The Mr. Magazine™ Launch Monitor recorded 55 new publications launched for the first time in Jan. 2012. For a complete list, images and details check the Mr. Magazine™ Launch Monitor here.
Archive for the ‘New Launches’ Category
Vicki Wellington to Samir Husni: Food is on Fire. People Who Don’t Even Like to Cook Love Food Network. Mr. Magazine™ Interviews the Publisher of Today’s Hottest Magazine: Food Network Magazine.
January 26, 2012Vicki Wellington does not have to twitch her nose to bewitch you. The publisher of the Food Network Magazine, for whom Darren/Larry and the men at the ad agency from Bewitched were her “role model” growing up, is flying high with the most successful and hottest new magazine since 2009. Unlike Samantha, Wellington does not need a flying broom or a magic carpet to engage her customers with the hottest magazine on the marketplace today. All she needs is to feed the addiction of the American public to “food” and “celebrities.” Add a dash of pixels on a screen (make that a lot of screens) and a pinch of ink on paper (make that a lot of papers) and the result will be the Food Network Magazine –– led by the hottest, passionate and energetic magazine top chef Vicki Wellington.
The smile never departs from Vicki’s face. You could feel the vibrating energy radiating from her every time she mentions the magazine, the Food Network, the customers, the advertisers, the company and above all “her lean and very able staff.” To say she loves her job will be an understatement. She is as affectionate talking about the magazine and her job as her customers are affectionate about the magazine and the network behind it. It is a story of success second to none in today’s magazine world. It is a hot, hot, hot magazine and, of course, magazine publisher.
Watch below my interview with Vicki Wellington, publisher of the Food Network Magazine, followed by the sounds-bites of the interview and then read the entire (lightly edited) transcript of the interview.
The Sound-bites:
On the secret of Food Network Magazine success: An amazing brand, a super, powerful surround sound position in the market, and a beautifully translated magazine in print, great photography, great design.It’s big, it’s growing, and we’re reaching the right types of people with the right kind of edit.
The minute it came out on the newsstand, as you know, it flew off the newsstand.
Food is on fire. So in our country, people who don’t even like to cook love Food Network.
On the expanding of the Food Network Magazine brand:
We’re creating a mini magazine called Food Network Magazine for Kids and it will run in our September back-to-school issue.We’re creating in the May issue Food Network Magazine Travel, all edited through the eyes of our celebrity chefs.
On Vicki Wellington: I’m pretty happy here. It’s a pretty happy place. We have a great brand, we’re on fire; we really are.
On what keeps her up at night: Not having enough hours in the day.
And now, for the lightly edited transcript of the Mr. Magazine™ Interviews with Vicki Wellington, publisher of the Food Network Magazine.
Samir Husni: The Food Network Magazine has been one of few success stories we’ve seen in the last few years. What do you attribute that to?
Vicki Wellington: An amazing brand, a super, powerful surround sound position in the market and, as we just talked about, a beautifully translated magazine in print, great photography, great design. Food Network, as I said, has power on its own, plus the entertainment piece of it is absolutely non-stoppable. It’s a consumer favorite and that’s the lead point on all of it.
Samir Husni: But folks may say, ‘Oh this is just a fad. A year or two from now, people will be watching something else…people will be reading something else…’
Vicki Wellington: I don’t think so. I think that twenty years ago you didn’t even have a celebrity chef, now Food Network literally as a brand has created all these personalities. There’s young, there’s old, there’s someone for everyone. And as you know, we’ve had the TV for many, many years and we’ve got digital for many, many years, both very successful in their own right and we have many other pieces of the brand that surround sound a consumer, but consumers said they wanted this magazine. The minute it came out on the newsstand, as you know, it flew off the newsstand. We hit a million in circulation literally in 4 issues, which, as you know, is unheard of. Right now today, we’re at about 1.58 million over delivering, since we started, over 7 million readers. So I think this is the real deal.
Samir Husni: And you know your critics will say, ‘Well, you know, it’s because of the television the magazine is succeeding.’ Yet Hearst has ventured before into this area and published a magazine called Lifetime, which did not last long.
Vicki Wellington: I wasn’t here for that. That was obviously a whole different entity. I think for us, all of the stars are aligned here. Food is on fire. So in our country, people who don’t even like to cook love Food Network. I think again, this brand has something very special about it, and as we discussed, the interpretation of the brand. I think this is, obviously, a very different proposition. And from what I’m seeing, I think I told you, our Jan-Feb issue just did terrific on newsstand, and that’s not usually one of our biggest selling issues. The content, as you know, is completely integrated, 360, and of course, we do the same for advertising, there’s not a lot of brands, I don’t think there’s any, other than maybe one other, that can actually deliver that.
