Luci Rathan, ex-publisher of Loaded, has turner her back on the
magazine world to join postcard advertising pioneer Cardguide.
The 32-year-old has been appointed managing director of Cardguide,
taking over from co-founder Mimi Smart.
Rathan made her name in magazines, most recently as publisher of Loaded
and Eat Soup - a job she quit last year to go travelling.
She was also the publisher of Woman, Woman’s Own and Woman’s Weekly and
spent 18 months as strategic planning manager under IPC’s then chief
executive Mike Matthews.
At Cardguide she will take over from Smart, a former art director who
launched the concept of postcard advertising in her native Sweden before
taking it to the UK in 1992. After touting the idea around London, Smart
found 50 venues willing to display her cards. Cardguide now has 250
upmarket bars and restaurants on its books, a list of advertisers which
include Beck’s, Chanel and Harvey Nichols and a turnover of more than
pounds 1million.
Rathan will also oversee the development of www.card-guide.com. The site
features virtual postcard stands whereby users can pick and send
’e-postcards’.
It also contains a ’VIP room’ - where media planners can get feedback on
their campaign by monitoring the popularity of their postcard - and
links to clients’ sites.
Smart said the company was continually looking for sales staff,
preferably with two to three years experience.
Cardguide has a policy of banning logos or pack-shots on the front of
its cards. It charges pounds 4,815 for printing and displaying a card
for one month in London.
