New York magazine’s Web site received 42 million page views during New York’s Fashion Week in February, a number it easily surpassed for the September Fashion Week event.
The title that features New York City culture can boast of more than just Web numbers. With new editor in chief Adam Moss stolen from the New York Times, the publication has expanded farther beyond the five boroughs than ever before.
“Adam’s goal was to freshen up the classic New York magazine ideas, but also in some cases he wanted them to be reintroduced,” said Serena Torrey, director of communications, strategy and business development for New York magazine, New York.
Under Mr. Moss’ guidance, the publication changed its logo and reverted to the style it used during the 1970s.
Fifty-five percent of New York magazine readers are women. The average age is 45, with most readers being with the publication since its launch in 1968.
“The goal was not to increase the rate base, but to improve on it, appealing to younger and more affluent readers,” Ms. Torrey said.
To increase renewal rates, New York magazine developed new renewal notices and improved its renewal mailing schedule to optimize response. It added two mailings and a second renewal wrap. Eighty percent of renewal promotions were replaced by new packages.
New York’s rate base is 532,000. A yearly subscription costs $17.97. Thirty percent of readers are outside the New York City area, with only 100,000 in Manhattan.
“We consider ourselves a regional magazine, but with a national message,” Ms. Torrey said.
The publication chose September’s New York Fashion Week to develop that message on its Web site at www.nymag.com. The site debuted daily content as well as blogs, interactive games, minute-by-minute updates on fashion shows, registration for favorite pages, videos of the shows and an online approval matrix.
A similar layout for the food section is now available.
“Fashion Week is one of the New York sports,” said Ron Stokes, the magazine’s director of online advertising and marketing. “That is how we needed to report on it.”
The magazine also unveiled several weekly newsletters, with editions dedicated to fashion and food.
“Our tag line is ‘covet, gorge and immerse,'” Mr. Stokes said. “We want to give readers a reason to come back online multiple times a day.”
Audio clips are available online as well.
“The audio medium builds it out more as feature journalism with searchable data,” he said.
To market its new features the magazine sent e-mail blasts through search engine placement. It kept within its normal demographics.
“We want to make our brand definition clear and able to grow at the same time as a brand for people who love New York and who are New York enthusiasts,” Mr. Stokes said.
Expansions also have been made to the print edition. These include new columnists, better photography, an expanded Strategist section and a new page called Craze. New York won the 2006 Magazine Award of General Excellence and Design.
“We really focused on online growth for 2006,” Ms. Torrey said. “But we are always evolving and changing in print to keep improving because we are never satisfied.”