Samir Husni: Rumor has it that you’re expanding the brand; you’re bringing up a kids magazine, a travel magazine…
Vicki Wellington: Yes, yes, you’re very good with your rumors. I don’t know where you learned these things from, but we’re doing Food Network Magazine for kids, which is very exciting. I think I mentioned that literally over 12 million kids are watching Food Network programming, which is a huge amount. And we get letters all the time from women who read the magazine, we actually have more women readers than Real Simple has women readers and they’re cooking with their kids every single month. So we’re literally creating a mini magazine called Food Network Magazine for Kids and that will run in our September back-to-school issue and the consumers are really excited about it.
Samir Husni: And what about the travel magazine?
Vicki Wellington: Travel, another thing. When you go on vacation, I don’t know how the food is in Lebanon, I bet it’s good, but when people travel, it’s food-focused. If you go to Italy, it’s about the food. And so what our editors are doing, are creating in the May issue, Food Network Magazine Travel, all edited through the eyes of our celebrity chefs. So you’ll see Guy’s favorite…let’s say, breakfast haunt in San Francisco and where he recommends going and the hotel that he would recommend staying in, so it’ll be a lot of fun, it’ll be exciting and again, all edited through all of the various chefs eyes.
Samir Husni: Any downfalls? I mean, it sounds like one big success story after another.
Vicki Wellington: I’m pretty happy here. It’s a pretty happy place. We have a great brand, we’re on fire; we really are.
Samir Husni: So what keeps Vicki up at night?
Vicki Wellington: You always ask me that question. Honestly, and you laughed the last time I answered it, but it’s the truth; not having enough hours in the day. And that really is the truth. I wish there were more hours; we could be doing more work. You see what we put out, with a pretty lean team every single month. And we’re proud of all of it. But there’s not a lot to worry about, we’re excited. It’s big, it’s growing, and we’re reaching the right types of people with the right kind of edit. So it’s all good.
Mr. Magazine™(Samir Husni) Interviews (2): So You Want to Start a Magazine? Hear the Advice of 17 Media Experts
January 12, 2012
The Magazine Innovation Center at The University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism hosted the ACT 2 Experience last October. We asked 17 media experts who attended the ACT2 Experience their opinions about the future of the printed word in a digital age. Click on the link above to watch and listen to the experts’ answer to the question “What advice you will give someone who wants to start a magazine today?”
The experts are, in order of their appearances:
1. Sid Evans, Group Editor
Time Inc., Lifestyle Division2. Bob Sacks, President
Precision Media Group3. Vito Di Bari
Innovation Designer and Futurologist4. Mark Pasetsky, Founder
Cover Awards5. Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, CEO
Hoffman Media6. Roy Reiman, Founder
Reiman Publications7. David McDonald, CEO
True North Custom Media8. Will Pearson, President
Mental Floss Inc.9. Jeremy Leslie
Editorial Designer & Founder
magCulture.com10. Sue Roman, President
The Taunton Press11. James Elliott, President
The James G. Elliott Co., Inc.12. John Harrington, Partner
Harrington Associates13. Franska Stuy, Editor in Chief
Libelle14. Frank Anton, CEO
Hanley-Wood15. Scott Crystal, Former President
TV Guide16. Steven Kotok, President
The Week, Felix Dennis Publications17. Kent S. Johnson, CEO
Highlights For Children Inc.
Thanks are in order for all the experts and the journalism students at The University of Mississippi’s 2011-2012 magazine class who recorded the interviews.
min and Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni Announce: 2011 Hottest Magazine Launches of the Year and Hottest Editor, Publisher, Design Director, + Hottest Reinventions of the Year
December 6, 2011
From minonline.com
When I select a magazine as a hot launch, it’s more of a status symbol or medal-of honor to celebrate that moment when all the DNA for a magazine comes to fruition.
It’s in the conception where a hot launch plays a big role. It’s the vision, values and voice of those magazines that deserve the honors and awards. From a field of over 800 new consumer titles, I looked over every magazine that has been published from October 2010 to September 2011 and went through a process similar to the creation of cream from a vat to whole vitamin A and D added milk.
