Purely anecdotally, it looks like magazines starting from scratch are incorporating new media into their launch plans more often. I’m not ready to say it’s across the board and it could be I’m just noticing it more. Does starting with a blank slate make it easier than integrating digital with existing magazines? Probably — but existing pubs have a lot of plusses — brand, connection, archives, etc. Laura Petrecca surveyed some of the efforts at both. A few highlights:
— Hachette Filippachi Media’s Shock, one of the creepier recent additions to the mag world with its focus on shocking images, sells digital and print subscriptions as well as newsstand. Given the lower costs of producing digital over print, a little surprising to see them priced the same. Users can upload their own photos to ShockU.com. Coming up: games, mobile (hard to imagine wanting some of these pictures on your mobile). Philippe Guelton, COO, Hachette U.S: “We had three or four different sources of revenue in our business plan. We knew we wouldn’t get into Wal-Mart from day one, based on the content.” Rite Aid already has pulled the magazine so digital may be the key to its success.
— Hearst will launch ShopEtcUSA.com in September, a virtual shopping companion to its Shop ETC.; a three-month “lease” runs $5,000. Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Kiehl’s are doing a free trial.
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