From Web to Print: Two Titles that Made the Leap

We have to ask…does the staff at In The Moment get stressed out at deadline time? The magazine, a newly launched title from Immediate Media Co, promises to help women “make the most of every day with mindfulness, creativity and wellbeing,” encouraging themselves to take time and enjoy the moment. We could use some of that around here.

Given the huge popularity of that topic online, it’s bound to be a success. And (tongue-in-cheek joking about deadlines aside), it looks like they are using print in some creative ways within its 116 pages.

“Each issue also includes Take a Moment, an eight page handbag sized mini-magazine, including a soothing drink recipe, short story and puzzle,” notes this article in Magnetic Media. “The first issue also includes a choice of positive prints, ready to be framed and displayed to help keep you motivated and inspired, and card template sheets to create pocket sized greeting boxes.”

“We are hugely excited to be launching In The Moment,” notes publishing director Cath Potter. “Interest in mindfulness has grown enormously in the last five years, and our society is crying out for ways to slow down and tune out, even if just for a few minutes. We want to find space within our busy lives to notice things and remember to enjoy them. In The Moment recognises that being more mindful doesn’t need to be heavy-going, and that it needs to fit within your lifestyle.”

Lifestyle content, as we know, is insanely popular right now, and is behind much of the shift from mass market to niche in the magazine sector. It’s also driving other brands to add print magazines to their portfolio.

One title that made the launch several years ago continues to find success and grow. Cuisine Noir, which debuted in digital in 2007, moved into print in 2011 under the direction of publisher and editor-in-chief Sheree Williams.

Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni recently interviewed Williams about the magazine, which is dedicated to covering the vibrant African American culinary scene and its impact on the global foodie lifestyle. In their conversation, Williams shared some insights into the challenges they faced as advertising strategies have changed.

“I’m sure you know how tough the magazine industry is. We still face that challenge, you know, being a multicultural publication, in terms of dollar allocation,” Williams explains. “Before, a lot of advertising agencies would have pockets of money just for multicultural initiatives, whether it was black, Latino, Asian, etcetera. Now we’re finding a lot of the agencies are rolling those dollars into the general market and not having that pot anymore, so it is tough.”

Tough, but it’s a challenge she embraces with a pragmatic and data-based approach.

“Looking at a snapshot of our reader [base], I try and tell them that our readers are very sophisticated. They love to try different cuisines,” Williams explains. “They love to travel internationally—and this next print issue that we’re working on is all about travel. We’re all about that, so we talk about that. We talk about the spending power of African Americans, and how it’s in the trillions, and a lot of that is being spent in the food and beverage categories.”

It pays off, especially when they connect with an advertiser that really understands what they’re all about.

“We’re really about those relationship buildings, and we’re really about getting their products in front of our consumers—and I also love getting new things in front of my readers; that’s what it’s all about too. I think it’s a win-win situation,” Williams explains. “That’s what we’re all about: that relationship-building, trying to be an influencer for them, and then also engaging our readers and letting them know this is what’s new, this is what’s great, and this is what’s out there.”

In the growing lifestyle niche, publishers are succeeding with this audience-first approach the provides those irresistible benefits to advertisers based on reader engagement.