• by Michael Shields , January 18, 2005

2004 was the most successful revenue year in the 69-year history of Time Inc.'s Baby Talk. So it stands to reason that its publishers would decide to revamp the entire magazine.

Although pages were up 3 percent and revenue was up 6 percent in 2004, during that time the group behind the magazine discovered that their approach needed a major adjustment.

"There was an opportunity to build a more meaningful proposition with readers," said Publisher Greg Schumann.

Until recently, Baby Talk was demographic-focused, edited according to the age of babies (at six months, at nine months, etc). Starting with the February 2005 issue, the magazine debuts a whole new editorial approach--one based on mindset rather than age.

With the editorial revamp comes a host of new columns and sections, such as "Baby Steps," "Dad's Side," and "5 Ways to...," along with a design overhaul (no more pink, but rather baby blue).

According to Schumann, Baby Talk, part of Time Inc.'s the Parenting Group, had been too preoccupied with assuming that all mothers were in the same place when their babies reached a certain age.

"You can be in a room with two moms, both with six-month-old children, both first-time moms, and you can't just say 'These are their needs," he said. "One mom can be confident, and one very unsure of her decisions."

Based on nine months of intensive focus group research, Schumann and his team kept hearing from moms that they didn't want to be told how they should be feeling or reacting at each stage.

Instead, they wanted the magazine to speak more to their state of mind. "It's really about mindsets," said Schumann. "We found that moms went through three stages: 'anticipation' (before the baby arrives), 'concentration,' and 'integration.' Nobody else has talked about the psychographics."

When moms are in 'concentration' mode, they are seeking assurances wherever they can find them. Every issue they have with their newborn is elevated to the highest level of importance.

Then somewhere along the way, these moms graduate to 'integration,' as their confidence increases.

"They talked about the 'moment of deep breath' that comes," Schumann said. "You have to realize that every mom travels at a different pace."

That's why a demographic approach to the editorial wasn't serving the moms who traveled at a slow pace. Thus, Baby Talk needed to be re-configured.

"We need a unique focus," he said. "You need real focus if you are going to serve their needs."

In addition, the magazine is being written in a way that doesn't overwhelm these already overworked new mothers. There is an emphasis on practicality and small victories--like getting in a few extra hours of sleep or baby having a really nice trip to the park.

Schumann is hopeful that the risky shift for Baby Talk will be well-received. "It's a lot more than a redesign. It's a true repositioning. We are changing the approach totally. It's a different magazine."

Advertisers who have seen the new Baby Talk appear to believe in the new concept. According to Schumann, the February issue is the second-largest in history, up 21 percent in ad pages year-over-year.

In addition to being embraced by its core advertisers, Schumann says that the magazine has benefited this past year as more non-endemic brands have targeted new mothers, who are almost a blank slate when it comes to brand affiliation. "New moms are a very opportunistic consumer," he said. "They revisit categories--they reassess every purchase and brand decision."

Just as advertisers are likely to be reassessing the new Baby Talk.