Drop the Pen, Jann

Jann Wenner’s decision to replace former Men's Journal editor Michael Caruso last fall doesn't seem to be paying off. According to numbers released Monday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, newsstand sales for the magazine have gotten increasingly worse since Wenner took over as editor in chief last November.

Average single copy sales of Men's Journal fell 31.5 percent during the first half of the year, to 70,145, compared with 102,384 for the year prior and 75,850 in the first half of 2004. As reported, some of the decline was due to Men's Journal not being able to report promotional copies for its May 2005 Adventure issue as newsstand copies because of new ABC rules. Last year, the magazine reported a May newsstand figure of 194,400, but 150,000 of those copies were actually mailed to people from a purchased list, according to executives familiar with the title. Men's Journal, meanwhile, guaranteed a rate base of 800,000 to advertisers for that particular issue. "Anytime you're down is disappointing, but overall, I'm very happy with this circ period," said Will Schenck Men's Journal publisher. "Overall circ is up at the magazine and we do see a migration of newsstand people getting subscriptions." And unlike Us Weekly, Schenck noted, "This magazine at this company is not about chasing newsstand sales." Schenck also pointed out that the newsstand sales of the entire men's magazine category fell 5 percent in the first half, thus Men's Journal's performance was not outside the norm.

MORE ONLINE

Cruising for a Bruising

With Paramount perhaps dropping Tom Cruise from his contract (or Cruise dumping the studio, depending on whom you believe), will magazine editors do the same? Most editors contacted Wednesday believed Cruise would still be asked to appear on covers, even without the marketing muscle of Paramount to push the star's upcoming projects. But that pool of magazines would want him not just because he's in a blockbuster flick, but also because the sordid details of his personal life — and how they affect his business relationships — are intriguing.

"It used to be that he was one of the few sure things as a cover subject," responded Esquire editor in chief David Granger via e-mail. "Massive box-office appeal mixed with all-American boyishness — how could you go wrong? He was a massive star whose appeal could be molded to a magazine's needs." However, Esquire hasn't featured Cruise on its cover since 2002.

MORE ONLINE

2. New York Times

By Julie Bosman
August 24, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/24/business/media/24adco.html?_r=1&oref=login

IF the magazine industry is like high school, then Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar were once the Mean Girls of September. Through the 1990’s, they ruthlessly snared the best fashion advertising, and their substantial September issues overwhelmed the competition with glossy spreads of Cindy Crawford in Revlon and Kate Moss in Calvins.

But this year, some distinctly uncool factions are stealing attention from the high-end fashion magazines. Consider Martha Stewart, the ultimate type-A overachiever, whose namesake title had a 69.5 percent increase in ad pages over last September. Or Oprah Winfrey, who snagged fashion advertisers like Polo Ralph Lauren and DKNY for O magazine’s September issue, which had a 56.4 percent jump in ads over last September. Even Town & Country, the 159-year-old handbook for the horsy set, has elegantly elbowed into fashion territory with its biggest “Special Fall Fashion Issue” ever, promoted with a large purple headline on its cover.

“So many magazines now go after fashion,” said Steven Cohn, editor of The Media Industry Newsletter, a trade publication. After all, September magazines are the chosen platform for advertisers to introduce fall fashion lines and back-to-school clothing, making them the biggest issues of the year for many magazines — and sometimes a barometer of a magazine’s health. “September is the most symbolic month of the year for publishers,” Mr. Cohn said. “This is the month that everybody stares at.”

MORE ONLINE

3. Advertising Age
'Vogue' Creates Podcasts for Gap, Redken
By Meredith Deliso
August 22, 2006
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=111444

Vogue has embraced the podcast, and its ad-driven videos launch today while an update of the Conde Nast title's website, shopvogue.com, goes live in time for the fall season. The Gap podcasts will be available on the advertiser's website two days after they've been released on iTunes.

