Listing this year’s best new magazine launches; plus, the future of Men’s Health and how The Atlantic handles changing social media patterns
Healthy print brands make for healthy multiplatform publishers – that’s a core Mequoda tenet. Today, we’ve got some examples of that: the 30 hottest new magazine launches, a big staffing move for Rodale’s Men’s Health, and The Atlantic’s adept social media strategy. Let’s get right to it with some recent articles from minOnline.com.
Samir Husni’s Top 30 Hottest New Magazine Launches
We look forward to this every year as a nice barometer for the publishing business: Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni‘s 30 hottest new magazine launches (this edition includes Mequoda Master Bryan Welch‘s well-deserving B). Head over to minOnline.com for his full column leading up to the min Awards on December 8.
“In reaching my decision on what makes a magazine ‘hot,’ by far the number-one criteria point is the audience’s reaction to that magazine. How did the overall marketplace react and how did its intended audience respond to it? And, just as important, how did the industry behave toward it? These questions are the first thing I ask upon selection of the Hottest 30. Then, once I’ve answered those initial questions, I really get down to work. Remember my mantra: Audience First,” Husni writes.
“So without further ado; here are the 30 Hottest New Launches for 2016 in alphabetical order: B Magazine, Bake From Scratch, Beekman 1802 Almanac, Celebrity Page, Classic Sewing, Color Magic!, FabUplus, Forged, Galerie, GQ Style, Hola!, Interior Design Homes, J-14 Decorate!, Jarry, Kazoo, Live With Heart and Soul, Living the Country Life, Lonely Planet, Misadventures, My Herbs, Pallet, Permaculture, Providence, Southern Cast Iron, Spoonful, SwimSwam, Tablet, The Clever Root, Tread, Women’s Golf Journal.”
New Men’s Health Editor on Future of Magazine’s Brand
Matt Bean is returning to Rodale after a successful stint at Time Inc., and minOnline.com has a great interview with him.
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“Men’s Health is a powerhouse brand, which I’ve known for years. What clinched it for me was meeting (or re-meeting) the core leadership team that Maria [Rodale] has put in place. Nobody wants to follow the same old script. Everyone wants to move quickly. The new folks there get it, and everyone else I trust and know well. In a period of industry-wide transition, trust and vision are the two most important ingredients. Rodale is small enough to allow change to happen more quickly, where risks can be embraced. You need to shake it up and take chances, and it feels like we’re willing to do that now, and we have the team to do that. It matters to me that we have a different perspective, from the top down. Maria’s the only female CEO among the major magazine publishers. That’s incredible. She’s proven that she is willing to make bold moves. And Beth Buehler, who just took on the COO role, is phenomenal. She and her team will be crucial partners as we move ahead,” Bean tells Caysey Welton.
“Finally, we need to add new voices to the mix of writers and experts. I’ll be reaching out to many of the best and brightest minds to help us build the pipeline. The brand’s perspective has never been more relevant, but we need new voices in the fold to help it take shape and evolve along with the reader.”
Atlantic Senior Editor on Social Media Strategy
Highly recommended and relevant minOnline.com interview with Atlantic Senior Editor Caitlin Frazier on how the magazine adjusts to shifting social media patterns.
“There’s more competition for the social user than ever before. And a lot of those competitors are appealing to the identities of their users, whether it’s publishers targeted at women, men, Millennials, progressives, conservatives, parents, singles, etc. It’s impossible to think of the social media user as any one thing. Because today, it’s everyone. But that’s both a challenge and an opportunity. How can we cut through the noise and build an audience of core readers? That’s the real reward,” Frazier tells Jameson Doris.
“I’ve been doing social and audience development work for almost five years and online audiences have become much more sophisticated. You can’t just serve everyone the exact same thing in the same way. A reader needs a reason to follow your main Facebook page, and your politics-focused page, and your Instagram account. And tailoring all those things and understanding the nuances of the audience takes more work and more staff.”
What are your thoughts on these new magazine launches? Any you would add? Let us know in the comments!
To read more about new magazine launches and other industry news, visit minOnline.com.
