via NYTimes.com
The resulting product may not reach the level of Law and Order meets Homicide, but two Hearst brands are planning a crossover episode of their own.
The New York Times reports that HGTV and Food Network magazines are coordinating editorial in their May issues in a bid to bring in more readers and more ad buys.
But the biggest one is already paid for: Pure Leaf tea is sponsoring the effort to the tune of $1 million. What does that get you these days? For starters, three pages of advertorial at the front of the book, along with adjacent one-page ads.
“The brands that are winning are the ones engaging the consumer to build a relationship,” Eric Whitehouse told the Times. Whitehouse is the marketing director at the Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership, parent company of Pure Leaf. “We want to deliver a lot of lifestyle-oriented communications around the Pure Leaf brand to break through.”
The staffs at Food Network and HGTV Magazine say they’re pleased with the project, as well, although it was not without obstacles. Food Network Magazine’s Vicki Wellington to the Times: “The challenge was, how do you marry all three brands? There were numerous, numerous cycles of this, iteration after iteration. It had to be right.”
In joining powers, the magazines decided on a leitmotif that couldn’t be more perfect for the spring: HGTV Magazine is hosting a party, and Food Network Magazine is providing the refreshments. Now, they wait anxiously to see who will show up.
To read more about the May issues of Food Network and HGTV Magazine, visit NYTimes.com.
[text_ad]