—Dr. Samir Husni, Founder and Director, Magazine Innovation Center @ The University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media
View pdf of the special Intriguing Issue by clicking on the link below
19712_min_Intriguing_Issue
Introducing “Elsie” The Perfect Outlet for Passion and Creativity. The Mr. Magazine™ Interview with Elsie’s Founder Les Jones
November 21, 2011
“The magazine format felt like the perfect vehicle” and outlet for all the creative juices flowing from Leslie Colin Jones, the founder and creator of Elsie magazine. An ink on paper magazine where no two copies of the same issue are the same. Limited edition premieres, each one comes with its own serial number together with different cover designs and inserts. While the magazine is printed via the traditional litho method, it is still a true testament to what print, traditional and digital can do for you in this day and age.
Fueled by passion and energized by creativity, Elsie, the magazine, led me to get in touch with its founder to find out the origins of this new venture and the man behind the magazine. In typical Mr. Magazine™ Interviews, here are first the sound-bites followed by the complete interview with Mr. Jones.
The Sound-bites
On the outlet for work as a designer and photographer: The magazine format felt like the perfect vehicle for presenting the results to the outside world
On the reason for the magazine: My work is produced for the sheer joy of being creative
On the role of the magazine: I see Elsie as a vehicle to take me places and people that I would not ordinarily visit or meet.
On the future of print and digital: The emergence of digital print and online printing services has in a way democratized print
On what makes him tick and click daily: The great buzz of excitement that you get when the creative juices are flowing freely!
And now for the full interview with Leslie Colin Jones:
SH: You say Elsie is a one man’s creation, tell me about the conception and creation of Elsie.
LJ: As a designer and photographer I produce a lot of self initiated work. This portfolio of work has been building over the past few years and I wanted to create something that would be an outlet for this work but also a catalyst to new projects and interactions.
A lot of the work I do is based around themed briefs and the magazine format felt like the perfect vehicle for presenting the results to the outside world and also engaging people in the development of future content.
SH: Who is Elsie?
LJ: Elsie isn’t a real person. I chose the name for two reasons – firstly, I wanted a name that wasn’t in any way pretentious. My work is produced for the sheer joy of being creative – so I wanted a name that didn’t aspire to grander things. The reason I settled on Elsie, is because the initials of my first and middle names are L C (Leslie Colin) – and there it was!
SH: What is the vision and mission of Elsie?
LJ: Elsie the magazine is the first step towards a bigger vision. In the new year, I will be taking the magazine on the road with a series of live events. The live events will be interactive and members of the audience will be engaged in creating content for future issues of Elsie. There will also, hopefully, be exhibitions linked into the mag. I see Elsie as a vehicle to take me places and people that I would not ordinarily visit or meet. Ultimately, it’s all about creative expression and having fun.
SH: Is this the future of print (specialized, niche, limited editions, etc) or there is room for both big and small printed publications?
LJ: I think there’s room for both. The emergence of digital print and online printing services has in a way democratized print – making it available to the masses. There really no reason why anyone with the desire to express themselves in print should not do so. However, these small run exercises are unlikely to be profitable and people should be aware of this from the outset. As such, there will always be a market for the larger publications driven by higher circulations, wider distribution and advertising revenue.
SH: There is a lot of interactivity on the pages of Elsie, each cover is different, each page three is handwritten, post cards, surprise images, etc… What is the purpose of creating a magazine to the nth degree of interactivity?
LJ: For me, it’s about creating something unique and lasting. Many magazines are bought, read and then disposed of. I want Elsie to be something that people want to treasure and keep. The customization makes each copy personal to the buyer. They have something that no-one else has…which hopefully, makes the magazine feel special.
SH: What is the future of Elsie?
LJ: As mentioned above…Elsie will move into live events. I’m already planning the next issue, which will take the magazine to the next level, both in terms of content, volume and customization…so watch this space.
SH: What makes Les tick and click every morning? What is the energy behind the motivation to create an ink on paper magazine in this digital age?
LJ: Online stuff is great, but it’s transient. Print has longevity, it’s tactile – it’s not just about reading it’s also about holding, touching, displaying and storing. It’s permanence creates a different dynamic in the creative and design process – what’s committed to paper cannot be changed by the click of a mouse. I’ve just passed my 52nd birthday, but I actually feel like I’ve just got to the starting line – I’m excited about where Elsie might take me, and I’m looking forward to producing work that will stretch me and take me into new areas.
That’s what drives me…that, and the great buzz of excitement that you get when the creative juices are flowing freely!
SH: Thank you.
How Do I Love My Magazines? Let Me Count the Ways…
November 18, 2011From Amsterdam to Baku, from New York City to the Holy City of TSFAT, from London to Northampton and San Francisco seven new magazines and seven new reasons were added to the thousands other reasons that made me fall in love with those ink on paper magazines in the first place. Every time I discover a new magazine, I fall in love again and again. Magazines were, are and will continue to be my first and last love and those seven new ones from across the globe are nothing but yet another testament of my love affair with those ink on paper creatures…
Sharing the love are Vega magazine from The Netherlands, Baku. magazine from Azerbaijan, Sheer from the United Kingdom, Tzakkik magazine from Israel, and Style.com/Print, Auto Cult and Disney Family Fun Kids from the United States of America.
