1
MARKETING NEWS ZenithOptimedia forecasts 3.9% global ad-spending jump ........................................... 2
QR Code scanning isn’t just a young person’s activity ................................................. 2
Quad/Graphics Invests in Pixability to Tackle Online Video Market ................................ 3
Tablet shoppers are three times more likely to buy than smartphone shoppers .............. 5
PUBLISHING NEWS 74 New titles arrive on the marketplace in April ......................................................... 5
Catalogers book the highest conversion rate in the Top 500. ....................................... 6
Hispanic magazines ad spending up by 22.4% in First Quarter, 2013 ............................ 7
Rodale launches international editions of Women's Health ........................................... 8
W boosts ad pages by 29pc in May issue ................................................................... 9
RETAIL NEWS Consumer Confidence Index improves in April ......................................................... 10
Kohl’s opens West Coast IT office ........................................................................... 11
Safeway names CEO ............................................................................................. 12
Target to sell Wired-endorsed products ................................................................... 12
ECONOMIC UPDATE
GDP: 1st quarter 2013: 2.5 percent, 4th quarter 2012: 0.4 percent.
Unemployment Rate: the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.5 percent in April.
Consumer Confidence: which had declined in March, increased in April. The Index now
stands at 68.1 (1985=100), up from 61.9 in March.
May 6th, 2013
2
MARKETING NEWS
ZenithOptimedia Forecasts 3.9% Global Ad-Spending Jump
Alexandra Bruell , Ad Age . 4/29/2013
Publicis Groupe's ZenithOptimedia predicts global advertising expenditures will grow 3.9%
in 2013, reaching $518 billion by the end of the year. That's down slightly from the 4.1%
the agency forecast in December, but "mainly because 2012 turned out better than we
expected, leaving tougher comparatives for 2013," according to the report.
ZenithOptimedia's forecast shows an upward trend for ad investments in the Middle East
and North Africa—a first for the region since the Arab Spring in 2011. It also calls for
spending surges in rising markets like Latin America.
Although the group is hopeful that the eurozone will start to pull out of recession toward the
end of the year, which could strengthen the global ad market, it expects that ad-spending
growth will remain behind GDP growth. Its forecasts for 2014 and 2015 are unchanged at
5.0% and 5.6%.
Mature markets, including North America, Japan and Western Europe, are on track for
spending growth of just 1.8% in 2013. Spending in rising markets -- every other region --
should rise 8.2%.
Despite low expectations for mature markets, the U.S. should continue to serve as the
biggest contributor of new ad dollars to the global market. The agency expects the region to
contribute 28% of the $76 billion that will be added to global spending between 2012 and
2015. Due to slow economic growth, the agency predicts a modest 3.5% increase in ad
spending for 2013, but momentum of 4.3% in 2014 and 4.8% in 2015.
The agency predicts that rising markets will contribute 63% of growth between 2012 and
2015 and increase share of global ad spending from 34% to 38%. High-growth markets
include Latin America and various regions in Asia and Eastern Europe. In the Middle East
and North Africa, it's forecasting 5.5% growth in ad expenditure this year; 6.8% in 2014;
and 8.9% in 2015.
QR Code Scanning Isn’t Just A Young Person’s Activity
Staff , Marketing Charts . 4/29/2013
QR code scanning – once the domain of the younger crowd – is becoming more evenly
distributed across various age groups, according to data released by ScanBuy. The
company, which says it processed a new high of 6.7 million scans via ScanLife in March,
reveals that 57% of mobile barcode scanners were aged 35 and older in Q1, up from just
41% a year earlier. In particular, the 45-54 (18% share, from 12%) and 55 and older
(14%, from 9%) groups represent rapidly growing proportions of scanners.
3
During that yearlong period, the biggest drop came from the 25-34 crowd. In Q1 2013, that
age bracket constituted 35% of mobile barcode scanners, but that’s now down to 25%.
