Plans for the debut of Pursuits, a weekend luxury magazine from The Wall Street Journal, have stretched to global proportions.
The September 2008 launch initially focused on the US market. However, ad opportunities inspired executives to distribute the glossy in Europe and Asia as well. Europe’s Style Journal and Asia’s Weekend will fold to make way for Pursuits. However, rather than deliver a uniform product worldwide, European and Asian editions of Pursuits will be tweaked to better serve local markets.
“We were talking to a lot of global brands, and it was an opportunity to do big, worldwide multimedia platforms.” said Jamie Friedman Altschul, associate publisher and advertising sales/marketing director of Pursuits, of the decision to launch simultaneously worldwide. “The demand was there, and we have the opportunity to take advantage of it because we’re one of the few global products out there.”
The company will distribute 800,000 copies of Pursuits as inserts in WSJ’s Weekend Edition. Europe will receive another 80,000 copies in its weekend edition, and 80,000 more will be inserted in WSJ Asia. The inserts will only be found in subscriber copies of the paper.
Ads will be sold in packages across WSJ properties, including its Web site. Executives at WSJ expect many of the paper’s core advertisers to buy space in Pursuits, at a general rate of $90,000 for a full-page color spot.
“It also opens us up to those with magazine targets who love the audience but need the glossy environment,” added Altschul. “Pursuits is much more lifestyle focused, so certain brands who love us, who run campaigns and messages in the paper, now can run something different in the magazine.”
WSJ is searching for art directors and an editorial department staff with magazine experience for the glossy.
