Publisher Hachette speeds towards future with new name

Publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media US (ELLE, WOMAN’S DAY, ROAD & TRACK) is changing its name to HFMUS and adopting a forward-slanting logo to associate its name with speed and innovation.

“It’s more symbolic than anything else,” Alain Lemarchand, president/CEO of Hachette, said in an interview with mediaweek.com. “It’s a reflection of the new spirit, or new culture, the evolution we want to be part of, the speed required to achieve these innovations.”

CEO fails to buy publisher Emmis

TEXAS MONTHLY owner Emmis Communications (LOS ANGELES, ATLANTA) will remain a public company for now.  Company CEO, Jeff Smulyan, had attempted to buy the firm and take it private, but the deal fell through when the money walked out.

Hedge fund Alden Global Capital had originally agreed to finance the acquisition but during negotiations made an unexpected about-turn.

“Emmis…and Jeff Smulyan will explore various legal remedies related to damages caused by Alden’s actions,” Emmis said in a statement emailed to foliomag.com. Emmis stocks lost more than a quarter of their value after the announcement.

New owner finds Newsweek “dull, dull,” per New York Times article

Sidney and Representative Jane Harman (D - CA)

An August 13, 2010 article on NYTimes.com, “No Opportunity Unexplored at 92” profiles weekly news magazine NEWSWEEK’s new owner, 92-year old Sidney Harman, and quotes Harman as saying he finds the publication “dull to behold, dull, dull” and wants its graphic design to be “as meaningful, as imperative, as the written expression.”

Reader’s Digest is set to move

The landmark federal-style Reader's Digest building in Chappaqua, completed in 1939, was modeled on buildings in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.

READER’S DIGEST will – as of August 2010 – no longer be located among the trees on the 114-acre iconic campus in Pleasantville, NY, where the magazine has been headquartered since 1939.

As part of its bankruptcy reorganization plan approved early this year, RDA has leased office space in downtown White Plains, NY, for approximately 525 employees.  Another 125 staffers will join 175 already in New York and be consolidated at three floors in 750 Third Avenue, which will be considered corporate headquarters, CEO Mary Berner has said.

750 Third Avenue, New York, NY

RDA has subleased about 86,000 square feet of space from another downsized magazine publisher, Conde Nast, in the twin-tower midtown office center, also known as Grand Central Square.

The Pleasantville campus, actually located in the town on Chappaqua, was sold in 2004 for $59 million and the publisher has since leased the spacious property but has used less than half the space.

RDA, however, is not the only publisher to move.  NEWSWEEK moved within Manhattan last year and recently announced another move this August or September.  The staff at the former BUSINESSWEEK magazine this month will leave its longtime home near Rockefeller Center for the east side headquarters of its new owner, Bloomberg LP.  Hachette Filipacchi (ELLE, WOMAN’S DAY) is heading one block east to the Time & Life building from 50th and Broadway.  The ECONOMIST last month moved across town from West 57th Street to become neighbors with RDA at 750 Third Avenue.

In addition to the move, RDA will experience another 10% cut in staff.

Reed Exhibitions, TMG polish up an old gem

JEWELERS’ CIRCULAR KEYSTONE (JCK), an industry staple for more than 140 years, has been resurrected by the combined resources of Reed Exhibitions, an events organizer, and TMG, a custom publisher.

The magazine targets independent jewelry retail executives and now features a new large format.  It covers issues facing the industry, market forecasts, store operations, industry news, new products, jewelry trends and what’s new in product and fashion.

The readers can turn to the website, JCKOnline.com, for expanded coverage, such as breaking news, editorial and advertiser videos, and an interactive community for retailers to share ideas, insights, challenges and solutions.  It is designed to connect buyers and sellers in a global jewelry market, spotlighting emerging trends and research.

JCK was sold in 2009 by Reed Business Information to sister company Reed Exhibitions.  The new ownership then tapped TMG for the magazine and website redesign, planning to turn JCK into a multi-media brand.

The title will be published 10 times per year.  Former publisher Mark Smelzer is back and Nancy Sidewater has been hired as editor.  They are located in new offices at 400 Madison Avenue in New York.

Art and craft enthusiast publisher Interweave reorganizes

INTERWEAVE MEDIA, publisher of 16 craft magazines, reorganized and redistributed revenues by combining groups into two main divisions: “Fiber” and “Art & Jewelry.”

The Quilt + Paper, Specialty Fiber and Yarn groups (INTERWEAVE KNITS, INTERWEAVE CROCHET, QUILTING ARTS, CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS, SPIN-OFF, HANDWOVEN, FIBERARTS AND PIECEWORK) united to form the Fiber group.

According to foliomag.com, Vice President John Bolton will head up the new division, which also includes KnittingDaily.com, QuiltingArts.com and CrochetMe.com. Bolton’s wife, Pokey, will continue as Quilt + Paper group editorial director.  The couple will relocate to the company’s Loveland, CO headquarters.

The former group publisher of the Yarn Group, David Pyle, will become vice president and publisher of the Art & Jewelry division (AMERICAN ARTIST, DRAWING, WATERCOLOR, WORKSHOP, JEWELRY ARTIST, BEADWORK, STRINGING, and STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY).

