• by Erik Sass , March 1, 2012

New York Launches Design Title

New York is launching a stand-alone title focused on home design, titled New York Design Hunting, the publisher announced Thursday. Edited by Wendy Goodman, the debut and future issues of this once-a-year magazine are planned to coincide with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, which is scheduled May 19-22 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center this year.

According to the publishers, the magazine will combine aspirational and practical design coverage, including features, service journalism and listings. It aims to exploit the popularity of Goodman’s weekly online “Design Hunting” feature, email newsletter, and social media pages. The email newsletter has the highest open rate and most active subscribers of New York Media’s various newsletters. Goodman is also responsible for New York’s twice-annual design issues as well as its “Great Room” features, in addition to authoring several books.

The shelter category as a whole has struggled following the collapse of the U.S. housing market. However, the New York market may be relatively immune to broader trends; some high-end titles did well in 2011, with Architectural Digest posting a 9.1% increase in ad pages to 911, and Elle Décor up 5.1% to 1,176, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. This Old House saw ad pages increase 8.2% to 546, while Veranda jumped 17.2% to 550. At New York, ad pages grew 5.5% to 2,608 in 2011, also per PIB.

Du Jour Set to Launch

Niche Media founder Jason Binn is launching a new magazine for the ultra-affluent: Du Jour. Set to launch this fall, the multiplatform print and digital publication was created in collaboration with Gilt Groupe and Hudson News and Dufry’s James Cohen. It targets top-tier opt-in subscribers, who can become premium members of personalized weekly email newsletters.

It will focus on top U.S. markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas, and San Francisco, where roughly 80% of the sales of all luxury products and services are located, in addition to seasonal regions, like the Hamptons, Aspen and Sun Valley.

Editorial will cover various lifestyle categories, including fashion, travel, dining, entertainment and business. The quarterly print oversized glossy will have 235,000 printed copies. All magazine recipients will also receive a weekly digital email newsletter. 15,000 copies will be displayed at premium newsstands throughout the U.S.

Bicycling Introduces Buyer’s Guide for iPad

Bicycling is launching a Buyer’s Guide for the iPad, which features a range of expanded and enhanced content, much of it not available in the print edition of the guide. The digital version offers 137 total bike reviews, including 65 bikes that are not in the print version; 360-degree images of select bikes; more detailed coverage of 50 bikes from the print issue; and triathlon and time-trial information that does not appear in print. Altogether it offers a combined total of 223 total reviews of new bikes, gear and apparel. The print version is also getting a makeover, with heavier paper stock, more detailed reviews, and bolder photography. The iPad issue is free to subscribers; non-subscribers can buy it for $5.99 from the App store.

Shape "Get Fit" Goes Interactive

Using digital watermark technology, Shape is making its “Get Fit” editorial section interactive with how-to videos and slide shows. Custom-designed “Interact with Get Fit” icons appear throughout the section, inviting readers to scan them to view the special video content on their mobile device. The feature was produced in partnership with ASICS, whose branding is integrated into the mobile editorial content. Examples include branded mobile pages, gear guides and product placement within custom videos. “Interact with Get Fit” will appear in six issues in 2012, starting in March.

McCarthy Directs Brand Insights for Cooking Light, MyRecipes

Eileen McCarthy has been named executive director of brand insights for Cooking Light and MyRecipes, where she will be responsible for leveraging consumer, syndicated, and proprietary insights for the brands. Previously, she was executive director of marketing and strategic planning at Bon Appétit.