• by Larry Dobrow , September 30, 2003

Note to Procter & Gamble, BMW and Sony: Fine Homebuilding does not want your advertising dollars. This isn't a reflection on your products, nor is it a commentary on your corporate practices. It's just that unlike nearly every other publication, Fine Homebuilding has no desire to feature any company whose reach extends beyond the home-construction space. Seriously.

"We look at our advertising as an extension of our content," explains group publisher Tim Schreiner, who doesn't believe the mag's near-religious adherence to the policy is limiting. "I can see how it would be tempting if you're not making your ad goals to try and get cars or watches or cologne. But in the long run, it's better not to compromise what you're about."

Of course, with Taunton's financial muscle behind it, Fine Homebuilding can afford to be pickier than many of its peers. Similarly, having been around for 23 years and boasting one of the industry's highest renewal rates, the magazine probably enjoys more leeway with its readers than most publications. Schreiner, however, discounts both of these factors in defending the mag's ad practices. Most important to him is protecting the sanctity of his pages for core advertisers.

"We don't deal off the rate card," he notes flatly. "Everybody gets the same rates and advertisers are paying top dollar for the ads. One of the reasons they're willing to do that is that they know their ads are going to be in an environment where everything is construction and remodeling. They won't find themselves next to psoriasis cream."

Alternately billing itself as the largest residential how-to construction magazine in the U.S. and, in a recent press release, as "the bible of home improvement," Fine Homebuilding attempts to maintain a strict editorial focus as well. The magazine is written and edited by professionals in the field, lending it an authoritative tone that might actually be a bit intimidating to newbies. Its readership is split 50-50 between home-improvement aficionados and small contractors/custom builders. "We're not a magazine for the guys who own companies that build huge developments," Schreiner notes.

Published eight times per year, Fine Homebuilding's circulation recently edged over the 300,000 mark; around 100,000 copies are sold on the newsstand. Keeping with the exclusivity theme, the magazine is pricier ($7.99 per issue, $37.95 for a one-year subscription) than competitors like Builder and The Journal of Light Construction. Readership is 90% male, with an average household income of around $100,000 and an average age in the mid-40s. Schreiner projects 525 ad pages for 2003, up from 475 in 2002.

Given all this, the magazine's upcoming redesign seems almost risky - if the formula is working so well, why mess with it? While Schreiner acknowledges that Fine Homebuilding was "starting to look a little dated," he believes that changing times demanded a design upgrade. "The world gets more and more visual every year," he explains. "It's good that we can think about something like this when things are going well. Look at BusinessWeek and Fortune - they're redesigning because they're not having such a great year."

Cheap shots at multimillion-selling titles notwithstanding, Schreiner and co. are aiming to nudge Fine Homebuilding towards the mainstream. The company recently co-sponsored a regional builder's show and hopes to up its profile at similar events in the future. Schreiner also confirms talks with Hollywood types about a FH-branded television show: "It's not something we've done or even considered before. We're going to research it thoroughly."

A jump in circulation is likely as well. In the best-case scenario, Schreiner hopes to increase circ by 10 to 15% per year, which would put the magazine in the neighborhood of 400,000 in 2005. He's also optimistic about boosting Fine Homebuilding's appeal among the home-improvement junkies fueling the growth of chains like Home Depot and Lowe's.

"Home Depot says that 30% of their customers are what they call 'home perfectors,'" he notes. "If we can capture that audience, we'll be well on our way."