Vega, the magazine of Food, Fair and Future is, as the name suggests, a magazine for all things vegetarian. This new Dutch magazine, launched earlier this month with 148 beautiful and meat-free pages, quotes actress Natalie Portman, “I’m a strict vegetarian… I just really, really love animals and I act on my values. I’m really against cruelty to animals.”
Baku.: Art.Culture.Azerbaijan is a Condé Nast publication that celebrates all the aforementioned “on the edge of the Caspian Sea.” Leyla Aliyeva, Baku.’s editor-in-chief, writes in the premiere issue, which launched on the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s independence, “Welcome to the first issue of Baku.the new international arts and culture magazine. Baku. Azerbaijan, is one of the world great cities – a place that combines the historic and the ultra contemporary, plus so much more.”
Sheer, the magazine that combines Fashion, Photography, Art & Culture, aims to “showcase young and new talent, through high fashion editorial, focusing on photography, art and culture.” Daniel Neale is the magazine editor who launched the magazine online in October 2010. He writes in the debut issue of Sheer, “In our first month the issue had reached over half a million views, and it was from that point, that I started to work on establishing my dream of launching a print version of Sheer.” Well, the dream is now a reality.
Tzaddik, the Healthy Jewish Living For Body and Soul, offers “Streamlined Kabbalah from the Holy City of TSFAT” and as its editor in chief Sharon Marson writes, “The magazine’s cornerstone message communicates, that we “reach for righteousness.” She adds, “Welcome to the release of the first issue. Welcome to what is possible. Welcome to the dream.”
Style.com/Print magazine is the latest website finding its way to print. The twice annual publication’s first issue comes in a luxurious over-sized 216 pages and is lead by editor in chief Dirk Standen’s report from New York, London, Milan and Paris. “Style.com and now Style.com/Print,” writes Standen in the premiere Spring 2012 issue, “live to celebrate fashion.” The magazine promises to deliver “two semi-annual issues of Style.com/Print right off the Fashion Week runways…” Another pixels on a screen discovering the power of ink on paper. Welcome aboard.
Autocult, the occidental lodge of underground motoring, arrives with a hefty priced premiere issue of $12.00. The magazine “pretty much embodies the cult of the automobile.” The editor’s mantra regarding magazine publishing should be a mantra to everyone thinking of launching a new magazine in this day and age. Dan Stoner writes, “If your magazine can be replaced with a website, it should be. And what kind of lessons can be learned from that? Well, it all boils down to making something that provides a memorable experience and moves the quality-of-life needle a skosh toward the ‘+’ end.” The editor continues, “If I make a magazine that you like to hold in your hands, that has a little weight to it, that you want to collect and couldn’t imagine just throwing out after a week, shows you things you never knew about before and does it in a way that inspires you to start a new project of your own, well, then I think that’s the kind of magazine that’ll stand the test of time. And the test of ever-changing new media that likes to feed on the weaker magazines.” All what I can add to his words is AMEN!
Disney Family Fun Kids, fun things to make and do. The new magazine from the folks at Disney’s Family Fun have packed every page of the new bimonthly “with fun stuff to do, like cutting out funny mustaches… making our own paper beads… and building can robots…” Jon Adolph and Moria Greto, the magazine’s editor and art director respectively write in the first issue, “We want this magazine to inspire kids to make and do things on their own. Still, some projects may require a little help from a grown-up.” Can’t be more interactive than that!
Every new day brings a new love or two or three. So, what are you waiting for? Sitting in front of your computer or tablet will never put a magazine in your hands and help you fall in love. Digital is fantastic and great, but a magazine IT IS NOT. So, get up, get out, visit a newsstand and buy a magazine or two and start falling in love. Don’t take my word for it… try it yourself, you will love it. Guaranteed.
The NFL Wants to Use an Ink on Paper Magazine to Draft the Fans
November 16, 2011
Still looking for another reason to believe in print? You do not have to wait for Santa. Just check the latest announcement from the National Football League (NFL). The NFL is launching a new magazine in print and the first collector’s edition issue is hitting the newsstands in December, “just in time for the holidays.”
The amazing thing about the official NFL magazine is the subscription campaign the NFL is running on the magazine’s website. Plenty of comparisons to social media and the web, and not the highly complementary comparisons. Some of such comparisons:
“NFL Magazine covers the game with insight no tweet, click, or post can match.”
