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Power Lunching With Your Favorite Magazines

TresSugar — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:45:34 PDT

I often read magazines while lunching, but now Condé Nast wants readers to lunch at its magazines' restaurants. The media empire, which owns Vanity Fair, Vogue, and The New Yorker, among others, is licensing its magazine brands to a buffet of media-inspired restaurants.

Magazines and restaurants are frequent companions, from power-lunch destinations dominated by media types to hotspots run by magazine moguls, including Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter's Waverly Inn and Monkey Bar and the new Lion restaurant, backed by Men's Health editor Dave Zinczenko. Other famous experiments in restaurant-media domination include Playboy's Playboy clubs and the garish ESPN Zones. But Condé Nast is remaking the model.

Meet Dash, Condé Nast's Latest Food Magazine

YumSugar — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:45:46 PDT

Yesterday, Condé Nast announced plans to introduce its first new food magazine since the collapse of Gourmet.

Dash will be a newspaper insert magazine, the result of a collaboration between Parade and Bon Appétit, which are both owned by Condé Nast's parent Advance Publications. It will launch online at dashrecipes.com in September, drop a preview print issue in November, and begin its regular monthly circulation to about eight million readers via 100 different newspapers in February.

With the proposed tagline of "Simple. Fast. Delicious." Dash is meant to appeal to a mainstream audience.

It will contain recipes from Parade and Bon Appétit, as well as content from Epicurious and the Gourmet archives. Unlike Gourmet, it's taken on an unabashedly aggressive approach toward appealing to packaged food companies such as ConAgra and Kraft.

Dash will compete directly with Relish, another food newspaper insert, as well as traditional magazines such as Family Circle. Thus, if you've been hoping for a Condé Nast equivalent of Gourmet, you won't be getting it anytime soon. Will you look out for it?

Source

Condé Nast Is Tailoring Magazines For the iPad

GeekSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:45:21 PST

First, they targeted iPhone apps, and now it's the iPad. Magazine publisher Condé Nast plans to develop special issues of GQ, Wired, The New Yorker, and Glamour tailored to the iPad. Though the iPhone has been around for years, publishers haven't embraced it as willingly - partially, according to the article, because of the lack of advertising and marketing opportunities on the iPhone, as well as customer reluctance to purchase content for the small screen. While it's still unknown how much - and even if - customers will pay for magazine content on the iPad, it seems more likely consumers will pay for magazine content on the larger, interactive screen.

Condé plans to start the initiative with the April issue of GQ, which will be available on newsstands in mid-March. It may even beat the iPad to shelves!

Condé Nast Selling Gourmet Issues For $10 Each

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:01:26 PST

When Gourmet collapsed earlier this year, the food cognoscenti, mourning the end of a culinary institution, immediately began waxing nostalgic, revisiting the first-ever edition of Gourmet, and taking a look back in time at the magazine's covers. Well, for those who are still feeling twinges of regret, or are in need of gift ideas: Condé Nast has responded by offering limited issues of Gourmet through its online store.

For $50, Gourmet enthusiasts can get a five-issue collection of the glossy's grilling, travel, Thanksgiving, holiday cookie, or restaurant guide issues, respectively. A special issue collection and a set of five magazines from Gourmet's final year in print is also offered. The idea is great, but $10 an issue? Considering some of the same magazines are going for $5 or less on eBay, this doesn't seem like such a great price. Would you buy Gourmet online?

December Issue of GQ Is Headed For Your iPhone

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:45:15 PDT

I love the Kindle because I can not only read books and blogs, but I can download newspapers and magazines. The downside? They don't have some of my favorite periodicals, and let's face it - it's a pretty pricey gadget whose only function is reading. These drawbacks help make the latest news on digital magazines pretty exciting - Condé Nast will be releasing the December issue of GQ on newsstands and in the App Store. Set to launch in November, GQ will be available as a $3 app, and will contain the same content you'll find in the print version. In addition to the editorial, you can find corresponding videos, photos, and audio right there in the app.

I'm stoked about this because it paves the way for other magazines to follow, so I can catch up on my magazine reading from anywhere. But what about you - would you read magazines on the iPhone?

