SECOND LIFE: Condé Nast has found a way to keep Men’s Vogue alive after shrinking the title to a twice-a-year publication in October. The spring issue will appear as a reverse-bound issue attached to the April issue of Vogue. It will be the first time Vogue has published a reverse cover.
Tom Florio, senior vice president and publishing director of Vogue, Teen Vogue and Men’s Vogue, said April is a good month for the partnership, since Vogue carries more jewelry brands during that month, playing to Men’s Vogue’s core competencies in watches and luxury accessories. Florio would not confirm how many ads have been sold, but sources estimate there are about 25 ad pages so far, including Ralph Lauren on the second cover. The special will likely carry around 60 pages. The page rate for a four-color full-page ad in the spring Men’s Vogue will be $52,340. For advertisers, that’s a bargain — a four-color, full-page ad in Vogue is $128,220; an ad in GQ, which has a rate base of 875,000, is $118,500.
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The future of Men’s Vogue was still in flux after Condé Nast shrunk the title from a 10-times-a-year schedule, as the recession forced publishers to rethink investment in their properties. Though the company had said it would publish two issues of the men’s title in some form, Men’s Vogue subscribers were already being informed they would receive Details or Portfolio instead. The reverse-bound distribution helps Vogue on several fronts: through distribution to Vogue’s more than 800,000 subscribers, Men’s Vogue more than doubles its circulation, which was 350,000 as a monthly title, and Vogue gets the boost in ad paging from having Men’s Vogue in the issue. Finally, according to Florio, the experiment might help revive another fledgling Vogue spin-off: “If it works, there’s a chance you could see Vogue Living come back sooner than we thought,” he said. That’s, of course, if the Vogue reader still has a home to live in come time for publication.
— Stephanie D. Smith
PROMOTIONS AT TOM FORD: Tom Ford International named Cori Galpern as its new worldwide director of communications. She replaces Lisa Schiek, who resigned Dec. 18. Galpern has played a critical role in the expansion of the Tom Ford brand, having served as the worldwide director of advertising and marketing since June 2007, shortly after the brand launched men’s wear and opened its first flagship. In her new position, Galpern will oversee the global communication strategies for public relations, advertising and marketing for Tom Ford men’s wear, eyewear and fragrances. She is based in New York and will report to Ford as well as chief operating officer Tom Mendenhall. Galpern began her career at the communications firm Kirshenbaum Bond and Partners, then went to Calvin Klein to manage media for Collection and cK. In 1999, she joined Gucci Group and became U.S. advertising and marketing director for Gucci, Sergio Rossi and Bedat. In 2002, Galpern joined Vogue as international fashion director, then went to CurtCo Media, publishers of the Robb Report, as vice president of corporate sales.
In addition, Natalie Rawling has been named p.r. manager, North America. She takes that responsibility from Shirin Von Wulffen, the former North American director of communications, who resigned in October. No hire at the director level is expected at this time.
— Jean Scheidnes
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Add Meredith Corp.’s Country Home to the growing list of shelter titles — and magazines in general — that have shuttered in the past year. The magazine, which has been around since 1986, will cease publication as of the March issue, and some 40 employees will be out of a job, including editor in chief LuAnn Brandsen. Steve Levinson, who served as publisher, is also group publisher and will remain with the company. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Country Home had an average total paid and verified circulation of 1.27 million for the six-month period ended June 30, and Media Industry Newsletter reported that advertising dropped 25 percent last year.
The company said it will also lay off 250 people and move the editorial operations of ReadyMade and Parents.com to its headquarters in Des Moines. ReadyMade is located in Berkeley, Calif., while Parents.com is anchored in New York. The layoffs will come from the closure of Country Home, while the remainder will be “corporate wide,” said a spokesman. “The recessionary economy has impacted both publishing and broadcasting advertising, which accounts for approximately 60 percent of our revenue stream,” said Meredith president and chief executive officer Stephen M. Lacy. “Trends indicate a continuing soft economy into calendar 2009 as well.” Due to the magazine closure, relocation of editorial operations and layoffs, the company will record a charge of $16 million in its fiscal 2009 second-quarter earnings, which will be released Jan. 22.
— Amy Wicks