After five months of publication, Quebec lifestyle mag Vita magazine launched its online version, Vitamagazine.ca, on Feb. 3. The site and mag are published by Montreal’s Transcontinental Media and target stylish Francophone women ages 40 and older, with information on health, fashion and travel.
Beyond lifestyle content, Vitamagazine.ca is a forum where users can blog, rate content, participate in surveys, enter contests and swap stories. The interactivity is intended to boost time spent on the site and encourage word of mouth.
Transcontinental hopes the narrow focus will allow for greater differentiation, thereby increasing user engagement. Furthermore, data collection from user profiles will allow for customized promotions and email. Bruno Santerre, product manager at Transcontinental Media, suggests that Internet users over 40 are generally overlooked by online communities and that the site works to fill this need.
The site offers superbanners, skyscrapers, interstitials and contest buttons, and newsletter banner ads will also be available. Current online advertisers include RBC, Bank of Montreal and Walt Disney.
Transcontinental is enthusiastic about the site’s reach potential given that the mag’s audience is among the fastest growing demo in Canada, and accounts for about three-quarters of the nation’s wealth. Vita‘s print circulation was 75,000 copies, as of fall 2008.
Vitamagazine.ca will be promoted with a contest, which will be advertised throughout the Transcontinental magazine network.
