Montreal-based Reader’s Digest Magazines Canada plans to introduce a new magazine titled Best Health in March. Aimed at women 35-55, it will launch with a print run of 100,000 copies and publish six issues per year.
‘We’re very excited about the response we’ve had in the marketplace from advertisers, newsstand chains, both retailers and wholesalers, and consumers,’ Larry Thomas, publisher, Readers Digest magazines, tells MiC.
Thomas predicts that the new magazine will do well, even in its extremely crowded market sector. ‘Obviously, there’s a competitive environment out there. But we think there is a strong interest in this particular subject, and that [advertisers] are interested in being in the environment we’re going to offer.’
Thomas declines to identify advertisers who’ve bought in so far, but says, ‘There’s a broad cross-section of advertisers representing our key categories, including beauty, food and health, but also automotive and financial services.’
What Thomas calls ‘the four main pillars’ of the new publication will be: ‘beauty, food/nutrition, health and overall well being/relationships – all in the context of healthy lifestyles.’
While no online version of Best Health is planned, a supportive website – www.besthealthmag.ca – will go live on March 15.
Thomas says the new magazine will be promoted ‘primarily with DM for subscribers, inserts in newspapers, significant promotions in all major chains and online banner ads’ on websites he declines to identify.
The cover price for the launch issue will be $3.99, which will rise to $4.99 for subsequent issues. Thomas says the key rate for an ad page is $10,000.
