• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, July 29, 2008

Seeking to establish a presence in the trendy area of "wellness," women-focused e-publisher and ad network Glam Media has launched its own wellness vertical.

Encompassing "mind-body-spirit, empowerment and a healthy planet," Glam Wellness includes content from some 20 sites and publishers, including Natural Solutions Magazine and Earth Pledge, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainable practices.

"It's about getting to know the goddess within," said Joe Lagani, vice president and general manager of Glam Wellness and Glam Living.

The vertical is designed to give brand advertisers access to women who are passionate about wellness, including launch sponsor and nutritional snack maker SoyJoy.

"We see a great deal of potential in this channel to allow advertisers to reach women who are passionate about wellness," said Lagani, who formerly served as publisher of Conde Nast's House & Garden.

Glam Media's vertical content network now features six separate channels, including style, living, entertainment, health and family, and wellness.

The obvious question is whether the market can support another content vertical, particularly in the hugely fashionable area of wellness. At least one analyst thinks it can.

"I think that if it weren't for the aging of the population, it would probably be too much," explained Bill Cook, SVP of research and standards for the Advertising Research Federation. "But that trend alone, I think, will support a much larger market for wellness even than we're seeing now."

Glam Wellness' online publisher network, which represents over 3 million unique monthly visitors, also includes BeThree.com, Conscious Living TV, EcoFabulous, EatingWell, Lifescript, Low Impact Living, among others.

Topics currently addressed on the Glam Wellness Channel include healthy vacations, de-stressing, healing habits, green buying, eco-friendly cleaning, art therapy and reflexology, to name a few.

According to Lagani, wellness has been a part of Glam's DNA from its beginning. "Dianna Mullins, one of the key co-founders of Glam is a serial entrepreneur who has spent her life immersed in issues of women's empowerment," he said.

Earlier this year, Glam raised $84.6 million in financing, which valued the company at approximately $500 million. CEO Samir Arora recently told Online Media Daily that Glam is targeting revenue of $100 million by the end of next year.