Meredith Corp.’s Hispanic Ventures arm will relaunch its Espera and 12 Meses parenting magazines under the Ser Padres umbrella in April 2009.
Espera, catering to expectant mothers, will be renamed Ser Padres Espera, and 12 Meses, which focuses on the first year of an infant’s life, will become Ser Padres Bebe. The relaunch leverages the brand strength of Ser Padres, an 18-year-old title that Meredith relaunched last year.
“One in every four births in the US is to a Hispanic mother, and we need to make sure the magazines deliver what they need,” said Ruth Gaviria, executive director of Meredith Hispanic Ventures. “From a content perspective, we have looked at what pregnant women want and are adding sections like pregnancy fashions.”
Gaviria went on to describe Hispanic mothers as young women who are negotiating American values and values from their country of origin, looking for the tools that will help them bridge cultural differences.
“The Hispanic pregnant woman is often younger than the usual market, and the field is not as conservative,” she said. “The sweet spot for us is 25-30 years old, which is where Hispanic women are having babies.”
Both titles follow a controlled distribution model. Ser Padres Espera, published three times per year, reaches expectant mothers at OB-GYN offices. That magazine is increasing its circulation by 35%, to 1.05 million. Ser Padres Bebe will follow the 12 Meses distribution model, reaching new moms as part of a sampler bag handed out at maternity wards. Its circulation is 600,000.
Ser Padres Espera and Ser Padres Bebe will depend on cross-promotion with sister titles and conference participation to build brand awareness.
To further engage readers online, Meredith will launch the bilingual Mimosblog.com on August 4. The blog, written by Ser Padres editors, will address the concerns of Hispanic mothers from prenatal care through preteen years and offer interactive features such as photo albums. A full Web site is expected in the next 18 months.