“NFL Magazine will tell you in ways you haven’t seen in a post or in a tweet.”
“We’ve got insider perspective. In-depth coverage from contributors who know every inch of the league.”
The ink on paper magazine will make its debut on December 13 and will publish monthly at the rate of $19.90 for 12 issues. By the way, subscriptions to the official magazine of the NFL includes a free subscription to the its digital issues. Check the latest on the NFL official magazine here.
Husni’s Believe It or Not! A Record 107 New Titles Arrived to the Newsstands for the First Time in October
November 2, 2011This one is for the record books. At least 107 new titles arrived to the nation’s newsstands for the first time during the month of October. It has been a long long time since the number of new magazines arriving to the newsstands exceeded the 100 mark.
There were a lot of specials, a lot of book-a-zines and a lot of titles hoping to publish four times or more. In fact 24 titles from the 107 were launched with the hope that they will publish at least four times a year.
Feast your eye with a selection of the new October magazines, and remind yourself when you hear that newsstands’ sales are down, the magazine industry is in trouble, the marketplace is shrinking and we are surrounded by doom and gloom, remind yourself that there are still some brave souls out there who are still willing to take a gamble on launching a new magazine, an ink on paper magazine.
Rather than cursing the marketplace, light a candle and visit a newsstand near you. You will be surprised with what you will see. Go and judge for yourself, you do not have to take my word for it. Just see what the folks who produced these 107 new titles have to say about the magazine industry, whether their magazines are specials, one shots or 12 times a year. They are all out there and I have bought each and every one of them.
It’s a Fun, Fun, Fun Fun Magazine: HGTV Magazine. The Mr. Magazine™ Interview with Sara Peterson, HGTV magazine Editor-in-Chief
October 3, 2011
Here is the latest birth announcement from the magazine world hospital delivery room: Hearst Communications and Scripps Networks proudly announce the arrival of their second child HGTV magazine. Welcoming the baby is big brother Food Network magazine and the Godmother of both children, Hearst Magazines’ Editorial Director Ellen Levine.
The two siblings, HGTV magazine and Food Network magazine, share the same DNA and it shows. The bright colors, the scripted type, the cable channel celebrities, the intelligent fun, and the addictive content are all there. The newborn has a lot to live up to, after all, its big brother Food Network magazine has proven to be the most successful birth of a new magazine in the last three years. Yet, at the same time, the newborn HGTV magazine has a very good example to follow, and it is already following. From the publishing schedule (one test issue now, followed by another in Jan. 2012) to the extensive focus groups and meetings with potential readers and customers, the first issue of HGTV magazine shares a striking resemblance to the first issue of Food Network magazine.
However, HGTV magazine is an entity on its own, and the determinants of success or failure are going to depend on the magazine itself and not on its siblings. Early vital signs are excellent and the buzz around the birth of this new title is more than positive. After all, this is a major launch of a print (that is ink-on-paper) magazine from a major publisher.
To find more about the launch of HGTV magazine and the story behind it, I reached out to the magazine’s proud and happy mama, editor-in-chief Sara Peterson (who used the word fun at least 17 times during the 20-minute interview) and I asked her about the magazine, the timing, the ink on paper and her expectations of the new child. What follows are, in typical Mr. Magazine™ Interviews format, the sound-bites first, followed by the very lightly edited conversation with Ms. Peterson.
First the sound-bites:
On the magazine concept: A fresh, fun, home-style magazine, that wasn’t out there.
On the magazine audience: It’s a new kind of home magazine for all of the people who still love magazines.
On ink on paper: We still believe in the visibility factor of a magazine. People love to thumb through and read and look at it and save pages and experience it on paper.
On the competition: This is a different kind of magazine in that we bring a lot of fun to the pages. We want to entertain the reader from the first page to the last, just like the TV shows.
On the focus of the magazine: We are devoted to the little changes that have a big impact.
On the brand: It’s so important to spend a lot of time knowing your brand inside and out, really understanding the brand and the reasons people love it, go to it and what they expect from it.
On the service to the readers: We want you to live with what you love, so we will help by giving you options.
On her biggest fear: It’s so hard to be the captain of the ship and think like that. It’s not my nature to be that way. You have to stay positive and confident that you have done your best.
On what makes her tick and click: It’s just about creative expression for me.
And now for the conversation with Sara Peterson, editor-in-chief of HGTV magazine:
Samir Husni: Why now and why in print?