While QR code scanners seem to be getting older on average (a trend first noted here),
their gender split hasn’t changed that significantly. In Q1, 65% of scanners were male,
which is slightly (but not drastically) down from 68% in Q1 2012. In terms of operating
systems, Android remains the leader at 57% share, up from 53% a year earlier, while iOS’
share has dipped 2% points to 41%.
The study also shows that QR code scanning tends to be popular throughout the week, with
14% share of scans occurring each day from Tuesday through Friday during Q1. Scanning
volume did go up slightly on the weekend (16% on Saturday; 15% on Sunday) before
dipping on Monday (13% share). Scanning volume also tended to rise after lunchtime and
see sustained levels of activity until the primetime hours.
Other Findings:
The most scanned QR code campaigns in Q1 connected users to product information,
social media, and mobile commerce. The top industries, in terms of scanning activity, were retail, food and beverage, and
wireless.
Quad/Graphics Invests in Pixability to Tackle Online Video Market
Press Release , Quad/Graphics . 5/1/2013
Quad/Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: QUAD), a leading global printer and media channel integrator,
has purchased a minority interest in Pixability, a YouTube-certified marketing and
advertising company that works with brands, e-commerce firms and agencies to improve
video marketing results. Leading brand marketers and publishers will have access to a
powerful solution that allows them to easily and effectively incorporate online video with any
of their marketing channels to engage prospects and customers -- from awareness to action
through to customer support.
"Online video is the fastest growing marketing channel in the world today, and Pixability's
proven approach to YouTube marketing and advertising fits well with our media solutions
video offering, which includes strategy, concepting, creating, producing and delivering
online video for leading brands," said Joel Quadracci, Quad/Graphics Chairman, President &
CEO. "Like Quad/Graphics, Pixability understands the importance of getting the right
message in front of the right audience to trigger the right action. Together, we offer a
robust, single-source solution that creates, optimizes and connects content across multiple
channels in a way that provides the greatest return on marketing spend."
The investment further strengthens Quad/Graphics' integrated solutions for multichannel
marketers and publishers by adding strategic expertise for a rapidly growing and effective
media channel. With the funding, Pixability will continue to expand its proven, cloud-based
video analytics and YouTube marketing software platform.
4
According to Bettina Hein, Founder and CEO of Pixability, the online video market is
booming, doubling year over year and making YouTube one of the world's most important
media channels. "Pixability works with many of the top brands as they shift toward YouTube
and online video for brand awareness and business growth," she said. "Quad/Graphics'
world-class clients, multichannel marketing expertise, and scalable video production
capabilities have proved to be both strategic and effective. Pixability adds the critical video
marketing and advertising dimension to Quad’s expansive media solutions video offering."
Pixability makes online videos highly effective for marketers and advertisers in two key
ways:
Increasing brand awareness through YouTube and online video by working with clients on
video content strategy, channel architecture, video messaging, relevant views, subscriber
growth, web and mobile video strategies, and community identification and engagement.
Driving business both in-store and via e-commerce by precisely identifying and reaching
audiences with compelling video content and messaging that is more likely to guide a
commerce decision.
Pixability combines its cloud-based video marketing and advertising platform with its team
of YouTube-certified experts to offer:
YouTube content marketing such as video content strategy, channel architecture, video
search optimization, and social media engagement. Pixability provides content strategy,
establishes measurable metrics, and ensures that the content performs.
YouTube advertising using hyper-targeting technology to identify and engage prospects who
are more likely to become customers. Pixability reaches qualified audiences with a targeted
message and relevant call-to-action.
"Pixability and Quad/Graphics share a passion for advancing the effectiveness of marketing
and communications in a multichannel world," Quadracci said. "Pixability's offering
supplements and strengthens Quad/Graphics' ability to launch video from the printed page
using our industry-leading interactive print solutions to increase consumer engagement with
our clients' video assets."
