The Hot List

Brandweek, March 6, 2000 by Patricia Orsini

Dupstarts CONSUMER MAGAZINES SPRING 2000

Some magazines are too hot for their own good. In a few cases, either because they do not have enough years of reporting to PIB under their belt--or none at all--titles could not be considered for the Hot List. Or they've earned more in ad revenue than allowed for our 10 Under 40 list. However, we want to be able to recognize their success. So here is our first ever Upstarts, magazines that have grown so big, so fast, they are in a league of their own.

ESPN Last year's Startup of the Year, the sports title continued to gain attention from industry insiders and advertisers alike. It won a National Magazine Award for design, and broke ads in the fashion, fragrance, dot.com and automotive categories. "The fashion category covets this demo," says Michael Ronney, general manager and founding publisher. "We continue to grow there, and they make the magazine look good."

MAXIM This British import is now a full-fledged American success story. As circulation continues to rise-rate base is scheduled to increase to 2 million in July-more advertisers are finding their way to men: Ralph, Tommy and Detroit love this book. And, says Dennis U.S. Publishing president Steve Colvin, "It was the only magazine that the movie 'Being John Malkovich' was advertised in. I think that says something about the value of our audience."

TEEN PEOPLE By breaking even in just 18 months, this title has proven the power of the teen category, as well as the Time Inc. People Group's power in the marketplace. innovative programs like the Fashion Van and "Trendspotters" get real teens into the edit pages. TV and radio spots featuring Britney Spears and 'N Sync, and the hot-selling "flip" cover (two covers, back and front), which sold at a premium, have paid off big.

INDUSTRY STANDARD Launched as a controlled-circ book, now 90,000 of its 150,000 readers are paid, Growing as fast as the Internet economy, the title has upped frequency from 38 issues in 1999, when it got 3,090 ad pages, to 48 in 2000. "What's been amazing to us," says publisher Steven Thompson,"is to see how pureplay econmerce companies have responded. Dot.coms are a horizontal category now, and happened so quickly."

BUSINESS 2.0 This Internet economy book has grown from its 50-ad page August 1998 launch to the current 265-ad-page March 2000. "This book is the business magazine of the Internet economy," says publisher Michela O'Connor Abrams. "Fully 64 percent of subscribers are from traditional business, and the ad base reflects the readership: It's one-third dot.com, one-third tech and one-third business consumer."