle Group

Positioning: Magazine at its core. The most important spoke in the brand wheel is Elle, for without this content and point of view none of the others would be possible to develop according to Elle Group senior vp/chief brand officer Carol Smith.

Staffing model: In May 2009, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. created brand groups centered around clusters of titles each led by chief brand officers with complete responsibility for their respective business units. With the brand-centric structure in place, Smith has been able to implement brand extensions at a much faster pace than before.

Results: Elle has been an early adopter in developing successful brand extensions in innovative ways beyond the printed page. It was the first fashion magazine to launch a companion Web site and the first to participate in a reality television show with Project Runway. In 2010, Elle offers fashion content, products, and programs through multi-channels with a portfolio that includes print, film, digital, philanthropy, and retail assets—from spas and social gaming to DVDs and dresses.

2. Food Network

Positioning: Broadcast at its core. Already well established on tv (16 years) and the Web, the E.W. Scripps -owned Food Network wanted to extend its multimedia platform, as ESPN successfully did in 1998. Partnering with Hearst Corp. on a 50-50 joint venture, Food Network magazine was launched on October 11, 2008. This launch defied conventional thinking in one of the toughest ad markets in recent history.

Staffing model: The partnership launched with an FN staff (for content and sales), and a newly assembled multi-channel sales staff led by publisher Vicki Wellington. Hardly a centralized sales effort but quite effective just the same, the FN magazine staff is made up of both dedicated sales and outside sales reps that collaborate on all integrated advertising programs. The existing Hearst organizational structure also enables the magazine to benefit from operational efficiencies by sharing executive functions and in some cases, sales positions with other Hearst magazines.

Results: This smart business model has exceeded circulation and advertising revenues from the get go. Strong leadership by Wellington has enabled the two sales teams to work as partners which has generated exclusive new ad packages for the brand.

My Own Two Cents

Simplistic as it sounds, it’s not whether the magazine is or is not the center of the brand, but rather the degree of relevancy of the content. There is little doubt that where there is real brand power combined with leadership and vision from the top, success can be achieved in new and different ways as is the case with Elle Group and Food Network magazine."

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 10:59pm on Monday, July 6th, 2009

Miley Cyrus is Elle's August 2009 cover girl. She says about her new clothing line for Wal-Mart:

“The jeans are my favorite part of the entire line. Because, like, literally this is going to be good for, like, Middle America, and it will be great for kids that really want to be in fashion but that don’t have it available.”

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 10:55pm on Monday, July 6th, 2009

Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM U.S.), publishers of Elle, today announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with Rue La La, a leading private sale website. Through the partnership, Rue La La will provide Elle.com visitors with access to invitation-only, limited time, private sales of premium designer brands and lifestyle experiences.

Elle.com visitors and email subscribers will be provided a unique opportunity to shop private sale boutiques of their favorite designers. Each boutique is available online for 48 hours and features merchandise and services at discounted prices. Members who join Rue La La through Elle.com will have access to "Editors' Picks" Boutiques which will be selected by Elle's editorial fashion team led by Elle VP, Editor in Chief Roberta Myers.

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 2:44pm on Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Elle magazine has topped Vogue for the first time in ad page count, Forbes magazine reported on June 24, 2009:

"For the first time in its 24-year American history, women's lifestyle magazine Elle banked more advertising pages than elite competitor Vogue in the first half of the year. The most recent six issues of the Robbie Myers-led publication held 970 advertising pages, a 22% decline year-to-year, compared to Vogue's 956 pages, a 32% decline. Time Warner'sInStyle remains the leader in pages in the group, posting 1,151 year-to-date. The entire category is off by an average of 25%."

The full story:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/24/magazines-elle-vogue-business-media-elle.html