Said Hein: "We are excited to be partnering with a world-class media channel integrator like
Quad/Graphics. The investment and partnership represent a fundamental and critical
movement in the future of advertising and customer engagement. With Quad/Graphics, we
are not far from the vision of one video per product SKU. Why? Because video is becoming a
critical part of the commerce equation."
Progress Partners represented Pixability in the transaction.
For more information, including a video featuring Joel Quadracci and Bettina Hein on what
this investment means for marketers and publishers, visit http://pixvid.me/PixPR.
5
Tablet shoppers are three times more likely to buy than smartphone shoppers
Katie Deatsch , Internet Retailer . 5/2/2013
Consumers use tablets similar to the way they use a PC—to compare products and buy, a
new study says. They use smartphones for quick actions like checking a price or finding a
store.
Indeed, the tablet conversion rate is 2.2% while smartphones come in at 0.7%, according
to the new research from Adobe Systems Inc. titled “The State of Mobile Benchmark Q2
2013.” Conversion rates on computers, meanwhile are 3.3%, the report notes.
Shoppers also visit 70% more pages on a site when using a tablet compared to a
smartphone, visiting an average of 1.7 pages per site visit on tablets. The research looked
at mobile browsing statistics of more than 150 billion visits to more than 1,500 sites in the
U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Japan and China between January 2012 and February 2013.
The specific mobile shopping statistics are based on an analysis of more than 500 retail web
sites in December 2012 across those same countries.
When consumers browse the web via a smartphone, Apple Inc.’s iOS and Google Inc.’s
Android mobile operating systems are the most popular, the report also notes. While that
may not be surprising in the U.S., it was true across all six countries Adobe examined.
Android and iOS account for nearly 90% of smartphone Internet browsing in the six
countries. In the U.S., the U.K. and France, iOS is the leading smartphone operating
system. In Japan and China and Germany, Android leads. When it comes to web use
stemming from tablets, iOS and the iPad lead, with more than 77% of Internet use across
the six countries examined.
Across all countries, smartphone web users visit telecom, media and entertainment sites the
most. While retail web sites are the most popular sites for tablet users to visit, followed by
auto and hospitality sites.
PUBLISHING NEWS
74 New Titles Arrive on the Marketplace in April
Samir Husni , Mr. Magazine . 5/3/2013
There was no let down in the number of new magazine introductions to the marketplace in
the month of April. A total of 74 titles arrived on the newsstands for the first time including
one magazine, One True Vine, with a cover price of $39.00. Yes, you read that right, one
issue for $39.00.
Joining One True Vine are 23 other titles published with a regular frequency and 50 specials,
book-a-zines or annuals.
6
Catalogers book the highest conversion rate in the Top 500
Kevin Woodward , Internet Retailer . 4/30/2013
Catalog and call center retailers in the 2013 Internet Retailer Top 500 guide outperform
retail chains, manufacturers and web-only retailers in one important e-commerce metric:
conversion rate. As a group, they have the highest average conversion rate of 5.1% in
2012, an improvement from 4.7% in 2011.
Indeed, catalog and call center retailers have consistently had the highest average
conversion rate among the merchant types in the 10 years since the publication of the first
Internet Retailer guide to e-commerce, called the Top 300 in 2003.
One big reason is that these retailers typically send catalogs focused on specific products,
such as gifts or pet supplies, to consumers who buy those products. “Because we have
specifically targeted push campaign, we are reaching a highly targeted group,” says Paul
Lazorisak, vice president of customer marketing at Harry and David Holdings Inc., a gift
retailer that is No. 132 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 guide. That means consumers who
view a Harry & David catalog often have every intention of making a purchase when they
visit the retailer’s e-commerce site, he says.
“The catalog is the largest single driver of traffic to the web,” says Stephen Lett, president
and founder of Lett Direct Inc., a direct marketing consultancy. “While the Internet has
become the preferred way to place an order, consumers still prefer to shop from a print
catalog.”