Interweave owns and operates 16 consumer art and craft magazines, more than a dozen special newsstand publications, 290 art and craft books, 30 websites, 8 online communities, e-mail newsletters, an e-commerce store, 7 consumer events, video workshops, and sponsors 3 craft television series on public television.  Interweave was acquired by Aspire Media in 2005.

Ziff Davis will deliver “fantastic content,” per new owner

Ziff Davis Media has been bought by former Time Inc executive Vivek Shah in partnership with Boston-based Great Hill Partners.

Ziff Davis, known for producing articles on consumer electronics and technology for the web and other digital platforms, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008, which resulted in a complete overhaul in 2009.

“Ziff Davis is an incredible foundation off which to build an exciting new digital media company focused on delivering fantastic content to our audience and unprecedented opportunities to marketers,” said Shah in a press release.

The deal includes the digital properties PCMag.com, ExtremeTech, GearLog, GoodCleanTech, DL.tv, AppScout, CrankyGeeks, Smart Device Central and TechSaver.com. Together they have a circulation of just over 7 million readers.

Shah, who worked for Time Inc from 1995 until 2009, was responsible for building CNNMoney.com and also ran Time.com and SI.com. Prior to that, he was the president of FORTUNE and MONEY magazines.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed and it’s not known if the deal will impact the approximately 100 Ziff Davis employees.  The company’s current chief executive, Jason Young, will be leaving after a brief transition period.

JET files new flight plan with an independent website targeting 21-34 age readers

JET Magazine continues to fly high with its new rebranding blitz.  First Johnson Publishing (EBONY) gave the weekly print magazine a makeover.  Now, they announced the launch of Jet’s own website, myJet247.com. The new branding targets a 21-34 age audience.

MyJet247.com offers a set of branded channels, such as Jet Home, Jet Buzz, Jet Beauty, Jet Love, Jet Style and Jet Music.  The channels are a unique blend of original Jet content and a cache of web material with an interactive twist.  In Jet Beauty, readers can upload personal photos to “express their idea of beauty.”

In an interview with The Grio, Jet’s editor-in-chief, Mira Lowe said, “Through our rebranding, we’ve tried to focus on some of the modern-day issues that folks are engaged in and want to know more about.”

Mediabistro reports that MyJet247 has hired freelance writers and “rounded up celebrity bloggers Monica Barnett, Kelley Carter and Celena Gill, as well as entertainment reporter Miki Turner.”

JET subscription figures have dropped during a couple of rough years (36% just from last year) and a change of administration; although figures do not reflect the number who read the magazine in beauty shops and doctors’ offices.  Jet subscriptions are deeply discounted to plump up numbers and help attract first time readers.

Acquisition strengthens hospitality niche market publisher

BOUTIQUEDESIGN magazine’s acquisition by ST Media “gives the company a ‘firm foothold’ in the hospitality industry,” reports foliomag.com.

The bi-monthly magazine specializes in hospitality interiors for hotels, spas and restaurants.  It presents information about designers, their designs, major hospitality projects, products and industry news, according to the online description at its website, which is also part of the deal.

BoutiqueDesign, formerly published by Boutique Media Group, was introduced in 2005 by Sipco Publications, run by Eric Schneider.  Schneider will now serve as a ST Media consultant.  Schneider’s son Michael, formerly the president of Boutique Media, joins ST Media as publisher of its hospitality brands.  Kelly Hushin, kelly@boutiquedesign.com, serves as editor-in-chief.

Redwood Communications Re-brands Itself

Canadian custom publisher Redwood Communications has rebranded itself as Totem Communications Group.  The company started the name search one year ago and the switch has been a gradual process.

“We didn’t want to lose any of the equity that comes from building up your brand and reputation so we have been doing the switchover gradually, first with Evolution Redwood.  We’ve planned events and done press releases to keep the market informed about the change so the market knows the new name,” said Joseph Barbieri, SVP Marketing and Business Development at Totem in an interview with Wooden Horse.

The Toronto-based company produces custom publications and media programs for a number of national and international clients such as Procter & Gamble, The Home Depot, Canadian Automobile Association, Frito-Lay, Sears, Sobeys, Mazda International, and Aeroplan.

Totem Communications hopes to push the envelope with custom publishing by fostering “marketing journalistm” and “brand stories.”

“Brand stories are a chance for us to put the best practices of journalism with a marketing overlay.  It’s still about the content but we are going to use those elements found in traditional journalism, such as fact-checking, interviews and telling a story, and combine them with a transparent marketing overlay.  This is something not often found in traditional publishing and media, since the two are usually mixed.  This is not critical journalism but more lifestyle journalism,” said Barbieri.

Totem also plans to use social media to engage their readers and encourage them to carry on more conversation about the products and people they have recently been introduced to.  Barbieri also said digital magazine will have an important role to play.

In 2008, the company was bought by media mogul Transcontinental.  For more information, contact Joseph Barbieri, joseph.barbieri@redwoodcc.com, Toronto: 416-847-8548, New York: 212-896-3849