Death Of The Brand Extension?
Condé Nast confirmed tonight it will shutter Golf For Women magazine, seven years after buying the Golf Digest spinoff from Meredith Corp. Ad pages were off 7 percent through the July issue and there's been significant turnover on the business side. Meanwhile, also at Condé Nast, Men's Vogue is looking gaunt. Is the magazine brand spinoff an endangered species? After all, a variety of teen-themed brand extensions threw in the towel on the concept two years ago, including Teen People.
True, but the magazine industry is feeling pain all over the place(to take but one example, Oprah's once-highflying magazine, O, saw circ tumble more than 10 percent in the past two years). And some brand extensions are doing well - the Wall Street Journal is rushing forward with plans for WSJ. magazine, in the mold of similar, thriving extensions at the Times (T magazine)and the Financial Times (Spending It). The trick seems to be to bundle the extension with the original - and to not try and charge extra for it. [MediaWeek]