In 2012, the average conversion rate for web-only retailers was 3.4%; retail chain, 2.7%;
and consumer brand manufacturers, 2.2%.
While catalog and call center retailers enjoy a chart-topping conversion rate, their sales
growth is not as fast as that of some other types of merchants in the Top 500. As a group,
catalog and call center retailers grew 320.85% over the past decade, generating 2012 sales
of $24.62 billion, up from $5.85 billion in 2003. That places those merchants behind web-
only Top 500 retailers, which grew 842.0% over the 10-year growth period, and retail
chains, whose web sales increased 360.6%. Catalogers only bested consumer brand
manufacturers’ growth, which grew 201.5% for the 10-year span.
The story is similar for 2012 compared with 2011. Total 2012 sales for catalog and call
centers, meanwhile grew by 9.9%, while web-only retailers, with $91.56 billion in 2012
sales, lead the Top 500 with a 24.8% increase in sales from 2011’s total of $73.39 billion.
Catalog and call center retailers suffered the largest decrease in e-commerce market share
among the four types of merchants, losing 6.5% in 2012 compared to the prior year, while
web-only retailers—aided by Amazon.com Inc.’s continued strong growth—gained 6.3%.
7
Hispanic magazines ad spending up by 22.4% in First Quarter, 2013
Staff , Hispanic PR Blog . 5/2/2013
Hispanic magazines posted a 22.4% increase in estimated ad dollars in the January –
March, 2013 three month period compared to the same period in 2012 while ad pages were
up by 2.0%, according to the most recent estimates from HispanicMagazineMonitor™.
Total ad spending in the first quarter totalled $49.1 million – up from $40.1 million in last
year’s first quarter. Perhaps of most significance, the $49.1 million in measured ad spending
represents the highest First Quarter total since measurement of Hispanic magazine ad
spending began in 2002 by Media Economics Group. First quarter spending was higher than
the previous first quarter peak of $44.7 million achieved in 2008 prior to the recession.
Time’s People en Español led the list of Hispanic magazines in the first quarter with $14.0
million in ad revenue – a 21% increase from previous year. Vanidades ranked second with
$6.5 in revenue (+51%), followed by Latina at third with $5.8 million in ad revenue
(+7.0%).
In addition to Vanidades, two other titles from Televisa Publishing ranked in the top 10
among Hispanic magazines: TV y Novelas ranked fourth with $4.7 million (+14%) and
Cosmopolitan en Español ranked eighth with $1.9 million in ad revenue (+48%).
Meredith Corporation also accounted for two of the top ten titles: Siempre Mujer ranked
sixth with $3.4 million (+25%) and Ser Padres ranked seventh with $2.9 million (+4%).
Hearst’s Cosmopolitan for Latinas which launched and published two issues last year,
debuted with a quarterly schedule this year. It’s Spring, 2013 issue ranked fifth among all
Hispanic magazines in the first quarter with $3.6 million in estimated ad revenue on 55.66
ad pages.
Rounding out the top 10 were Impremedia’s Vista newspaper-inserted magazine with $1.2
million in ad spending (-14%) and TV Notas with $942,710 (-26%).
Procter & Gamble again led the list of Hispanic magazine advertisers with $13.2 million in
spending during the first quarter. P&G alone accounted for over one-quarter (26.9%) of all
spending in Hispanic magazines and in addition accounted for nine of the ten brands with
the most spending in Hispanic magazines. P&G’s top brands/campaigns ranged from “Have
You Tried This Yet?/Ya Probaste Esto?” special advertising section, cosmetics brands like
CoverGirl, hair brands like Clairol, OTC health products brands like Vicks Nyquil/Dayquil, and
personal care brands like Crest and Tampax.
Rounding out the top three were two other companies with many personal care related
brands: L’Oreal USA with $7.2 million ranked second (+14.7%) and Estee Lauder
Companies ranked third with $1.4 million in spending (+2.9%). Altogether, Procter &
Gamble, L’Oreal, and Estee Lauder accounted for nearly half (44.5%) of all spending in
Hispanic magazines in the first quarter.