Sara Peterson: When Ellen Levine, who is the editorial director of Hearst, and I started talking about this project a year ago, I kept thinking ‘This is a really popular brand.’ People are huge HGTV fans – millions of people watch this network. So many people love it and describe themselves by saying ‘I’m addicted to HGTV’ or ‘I’m obsessed with HGTV.’ We really felt like we had a built-in audience and that it was the next extension that made sense for the brand. We felt like we could produce a fresh, fun, home-style magazine, that wasn’t out there. We felt there was an audience for it, and we had the partnership to create that kind of magazine.
SH: Why ink on paper?
SP: HGTV is all about being multi-platform. We have this great partnership where we are now HGTV on television and HGTV dot com. We also meshed the TV and magazine together by doing a show on the magazine that aired last week. We felt like that was the next extension for the brand, and there are millions of people who love magazines, so why not try to create one that’s fresh and different? It’s a new kind of home magazine for all of the people who still love magazines.
(The numbers for HGTV, by the way, are: 1.7 million Facebook fans, 82,000 followers on twitter and 5.6 unique visits to the HGTV website each month)
We still believe in the visibility factor of a magazine. People love to thumb through and read and look at it and save pages and experience it on paper. We believe that.
SH: Are you expecting success like the Food Network Magazine?
SP: I just hope people love the magazine – knock on wood. Food Network is a huge success and so, yes, it is something to follow them. I have learned a lot by working with Ellen (Levine) who also worked on Food Network Magazine. We hope it will be a big success and that people will find it as something new and different.
SH: What’s your major challenge in launching this magazine?
SP: I spent a lot of time thinking about how to translate the HGTV brand into print. We spent so much time thinking, “Do we have all the content that we need?” Because people watch HGTV for so many reasons – real-estate to renovation, household help, landscape and DIY projects.’ I am constantly pushing myself to make sure we have a really dense magazine that covers all the home topics that we want to talk about. I think about that every day.
I am also thinking “Is the reader getting a lot of bang for their buck in this magazine?” Are we tackling all the topics that have to do with life at home? Are we packing this magazine with creative ideas for a fun life at home?’
This is a home magazine that needs to talk about everything that people deal with at home, whether it’s decorating, entertaining, cleaning, lawn mowing or picking out light bulbs. We want to talk about everything that goes into your life at home. That is a huge topic. I’m always wondering if we put enough different ideas in the magazine. People can never have enough ideas, because there are never too many ideas for your home.
SH: What’s the good thing going for HGTV Magazine?
SP: I think it is so fun and fresh and different that it will be a big surprise. One of the things that will surprise people most about the magazine is that it goes far beyond decorating. We’re much more than a decorating magazine. We are about all the things people have to deal with at home. I am really proud and feel like we have a success because we are so fun and different in that way.
We also work hard to keep the entertainment factor in mind. HGTV shows are a great way to learn and get great ideas, but you are also entertained. This is a different kind of magazine in that we bring a lot of fun to the pages. We want to entertain the reader from the first page to the last, just like the TV shows. We are always asking each other if we have we made the story fun enough and given it all the great information. Have we “funned” it up enough? It is really what we want to do for the reader. For example, we have a section called “fun decorating” because that’s exactly what we want to do.
We also love makeovers, but all different kinds of makeovers. You don’t have to renovate your entire house. There are lots of little things you can do to have big impacts. That’s really important now, especially in this economy. People are spending more time at home but can’t always afford the big “renos,” like remodeling the kitchen or adding on to the house. There are little things you can do to not only maintain and increase the value of your home, but that also make it a little happier.
The magazine has a story called “Front Door of the Month,” and we show how you can do small things like paint your front door, swap out your welcome mat or try new flower pots and make your whole house look different. It’s like giving your house a “curb appeal” make over.
We are passionate about those little things that make a big difference in your home. I think that is how we are different from other home magazines. We are devoted to the little changes that have a big impact.
SH: As you know, Hearst succeeded with the Food Network magazine, but failed with Lifetime magazine. So it seems it is not just enough to have a television audience for a magazine to work. What are you doing to ensure HGTV magazine will work?
SP: It’s so important to spend a lot of time knowing your brand inside and out, really understanding the brand and the reasons people love it, go to it and what they expect from it. We were very thorough in that. We took the magazine prototypes to focus groups all around the country. This is a national magazine, so we wanted to hear from all parts of the country. We really listened to what they expected from a print extension of the HGTV brand. I listened very carefully to that.
You also have to say “How are we different, how are we doing something new?” It’s twofold – you’ve got to know your brand and you have to challenge yourself to make something original. I felt like we did that. We have an audience that wants to hear about real life at home. This is not a magazine that lectures readers on how to have the perfect house or the perfect room or the perfect paint color. We want to be a fun, lively, cheerful and friendly magazine. We felt that this was a new concept and original enough that people would love it.
