Emap Metro has appointed a publishing director to concentrate on
its youth titles, Smash Hits and Big!.
Margaret Heffernan, the general manager of Smash Hits, will be
responsible for the teenage titles and a marketing spend of around
pounds 6 million next year. Marcus Rich, who recently moved to
Australia, was previously in charge of Emap Metro’s youth and men’s
titles.
Heffernan commented: ’Our main aim is to dominate and innovate in the
youth market. I want to sell more copies than our rivals.’
She is looking to increase the advertising exposure of Big!, which has
previously relied on on-pack promotions. She added: ’Big! could sell
more copies - I’m trying to turn the magazine around. I will do
something extra with it, possibly taking advertising on to cable
television.’
According to ABC figures for January to July, Smash Hits achieved 90 per
cent growth in circulation over the previous year to 383,422, compared
with 422,127 for Top of the Pops magazine, its biggest rival.
Big! - a fortnightly title aimed at a core readership of 12- to
13-year-olds - achieved a 17 per cent rise in circulation in the first
half of this year to 204,086. It competes against BBC Magazines’ Live &
Kicking and Attic Futura’s TV Hits.
Heffernan was behind Smash Hits’ return to television advertising in
August after a two-year break, with a pounds 1 million spend on ITV and
Channel 4.
The commercials, created by Dolphin, were designed to give the magazine
brand more ’attitude’