Personal care categories like Cosmetics ($7.8 million), Haircare ($4.3 million), and
Skincare/face ($3.3 million) lead Hispanic magazines – not surprising, perhaps, given the
preponderance of women’s titles and other entertainment and general interest magazines
8
with a largely female readership. The Household supplies category ranked fourth with $3.2
million in spending and a 26% increase. Food products ranked fifth with $2.7 million in
spending (-4.5%). Auto spending has declined sharply in recent years and in the first
quarter ranked ninth with only $1.8 million in spending (-10.5%).
Rodale launches international editions of Women's Health in the Netherlands, Poland and
Spain
Press Release , Wall Street Journal . 5/3/2013
Rodale Inc. today announced the continued international expansion of Women's Health, one
of the industry's fastest-growing women's lifestyle brands, with three new editions
launching in European markets: Women's Health Netherlands, Women's Health Poland and
Women's Health Spain. Today's announcement brings the number of global Women's Health
editions to 23, across 42 countries.
"We are in the perfect position to expand such a relevant brand with our global partners,"
said Rob Novick, Senior Vice President, Rodale International. "Women's Health performed
well out of the gate in several international markets, which has allowed us to develop their
global business quickly and confidently."
Motorpress-Rodale, a joint venture created by Rodale Inc. and Motorpress Iberica and
publisher of Men's Health Spain and Runner's World Spain, will publish Women's Health
Spain. "The launch of Women's Health in Spain will help Motorpress-Rodale strengthen its
market position in the lifestyle segment," said Alberto Saborido, the company's CEO. "With
Men's Health and Runner's World well-positioned for over 11 years, the Women's Health
launch will cover an untapped niche in a very tough market: Women's growing need for
physical and emotional health information."
Women's Health Poland will expand Rodale's partnership with Motor-Presse Polska,
publisher of Men's Health Poland and Runner's World Poland. "It is no surprise that we are
very enthusiastic to be launching Women's Health," said Krzysztof Komar, the publishing
partner's CEO. "This year marks the 10th anniversary of Men's Health Poland, which has
been the number one magazine in the Polish market for the past two years. Moreover, we
have been publishing Runner's World for five years, also number one in its set. We have no
doubt that Women's Health will also be a great success."
Luc van Os, Chief Executive Officer of Hearst Magazines Netherlands, the leading publishing
group for lifestyle magazines in the Netherlands and publisher of Men's Health Netherlands,
said: "We see significant potential for Women's Health in the Netherlands. The brand's
global success, coupled with the success we've experienced with Men's Health, points to a
great foundation for growth."
The brand's U.S. edition, led by VP/Editor-in-Chief Michele Promaulayko and Publisher Laura
Frerer-Schmidt, is posting impressive circulation and advertising sales growth. Single copy
sales increased +9.2% during the second half of 2012 and 2013 ad pages January - May
increased +24%, and included two record revenue issues.
9
Since launching in the U.S. in 2005, Women's Health has expanded to new countries around
the world at a notable pace. The brand has a presence in key markets worldwide including
Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, South
Africa, Thailand, Turkey, UK and Vietnam.
W boosts ad pages by 29pc in May issue Erin Shea , Luxury Daily . 5/3/2013
Beauty marketers are fueling a boost in advertising pages in the May issue of Condé Nast’s
W by 29 percent, or 21 pages, compared to the year-ago period.
The magazine has seen the largest increase in beauty brand ad pages, compared to any
other industry, during the first few months of 2013. As the May issue focuses on “Modern
Beauty,” advertisers in this category want to have a presence in the issue to target W’s
affluent audience and show their luxury status.
“W is the place where brands can make a big impact,” said Lucy Kriz, vice president and
publisher of W, New York.
