Despite the industry’s ad woes, Meredith is going ahead with two magazine launches this year.
One million copies of a new women’s personal finance magazine called Millie is being mailed this week to consumers who are subscribers to Real Simple.
The company is also launching a magazine with Food Network chef Ayesha Curry, the spouse of NBA great Stephen Curry. It will be called Sweet July.
Both mags are slated to be quarterly. Sweet July faces the more daunting challenge, since it’s intended as a newsstand-only title — and despite the March reprieve, the single-copy market is expected to be tougher as the coronavirus crisis drags on.
Meredith is banking that Ayesha Curry’s social media following will translate into an audience for the magazine. Curry said in a recent Instagram post that the title draws its name from the seventh month of the year, which has proved important in her life.
“All three of our babies were born in July, we got married in July and it’s the seventh month of the calendar year. It’s the time in my life where I find I have the most joy and excitement.”
She unveiled the launch of the lifestyle magazine, which is to focus on food, family and home, in an Instagram video last week entitled “The Devil Wears Sweatpants.” The video featured two of her three kids as well as her husband, the famed Golden State Warriors point guard. The post has already generated over 700,000 views.
Meredith plans an initial newsstand print run of 400,000, with a hefty $9.99 cover price.
Millie magazine is being sponsored by Synchrony Financial, a credit card and online banking company, and will be distributed free to the 1 million Real Simple subscribers for one year.
“As the pandemic spreads throughout the country and Americans are adapting to the evolving economic circumstances, Millie’s purpose takes on greater meaning as women look for financial advice and solutions for themselves and their family” said Catherine Levene, president of Meredith Digital.
The editorial side is being handled by Catey Hill, who recently jumped from MarketWatch and will be the executive editor.