It’s safe to say we’re all aware that there have been significant changes over the past couple of years in the print world. Newspapers are not as plentiful as they used to be and magazines seem to be opening and closing faster than a revolving door.
When Condé Nast shut the pages of Gourmet, some thought the food magazine industry was finished. Almost one year later, the future looks brighter.
According to our PR account supervisor, Megan Bykowski (mbykowski@stephanbrady.com), food magazines are far from endangered. They’re simply reinventing themselves by finding their own niche.
That niche seems to focus more and more on Middle America. “DIY,” “easy,” “quick,” “simple,” and “fast” speak to the new group of food enthusiasts – foodies, moms, working women, stay-at-home dads and the middle class.
“In choosing Bon Appétit over Gourmet, Condé Nast reflected a bigger shift both inside and outside the company: influence, and spending power, now lies with the middle class.” – New York Times, October 5, 2009
Following this trend, some of the new titles that have popped up (or are about to) on magazine stands include:
Ready Made – Focusing primarily on the DIY movement, this pub contains information on every type of home project imaginable, including kitchen projects such as canning, recipes, home grown veggies and more.
Yum! Food & Fun Magazine – Designed for kids who love to cook and the parents who cook for them. It includes recipes for busy moms who want to feed their kids delicious, healthy, fun food.
Dash – This magazine offers a fun mix of fast and easy recipes blended with some inspiration from best-loved food brands Bon Appétit, Epicurious, Gourmet and PARADE.
These new publications present advertising opportunities for food marketers who focus their messaging on appealing to Middle America. How can your product fit into the “easy” and “quick” mold?
For those of you still pining for Gourmet, you can visit them online at gourmet.com.