“Our oversized format and visual storytelling offer a powerful environment and unparalleled
engagement with our reader,” she said.
“Now more than ever, this is critical in print.”
W has a ratebase circulation of 450,000. These readers are said to have a median
household income of $155,215.
Big on beauty
The 170-page May issue of W is filled with ads from various beauty marketers.
Since there are many beauty ads in this issue, advertisers need to make sure their product
stands out to consumers.
“There are so many fragrance and beauty ads in W magazine because the people who buy
and read W are generally the people who buy such products,” said Liana Dinghile, group
strategy director EMEA at Siegel + Gale, London.
“For brands to stand out in W magazine, they must use the space wisely to draw the reader
into an experience to evoke an emotion that is less about pushing a product and more about
appealing to a desire to indulge in a moment of luxury,” she said.
“For a brand like Chanel, to take such a significant share of voice is also a statement of the
share of mind and status they assume in the luxury sector.”
Selling beauty
Spring seems to be the time when beauty marketers push their campaigns since other
magazines have seen an increase in beauty ads lately.
10
The 318-page May issue of Condé Nast’s Vogue contained many beauty and fragrance
marketers such as Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, Viktor & Rolf,
La Mer, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, Chloé, Marc Jacobs, Prada and others. With so many
fragrance and lifestyle placements, advertisers need to find a way to stand out in large
magazines.
Also, Chanel, Gucci and other luxury advertisers pushed their fragrances with famous faces
in the May issue of Condé Nast’s Vanity Fair.
Tiffany & Co., Estée Lauder, Omega, Christian Dior, Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Chanel,
Gucci, Richard Mille, Ralph Lauren and other luxury brands placed ads in the 206-page April
issue of Vanity Fair. Many advertisers are using celebrities in their placements to catch the
attention of culture-minded magazine readers.
Advertisers want to be included in publications, such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and W, to help
assert their luxury stauts.
“For a brand to advertise in a magazine like W, it is part of being seen,” Ms. Dinghile said.
“Again, highlighting its prestige and status as a luxury brand.”
RETAIL NEWS
Consumer Confidence Index Improves in April
Press Release , Whattheythink.com . 5/1/2013
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in March, increased
in April. The Index now stands at 68.1 (1985=100), up from 61.9 in March. The Present
Situation Index increased to 60.4 from 59.2. The Expectations Index improved to 73.3 from
63.7 last month.
The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample,
is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information
and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary
results was April 18.
Says Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board: “Consumer
Confidence improved in April, as consumers’ expectations about the short-term economic
outlook and their income prospects improved. However, consumers’ confidence has been
challenged several times over the past few months by such events as the fiscal cliff, the
payroll tax hike and the sequester. Thus, while expectations appear to have bounced back,
it is too soon to tell if confidence is actually on the mend.”
11
Consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved moderately in April. Those saying
business conditions are “good” increased to 17.2 percent from 16.4 percent, while those
stating business conditions are “bad” decreased to 28.1 percent from 29.1 percent.
Consumers’ assessment of the labor market was mixed. Those claiming jobs are “plentiful”
edged up to 9.8 percent from 9.5 percent, however those claiming jobs are “hard to get”
increased to 37.1 percent from 35.4 percent.
Consumers were considerably more upbeat about the short-term outlook. The percentage of
consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased to
16.9 percent from 15.0 percent, while those anticipating business conditions to worsen
decreased to 15.1 percent from 17.7 percent.
Consumers’ outlook for the labor market was also more positive. Those expecting more jobs
in the months ahead improved to 14.2 percent from 13.0 percent, while those expecting
fewer jobs decreased to 22.4 percent from 26.0 percent. The proportion of consumers
expecting their incomes to increase rose to 16.8 percent from 14.6 percent, while those
expecting a decrease declined to 16.0 percent from 17.7 percent.