Condé Nast Is Truly, Madly, Online Dating

TresSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Condé Nast started the week out on a sober note, announcing the closure of venerable publications like Gourmet. Now, the publishing giant is ending the week with a bit of sexy news: it has just launched an online dating site called Truly Madly Dating.

According to UK Vogue, the site is "created to unite glamorous girls with fashion-conscious GQ-reading boys to create matches made in style heaven." Doing a little browsing myself, I've come across a photographer seeking a muse, a woman in Russia who loves to travel, and a down-to-earth investment banker looking for a woman who is fun to be around.

Since ad revenue is declining quickly for the company, a dating site might be a business model made in style heaven - if it takes off, of course. Would you use it, or do you think it might attract singles that aren't quite your type?

More Details on Gourmet's Collapse

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:30:32 PDT

Yesterday morning began with breaking news that, after 68 years of publication, Gourmet was going out of print, and now we have more details on the magazine's collapse. Although the glossy will cease to exist, the Gourmet brand will live on through book publishing and TV programs. Staffers at the magazine were first unaware, then teary-eyed and harried, as they were allegedly given 48 hours to leave.

According to publisher Condé Nast, which staunchly defended its position, star editor Ruth Reichl will likely part ways with the publishing house, although this has not been confirmed. She, too, admitted her surprise, tweeting, "Thank you all so much for this outpouring of support. We're all stunned, sad . . . Hard to believe it's over."

Hard to believe indeed. From food personalities to subscribers, everyone has shown an overwhelming amount of regret. I'll miss the pages of exquisite photography and timeless travel pieces, and Party doesn't know how she'll live without the recipes. What will you miss about Gourmet?

Gourmet Magazine to Fold

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:43:25 PDT

This morning, Condé Nast announced its oldest food title, Gourmet magazine, is folding. There were telltale signs of trouble: the glossy, which will print its last issue in November, just underwent budget cuts. As early as the onset of 2009, rumors were already flying that Gourmet would not see the end of the year.

The speculation didn't prepare me for the shellshock of Gourmet's demise. After all, the magazine, which has been published since December 1940, is an institution. I would have thought they could cut issues to six a year, or even quarterly, before shutting down such a venerable publication. It's wishful thinking, but a part of me hopes this is just some sort of sick publicity stunt. Are you as stunned as I am?

This Just In: Domino to Close

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:53:10 PST

You'd better sit down for this. I came across some terrible news today that has sent me into shelter-mag mourning. Condé Nast has decided to fold its prize decorating magazine, Domino, just two weeks after sending in Senior Vice President Bill Wackermann to increase ad sales. The shelter category has seen the close of O at Home, Home, Cottage Living, and Wish this year alone, and last year we said goodbye to long-running title House and Garden and beloved newbie Blueprint. Seeing as we all named Domino as our favorite shelter magazine of 2008, this is a sad day for all of us. Hopefully, the magazine will live on in some format or another, but regardless, I'm stashing my issues away for safe-keeping.

The End of Gourmet Magazine?

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:15:59 PST

In the last six months, we've witnessed many brands - for some reason in particular, cookie labels - go kaput. We're barely into the new year, and at least one source predicts that media companies will be going next, and food publications won't be excepted.

New York financial media company 24/7 Wall St. reports that things are looking glum for Gourmet magazine:

Gourmet will probably not see the end of the year. Its parent company, Condé Nast, can no longer rely on the huge profits of the newspaper portion of the Newhouse family business.

The magazine operation needs to go on a diet. Condé Nast . . . owns Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and epicurious.com. Condé Nast simply owns too many titles in this category. From 2004 to 2008, Gourmet's ad pages have dropped from 1,364 to 955, with a 24 percent drop last year. January's ad pages were down another 32 percent according to MIN. Gourmet can survive since it has a competitive audience of web visitors to its food site, but it will have to migrate totally to its website.

Although, Gourmet wasn't our favorite food magazine of the year, and you prefer Bon Appétit, I am an enormous fan of the magazine's editor, Ruth Reichl. I frequently read the glossy for its reliable and creative recipes, and would be sad if I no longer had a subscription. Do you subscribe to the magazine, and would you be disappointed to see it go?