Meredith grounds Home Garden

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, April 15, 1996 by Lorne Manly

Meredith Corp. surprised many in the magazine world when it ripped Home Garden from the marketplace in March, casting doubt on the long-term viability of the much-hyped gardening field. But other publishers and advertisers were quick to argue that the title's demise had more to do with Meredith's failed execution than a category-wide problem.

Although advertising surpassed expectations and new subscriptions were progressing very nicely, renewals fell far below projections, according to Meredith publishing president Chris Little. Because Home Garden's staffing and budget were predicated on big numbers--circulation was expected to grow from the current 425,000 to at least 700,000--the prospect of spending millions of dollars more swayed Meredith executives to pull the plug.

"Our basic philosophy is, if you can't do it both ways [ads and circulation], it's probably not a franchise that fits us so well," Little explains. "We were using up money that ought to be going into other start-ups."

Little also questioned whether the fragmented gardening category could support such a big magazine. Others, though, wonder why Des Moines, Iowa-based Meredith didn't tinker with the product before killing it. "Renewals are a function of the magazine, not the market," suggests one publisher. But Little says the company was happy with the title's design and editorial content.

The death of Home Garden plays into the marketing pitch of Conde Nast Publications' House & Garden, which relaunches in September with a circulation of 400,000 and more than 100 ad pages. "Magazines of limited frequency and limited scope are not what readers want," says publisher David Carey.

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However, Joe Armstrong, publisher of Meigher Communications' Garden Design, disagrees. His upscale, New York City-based bimonthly, purchased in 1993 when circulation was 38,000, now has a ratebase of 250,000 and will reach 300,000 this fall. Armstrong says the title will turn a profit by year's end, with eight issues planned for 1997.