IPC Puts Up £5m For Now Marketing

IPC is to invest £5m in a multi-media marketing campaign for celebrity magazine Now. The move is the latest in a series of indications from the magazine industry that some confidence is returning.

The Now campaign, designed, according to Sam Philips, IPC marketing director, to “up the ante on the marketing front”, will begin with a TV ad based around a hotel porter character. This will be followed by radio and press roll-outs, pushing a “fun, light-hearted and escapist” message to 18-34 year old females.

The celebrity market in which Now competes has become increasingly competitive in recent years, not least because of the spectacular rise of Emap’s Heat. In the July to December 2001 ABC audit Now managed to overtake the two more traditional celebrity market titans, Hello! and OK! to take a leading position, with a circulation of just over 550,000.

The company has also announced that teen title Mizz is seeking its first below the line agency, following a review of the brand’s marketing strategy. Other results of the review will include a new approach to covermounting strategy and the testing of “a number of alternative added-value marketing initiatives”. Three agencies are said to be pitching for the account, in order that an appointment can be made early this month.

There have been several similar signs of confidence in the consumer magazine market lately: In a trading statement last week, Emap declared the market “stable” (see EMAP: Consumer Mags Revenue Stable, Radio Weak), while research has indicated that so far this year there has been a year on year increase in the number of new magazines launched in the UK (see UK Consumer Mags Launches Rise In Early 2002). I Feel Good is close to the long-awaited launch of its new entrant to the men’s lifestyle market (see IFG To Launch Jack For Lads), while Future recently announced the continuation of its association with Microsoft, having the contract to publish the only Windows XP publication to be officially licensed by the software manufacturers (see Future Wins Official XP Magazine Licence). While times may still be tough when it comes to advertising revenue, it seems that a cautious optimism is returning.

IPC Media: 0870 4445000 www.ipc.co.uk

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