20 Power Launches FOR THE '90s

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Feb, 2000 by Susan Thea Posnock

IN THE FINAL DECADE of the 1900s, start-ups sought out ever-narrower niches that catered to small but passionate audiences. Yet while special-interest titles dominated the overall trend, broader lifestyle titles continued to command the most attention and success in the new-launch category.

Which start-up had the greatest impact? "I think it's a toss-up between Martha Stewart Living and Entertainment Weekly," says Samir Husni, director of the magazine service journalism program at the University of Mississippi. "I tilt more toward Entertainment Weekly because it was a weekly and it went against all the odds." Still, he notes that Martha Stewart Living had a higher return on investment.

Among business magazines, the Internet and the new economy ruled. Hybrids like The Industry Standard and Business 2.0 have been especially successful, notes Miller Freeman president Don Pazour. "There's sort of that in-between category that has done marvelously well," he says. Still, within the traditional b-to-b arena, the best way to be successful wasn't necessarily launching a magazine about a new industry, but finding a specific niche in an old one-like the plastics market-that was untapped.

Additionally, the decade brought an important new element to publishers' launch strategies: Web sites. "The real launches of the 1990s were not necessarily magazines, but Web sites," says Gordon Hughes, president and COO of the American Business Press. "Of the 1,200 magazines that we represent, over 90 percent have Web sites today." Hughes says only about 20 percent of ABP publishers had Web sites in 1990.

Consumer

Entertainment Weekly

LAUNCH DATE 1990

AD PAGES 1990: 906; 1999: 2,207

RATEBASE 1990:600,000; 2000: 1,475,000

STAFF 1990: 100; 1999:200

FREQUENCY Weekly

When Entertainment Weekly launched at the beginning of the 1990s, conventional wisdom dictated that the entertainment industry couldn't be approached from a journalistic point of view. But as the magazine celebrates its 10th anniversary, it's clear that going against the grain was the right move for EW.

"We proved that you didn't have to trade your editorial credibility for access in Hollywood," says pub usher Mike Kelly. "Being objective gave us access because there was the presumption that we'd be fair."

The Time Inc. title also challenged the notion that entertainment magazines must focus primarily on films to succeed. Kelly says the editorial vision--to look at all forms of entertainment and not just one genre--was one that hadn't been attempted before. Not only did it pay off in terms of tapping a new market, it positioned the magazine for future growth: "It gave us a platform where we could be flexible."

Martha Stewart Living

LAUNCH DATE 1991

AD PAGES 1992: 226; 1999: 1,557

RATEBASE 1991: 250,000; 2000: 2.1M

STAFF Launch: 15; Today: 429 (Omnimedia)

FREQUENCY 1992:6; 1999:10

Martha Stewart just closed her 78th issue of MSL. And what she has to say about it speaks to her success. "I just think it's the best issue we've ever done," Stewart says of the upcoming April issue. "It makes me feel really good that even I--someone who sees a lot, reads a lot and compares a lot-- still feel that way."

The key ingredient to keeping the magazine fresh and full of "good things" is a solid commitment to readers, says Stewart. "We have been extremely diligent in presenting our material in a very straightforward, beautiful and thoroughly trustworthy way," she says. In fact, a tenacious commitment to quality is what Stewart says has built MSL's loyal following. "They trust our information and know we do tremendous research."

"I can't remember a recent magazine launch that went as well as Martha Stewart Living," says media consultant Rebecca McPheters. "Clearly, they filled a consumer need--it has grown at a particularly rapid rate and has a strong audience."

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is also an ideal model for building a multimedia strategy, she says. "As much as any other publisher, they have successfully integrated multimedia platforms."

Stewart plans to continue to grow her media empire and, in fact, hints at a new print venture which may happen as soon as this year. The plan, according to Stewart, "is to continue our growth in special issues, and possibly launch a new magazine in a new format that we don't already publish." While she wouldn't give any details on the upcoming project, Stewart does say, "It's not a reactive magazine, it's very proactive."

Cigar Aficionado

LAUNCH DATE 1992

RATEBASE '92:100,000; '99:301,602

STAFF Launch: 12; Today: 35

CIRCULATION Launch: Quarterly;

Today: Bimonthly

Despite making its debut in the midst of the anti-tobacco culture of the early 1990s, Cigar Aficionado not only carved a new niche in the lifestyle arena--it helped kick-start an industry.

"We truly altered the landscape of the cigar business," says executive editor Gordon Mott. "The industry expanded in so many ways--and if you ask people in the business, the majority of them will trace it back to the launch of Cigar Aficionado." However, he stresses that the magazine, which is published by M. Shanken Communications, is much more than a cigar book. "From the beginning, the magazine has never been just about cigars-it's been a mens lifestyle magazine."