Kohl’s opens West Coast IT office
Katherine Boccaccio , Chain Store Age . 4/29/2013
Kohl’s Corp. said Monday that it has opened a new IT office in Silicon Valley. The 52,000-
sq.-ft. office space in Milpitas, Calif., will be an extension of the IT team at the company’s
Menomonee Falls, Wis., corporate office and will initially employ 30-plus Kohl’s associates
with the potential to accommodate future growth, said the retailer.
Associates at the new location will support Kohl’s online sales growth and strategic focus on
omni-channel initiatives, including process automation and the replatforming of Kohls.com.
“We know consumers are seeking a seamless experience and instant access to information
whether shopping online, on their mobile device or in store,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s CEO.
“We have made significant investments in our IT and omni-channel initiatives to ensure we
have the platforms, technology and tools to allow customers to shop when they want and
from where they want.”
In addition to the new West Coast IT office, Kohl’s said it continues to expand its operations
to support its long-term growth across all of its corporate facilities, including the Wisconsin
headquarters, New York design office and Santa Monica, Calif., design office. The company
also reiterated its plans to add 12 stores and remodel 30 in 2013.
12
Safeway names CEO
Marianne Wilson , Chain Store Age . 5/1/2013
Safeway announced that Robert Edwards, currently the company's president, will succeed
Steven Burd as CEO when Burd retires as chairman and CEO on May 14. Edwards, 57, will
also join the company's board of directors.
"Since he arrived here in 2004, Robert has successfully met every challenge he has faced,"
Burd said. "He has demonstrated the ability to lead the company in all facets of its
operations, and has earned the respect of the entire organization."
Edwards joined Safeway as executive VP and CFO in 2004. In April 2012, he was named
president, with overall responsibility for the company's retail operations, marketing,
merchandising, corporate brands, manufacturing, distribution and finance functions. He
continued as CFO until Peter Bocian succeeded him in that role in February 2013.
Prior to joining Safeway, Edwards served as a senior executive at Maxtor Corporation,
Imation Corporation and Santa Fe Pacific Corporation.
Target to sell Wired-endorsed products
Lucia Moses , Adweek . 4/30/2013
Wired was born of the tech boom, but it's always styled itself as a lifestyle magazine. To
that end, it’s branched out into conferences, cultivated fashion and lifestyle advertisers, and
even put its name on a handful of limited-edition products that it’s sold in a pop-up store.
Now, in its first big retail foray, Wired is putting its name behind an assortment of gadgets
sold at Target. Target stores will feature products picked by Wired editorial staff, like an
Adonit stylus for tablets, NuForce earbuds and Olloclip camera lens for the iPhone 5. The
products will be displayed in Wired-branded endcaps (the design was overseen and
approved by Wired editor in chief Scott Dadich himself) in Target's 1,784 U.S. retail stores
and on Target.com/wired.
Wired will get an undisclosed share of the revenue, but if the history of such deals is a
guide, it won't likely reap a lot of money from the sales of products. It is, though, a way for
the Condé Nast brand to further test the retail waters, establish itself with a trendy retailer
that’s had partnerships with the likes of Neiman Marcus and Missoni, and get exposed to a
huge audience of potential new readers.
"We're trying to push Wired out and beyond the four conventional walls of how it’s been
defined its first 20 years," said Howard Mittman, vp, publisher of Wired. "The ability to
cross-pollinate opens [Target] up to affluent young men, and we get the opportunity to tap
into their scale."
The promotion will last for 12 weeks, just in time for the dads-and-grads season. If it goes
well, there's the potential for it to expand to other shopping seasons. Can Wired-branded
products be far behind? Condé Nast has taken a cautious approach to licensing, fully aware
13
that magazines run the risk of tarnishing their brand if they put their name on a product
that doesn’t hold up, much less competes with their advertisers’ own products.
Mittman said this partnership is "just the first step" and that Wired products are "certainly
something under evaluation." He added, “We really want to make sure this looks and feels
like Wired.”