Reader’s Digest Canada is capitalizing on Canadians’ love of food this holiday season with the launch of a new section in its flagship publication and a new French-language app.

Open Kitchen is the new section in Reader’s Digest helmed by new food editor Valerie Howes. It will include food ideas, personal stories from readers, kitchen gadgets, celebrity quotes, book reviews and tips. The section will also feature co-branded recipes from Reader’s Allrecipes property.

The new section is getting an extra promotional boost this month with a newsstand special publication being packaged with the December issue of Reader’s Digest and available online to subscribers. The 48-page booklet is branded Allrecipes.ca and is sponsored by Kraft Canada.

The mediaco is also reaching out to Francophone foodies with the debut of its Dinner Spinner app in French. The app – the English version of which has over 500,000 downloads – features a recipe generator activated when the user enters an ingredient, dish type or cook time.

Advertising opportunities on the app are available monthly, a spokesperson for Reader’s Digest confirmed, and offer brands ‘100% share of voice in four high-profile ad positions’ across the app. Sponsorships are available for the app only, or bundled with a buy on Allrecipes.qc.ca.

Both new initiatives are part of the mediaco’s effort to capitalize on the strength of its multiple brands, and bring the brand’s audiences closer together, Robert Goyette, VP and EIC, Reader’s Digest Canada, tells MiC.

‘The idea was to have an integrated opportunity in print and online in both French and English, which enables us (and our advertisers) to more closely connect with our readers. Over the last year Reader’s Digest has successfully deployed a multi-brand and multi-platform strategy, and this new venture is perfectly aligned with this strategic direction.’