SH: If I give you a magic wand and you strike this first issue of HGTV Magazine and a human being comes out, who would it be? If you could humanize it who will it be?
SP: When I worked at Coastal Living, I always referred to the reader as Sandy Shore. What is Sandy wanting from this magazine? What does she expect? What does she like? We really built this profile and got to know her. We knew where she shopped, the kind of seafood she liked and what she liked to cook. I don’t have a name for our reader yet, but I think this person would be someone who really enjoys and takes pride in their home. They really feel house-proud and think it is fun to try new ideas and express creativity inside and outside their home.
The magazine is for all homeowners, men and women. There is a topic for everybody, just like HGTV shows. They love color and would probably wear colorful outfits. I am looking at the cover now and the pillows on it are fun and colorful. They are conversational, fun and peppy – someone you would want to have coffee with. I think I would go have chips and salsa with this person.
SH: That fun appears in a lot of pages of the magazine, including the page which you carry different colors and variation of the cover image…
SP: I think that is fun. The idea came about because we were thinking of the similarity of watching an HGTV show. It’s fun to watch along, and you feel like you are a part of the show. You get to think “What would I do in this situation? What house would I buy? Or which kitchen renovation would I choose?” That is the fun participation aspect to watching the shows. We were trying to translate that involvement and participation into print. We thought it would be fun to show different options that the reader could choose. Maybe you want your sofa to be yellow, maybe you want it to be pink. It’s fine with us, we don’t have decorating rules. We want you to live with what you love, so we will help by giving you options.
SH: What’s your biggest fear?
SP: It’s so hard to be the captain of the ship and think like that. It’s not my nature to be that way. You have to stay positive and confident that you have done your best. Think about that time you first had people over to see your grandson; that’s kind-of how I feel. It’s out there now and in people’s hands. They’re looking through it and judging it – good and bad. And we are going to listen to them. Of course I want people to love the magazine, but I know that this is a process, and we have to adapt as we go.
SH: What makes Sara tick and click? What makes you get out of bed?
SP: Creative expression. I would not be in this business and go to work every day if I could not find a way to creatively express ideas that people can relate to. Whether I’m doing that at work, at my home or shopping for shoes, the same phrase pops into my brain. I think I heard Woody Allen say one time he couldn’t imagine not making movies even if no one came to see them. It’s just about creative expression for me.
SH: Thank you.
Behind Every MASK, There is a Great Woman: The Story of MASK The Magazine. The Mr. Magazine™ Interview with Kimberly Cabral
September 28, 2011First it was the organization, next came the printed magazine. Next will be the movement that will take Mothers Awareness on School-age Kids (MASK) to every family, every school and every neighborhood with the aim “to educate both parents and children about the issues facing our youth today and to empower children to make safe, healthy choices.” That is the mission of MASK The Magazine and the mission of the woman behind the MASK Kimberly Cabral.
When I saw the first issue of MASK The Magazine, I was hooked. I was fascinated by the concept and puzzled about who, in their right mind, would start a magazine with such a mission. No sex, no celebrities, no chocolate recipes, no diets, just pure Engagement, Education and Empowerment. I had to get in touch with the woman behind the three Es of MASK The Magazine. I knew this magazine is much more than a business plan. It is a labor of love, and it shows.
I reached out to Kimberly with a host of questions, somehow, more about the organization behind the magazine, the movement, the passion rather than just the magazine. I felt the need to unMASK the woman behind the MASK. What I discovered, was exactly like I guessed, a labor of love that is manifested on every single page of the magazine, the web, and the organization. Kimberly Cabral is on a mission and she is not leaving any MASK undone until every child is able to “make safe, healthy choices.”
In a typical Mr. Magazine™ Interviews, here are the sound-bites first, followed by the entire interview with Kimberly Cabral:
On the reason for MASK, the organization: At MASK we believe that educating kids is great, but in order to make a real impact, the whole family unit/community should be informed and be able to reinforce the messages.
On launching a print magazine: Many people, myself included, see value in the hard copy of books and magazines because they can keep them and refer back to them when needed.
On the ultimate goal of MASK: If the MASK organization or MASK The Magazine can engage, educate and empower families, then we are one step closer to changing statistics.
On the intended audience of MASK: The goal of MASK The Magazine is to reach families! Specifically, families with children entering school to those who are reaching adulthood.
On what makes Kimberly click: I love being part of something that is making a difference, and it is surreal to be doing something you feel that you were born to do.