The first of the magazine's "Fashion on Demand" video podcasts -- co-branded programming that gives advice, often sprinkled with celebrity interviews, on everything from hair care to fashion -- goes behind the scenes of Gap's new fall campaign in an interview with "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven. Future podcasts in the Gap series include interviews with other new Gap faces: actress Lou Doillon, musician Common and actress Mia Farrow. Old Navy and Redken also have developed Vogue podcasts for the fall, and other advertisers, such as Lexus and Jeep, plan to do so down the line.

"Podcasts are really an expression of our commitment to creating co-branded entertainment that delivers value and engagement with consumers and co-branding marketing opportunities with our advertisers," said Deborah Cavanagh, associate publisher-marketing for Vogue. "There is high-perceived value with podcasts because they are elective. Consumers are choosing to want that program. It's appropriate content that delivers Vogue's point of view and is able to integrate advertising in a much more organic way."

MORE ONLINE

4. Fishbowl NY
'Upscale' Maxim? It's Coming In October
By Dylan
August 24, 2006
http://www.slate.com/id/2148101/?nav=tap3

An "upscale" Maxim? Even before editor Jimmy Jellinek's recent shuffling of the editorial decks at Maxim, we had heard rumblings of the magazine's proposed shift to an "upscale" audience — one the magazine believes it already has. A source now says that the transformation, however subtle, will be completed by the October issue.

While not a relaunch, the magazine has been prepping a cleaner look to enhance its content to cater to its "increasingly upscale audience."

Through July, the magazine is down 10.5 percent in ad pages, according to the Publisher's Information Bureau, taking in roughly $100 million in ad revenue, 4.4 percent less than over the same span in 2005.

5. Jossip
Dennis Publishing Axes Blender Designer – En Route to Visit Dying Father
By Dylan
August 23, 2006
http://www.jossip.com/gossip/blender/dennis-publishing-axes-blender-designer-en-route-to-visit-dying-father-20060823.php

The masthead slashing party continues, with today's edition brought to you by the letter D. For Dennis Publishing. Or dickhead.

Just put through the chopping block was Andy Ryan, Blender's solo full-time designer. The 25-year-old received the news of his axing at a most appropriate time: while on the way to the airport to catch a London flight to be with his dying father. It was his boss, Dennis group creative director Andy Turnbull, who delivered the news — a sad fact when you consider the two Andys were quite friendly. Ryan, in fact, was well liked among the entire staff.

Meanwhile, instinctive chatter suggests Dennis brass felt it would be easier for Andy to deal with two catastrophes at once, instead of one after the one. That's Dennis, for ya: the publisher who cares.

6.Jossip
Telling Girls They Can Do Anything, Makes Them Say 'Bitch' and 'Whore'
Wed, Aug 23, 2006
http://www.jossip.com/gossip/today-show/telling-girls-they-can-do-anything-makes-them-say-bitch-and-whore-20060823.php

Were you watching the Today show today? David Zinczenko wasn't on, so we kind of assume that you didn't ... in which case, you should definitely be aware of the televised discussion that went on today between Natalie Morales and Atoosa Rubenstein. Basically, they decided that too much empowerment is a bad thing for girls. Huh? Is it really that difficult to address a drinking and drug use epidemic in this country without citing "empowerment" as it's cause?

They decided that because girls have been told "they can do anything" girls now call each other bitches and whores, do drugs, smoke cigarettes, act promiscuous, and have no self-respect.

Naturally, we are extremely concerned about drawing parallels between freedom or equality and being a drug addicted sexbot. We're even borderline shocked that the 'Toos agreed to take part in this segment. (Though she's not a big fan of drugs or swears.)

MORE ONLINE

*******
EdAd
*******
I'm a 22-year-old, nonsmoking and clean EA looking for a room in Manhattan, Hoboken or Brooklyn, preferably in a doorman building, but not necessarily. Flexible on move-in date, and I'm also looking to starting from scratch and finding a place with other Edsters who are moving to NYC. Call (215) 498-5002