The National Magazine Company title, She, is to be revamped in the
new year, as it battles against tough competition in the ’middle youth’
magazine market from Emap Elan, BBC Magazines and Wagadon.
The magazine will sharpen its focus on women aged between 30 and 39 and
its February issue, which is due out on 8 January, will feature a more
modern cover and sport a new logo.
NatMags has also added two sections, one which focuses on couples and
relationships and a section called ’Small Talk’, which will put the
emphasis on issues affecting babies and children.
Nadia Dawson, the publisher of She, said: ’Over the past year, She has
conducted research into the market and our readers. We found that
readers wanted more excitement. Rather than doing something for
everybody, we are setting our sights on the specific market of ABC1
30- to 39-year-olds.
We have changed the tone of She and made it much more upbeat.’
Dawson added that it has been ten years since such major changes were
made to the title’s tone and content.
To reflect the change in outlook, She will carry a new tagline, ’Inside
the head of a thirtysomething woman’, which replaces the existing line,
’A great balance for modern women.’
An advertising campaign promoting the changes to She is set to run in
other NatMags titles alongside a poster campaign.
She suffered a year-on-year circulation decline of 4 per cent in its
last ABC audit (January-June 1997), alongside IPC’s Options magazine and
Gruner & Jahr’s Prima.
She is defending itself in a tough market which has seen a number of
launches aimed at women in their 20s and 30s.
In September, Wagadon launched Frank, aimed at older women seeking a
more intellectual editorial approach and, in October, BBC Magazines
unveiled BBC Family Life, targeted at mothers with children aged between
four and 11. In January, Emap Elan is also set to enter the crowded
market with a magazine entitled Red, targeted at thirtysomething women.
