Consumer Magazine Division Re-named ACP Magazines

11 April 2007

ACP Media Consumer Magazine Division Re-named 'ACP Magazines'

ACP Media has re-branded its consumer magazine division 'ACP Magazines' following a period of intense activity, including several new launches and re-launches of existing titles.

"ACP Media's consumer magazine division is New Zealand's largest magazine publisher, with 17 glossy magazines and more than 170 staff. This new identity emphasizes the core focus of our business: producing editorially excellent, innovative, high-quality magazines," says Debra Millar, Group Publisher, ACP Magazines.

The new name also brings the New Zealand magazine division into line with the international 'ACP Magazines' brand, which operates in four regions: New Zealand, Australia, South-East Asia and the United Kingdom. The name change coincides also with the launch of a new website promoting ACP Magazines' New Zealand business activities - www.acpmagazines.co.nz

"ACP Magazines' new identity leverages our global scale as well as our leadership position in the New Zealand magazine market," says Debra Millar. "We will continue to look for innovative opportunities to enhance our New Zealand range of titles and associated product offerings. Obviously, where we can, we look to benefit from access to the insights and experience gained by our parent company and its diverse international operations."

In the past 18 months, ACP Magazines has launched four new magazines - 'FQ Men', 'Taste' and New Zealand editions of 'NW' and 'Dolly'. It has also successfully re-launched iconic titles 'Woman's Day', 'North & South' and, 'The Australian Women's Weekly NZ Edition'.

Complementary Service-Based Offerings
One area of development is service-based journalism, where magazines provide not only entertainment and information, but also interactive offerings which strengthen a magazine's engagement with readers.

"Take our food magazine, 'Taste': Its website attracts around 800 unique customers each day and we have 5,500 subscribers to our weekly email newsletter. These services reinforce our brand and create loyalty. As a consequence, 'Taste' has performed extremely well, with an inaugural circulation audit of 22,793 to December 2005," Debra Millar says.

ACP Magazine's market strength was reinforced at the 2006 Magazine Publisher's Awards last week, where it took 18 awards, including Best Mass Market Magazine ('Australian Woman's Weekly NZ Edition') and Best Contract Magazine 'Little Treasures'. Other titles receiving multiple awards were 'Your Home and Garden', 'Next' and 'Woman's Day'.

While consumers are choice-rich in how they receive entertainment and information, their love affair with magazines continues unabated, according to Debra Millar.

"Magazines foster a sense of community. The very first women's magazines gave a female voice to issues never discussed elsewhere. They provided a forum for asking advice, sharing ideas and offering inspiration."

"Our tastes, lifestyle and relationships may have evolved. But we still reach for a magazine when we need to escape or be entertained. ACP Magazines' passion is to understand, keep pace with, and inform and inspire our readers. Our new brand is a reflection of this," says Debra Millar.

ENDS

© Scoop Media