And now for the complete interview with the founder of MASK, the organization and the magazine:
Samir Husni: MASK, the magazine came after MASK the organization… What is the story of MASK the organization?
Kimberly Cabral: The idea for MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-age Kids) came about four years ago during a car ride with my son, who would soon be entering middle school. The conversation I had with him that day opened my eyes to the realities our kids face, as early as elementary school. As a result of that conversation, I started gathering information, and I was alarmed to discover while there are great awareness/prevention programs out there, they didn’t start educating until middle school and high school. I thought, “Why are they waiting to start then, when the behaviors start in the elementary years?” From there, I approached three friends who also shared the same concerns as I did. We decided to develop a program that began in the entry level of school and would educate as they grow. We partnered with and were trained by experts in the various fields, and we began conducting meetings on a variety of topics of concern, including the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, bullying, Internet safety and self-esteem.
SH: Why did you decide to launch a print magazine in this digital age? Is there a future for print?
KC: At MASK we believe that educating kids is great, but in order to make a real impact, the whole family unit/community should be informed and be able to reinforce the messages. We soon realized that, although our meetings were informative and well-received, we live in a time-deprived society, and many people don’t have time to schedule another commitment. I feel so passionately that the information we provide can be life-saving, so in order to reach a larger audience, we launched MASK The Magazine.
Although MASK The Magazine is also available digitally, I believe there will always be those who prefer print in this digital age. Many people, myself included, see value in the hard copy of books and magazines because they can keep them and refer back to them when needed. The generational gap that has existed over decades seems to be even wider today as a result of technology. There are a still a large number of families who don’t use the Internet, or are not well educated about it. We want this publication to be available to all.
SH: It seems to me that you are more than passionate about this subject matter. What is in it for Kimberly to be doing this?
KC: As a mother of a blended family of five, I know how important it is to keep up with the latest trends and influences in our children’s lives. I was a stay-at-home mom, living in a safe neighborhood, with time to devote to my children and volunteer at their schools. Once I became aware of what was really going on, it became my passion to inform others and help open the lines of communication between parents and their children. Growing up, I could have been the poster child for someone who easily could have “gone the wrong way” based on the choices I had in life and the decisions I could have made, but didn’t. I had my full share of deficiencies and challenges growing up. Luckily I had people who made a difference in my life: a high school Spanish teacher who took the time to listen, and a CHP Officer who took me under his wing after my uncle (his colleague) died. Looking back, I was given a gift, and as I see it now, I feel that I have been fortunate to find my “life’s purpose.” I am driven by the desire to help in any way that I can, and as an organization to help bridge that generational gap between families and communities. If the MASK organization or MASK The Magazine can engage, educate and empower families, then we are one step closer to changing statistics.
SH: You are trying to reach such a general audience, from parents of young children to those with college kids… do you think this is possible in this day and age?
KC: The goal of MASK The Magazine is to reach families! Specifically, families with children entering school to those who are reaching adulthood. I recently was able to interview our student writers of MASK The Magazine (Our S.A.T. section, list). In talking to them, I was invited into their world, and they confirmed to me what deep down I have believed to be true: kids want to be understood, they need our guidance as parents, and they want to matter and be heard. We have only published three issues so far, and not only do we have the “buy in” from parents, we are getting positive feedback from the kids/students themselves.
SH: What are some of the methods you are using to spread the word about MASK, both the organization and the magazine?
KC: In addition to spreading the word about MASK through our school awareness presentations, we also use social media to get the word out, including our website (www.maskmatters.org), blogs, facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. We are partnering with like-minded businesses and organizations. We send press releases to media outlets, conduct television interviews, attend events, and generally “pound the pavement” to inform as many people as possible about our organization.
SH: What are your expectations for MASK, both the organization and the magazine?
KC: We have received magazine subscriptions from across the United States and internationally, which is thrilling. Currently in development is MASK’s National Student Awareness Kit which will be made available to any individual school that requests it. The kit will include prevention material, videos, reinforcement strategies, and all information needed for educators to self-teach MASK’s educational programs.
SH: Lastly, what makes Kimberly get up from bed in the morning? What makes you tick and click every day?
KC: I love being a mom! I love my kids and I love kids in general. Every time I see a new baby, in the back of my mind I think “one more”. I love being part of something that is making a difference, and it is surreal to be doing something you feel that you were born to do.
SH: Thank you.
To learn more about MASK click here and be sure to check MASK’s MASKer Aide Gala, Friday Oct. 21, 2011 in Scottsdale, AZ.
Mr. Magazine 