Few would argue that the consumer magazine market is short of
women’s lifestyle glossies, so IPC SouthBank’s pounds 3m re-launch of
60s ’style bible’ Nova and Emap Elan’s rumoured resurrection of Frank
look like risky moves.
The Nova launch is particularly audacious, as IPC can’t assume that the
20- to 30-year-old women in its target market have ever heard of the
original Nova, which folded in 1976. The comeback might generate
excitement in some corners of the style set, but this won’t give IPC
SouthBank much of a head start. For the most part, the publisher is
going to have to build the Nova name from scratch.
So, entering a crowded market with a long-forgotten brand -what’s IPC’s
game?
The publisher’s problem is that there is too much of a lifestage jump
between SouthBank’s three women’s titles - 19, Marie Claire and Women’s
Journal. Nova’s mix of edgy fashion and lifestyle features is designed
to stop IPC losing readers who want something different to these three
staples.
Colin Reeves-Smith, managing director of IPC SouthBank, says, ’It’s all
about needing spread. We have to have titles to hand on to our readers
as their lives change. If we don’t, we just give all that loyalty and
learning to a competitor.’
Also, with Marie Claire packing ads into 400-page issues, IPC can afford
to be bullish with advertisers. Nigel Conway, client services director
at MediaVest, which handles the Chanel account, says; ’You just have to
look at how well Vogue is doing to see that it’s a commercially sound
proposition.’ Conway argues that the magazine will help IPC SouthBank
appeal to more premium advertisers, building on the strong fmcg base it
has with existing women’s titles. Neil Ivey, director of Mediacom, which
looks after Procter & Gamble, says, ’I’m very keen to put our brands in
there. If it’s as good as the old one it stands a huge chance.’
Some of its potential competitors are more cynical about IPC’s motives
for re-launching Nova. Nicholas Coleridge, managing director of Conde
Nast, says IPC is trying to make itself look sexy in preparation for a
flotation, rumoured to be on the cards for next year. ’They want to make
people think they are a dynamic company, launching lots of magazines,’
says Coleridge.
He also doubts Nova threatens his star title, Vogue. ’I’d be amazed if
IPC invests enough to give it the calibre of Vogue - they haven’t done
so before,’ he says.
Like the Monty Python parrot, Frank is not dead, but merely
’sleeping’.
Suspended since June, its acquisition from Wagadon by Emap was supposed
to herald its relaunch. But Emap faces a bigger battle bringing it back
to life than IPC does with Nova. For one thing, the magazine very
recently lost its editor, Harriet Quick, to Vogue, where she will be
fashion features editor.
Also, if Frank is to occupy the top end of the fashion sector, it will
be up against Vogue and that alone lessens its chances. Coleridge, for
one, doesn’t think Frank will be able to cut it: ’It’s too esoteric,
it’s underfunded and has the name of a lumberjack mag.’
