Reader’s Digest Association Inc.’s Selecciones celebrates its 35th anniversary and Hispanic Heritage Month in October with a signature franchise issue and event.
Since its U.S. launch in 1971, the title has served as a voice for Hispanic families in world news, health issues, parenting advice and celebrity exclusives.
“For us it is about the importance of celebrating our 35th anniversary and recognizing the future of the Latino community,” said Elizabeth Bradley, publisher of Selecciones, New York.
Selecciones has a circulation rate base of 375,000, with 80 percent coming from subscriptions and the rest from newsstands. A yearly subscription costs $20.56, and a single newsstand copy is $2.99. The publication’s circulation has climbed 87 percent in the past six years.
“We sit in a wonderful place in terms of our brand, with 10 editions around the world,” Ms. Bradley said. “Our readers are foreign born, and we welcome them with a brand that they know.”
Direct response television is Selecciones’ biggest source for gaining new readers, she said. The magazine also is targeting retailers for more exposure.
“We are doing more marketing to retailers because it is also a benefit for them to bring more attention to their customers and stores,” she said. “We have displays in more than 700 retailers across the United States.”
Selecciones also has partnered with the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion in Los Angeles, which runs promotions for the magazine.
Ms. Bradley said that she sees television, rather than any print titles, as competition.
“It comes back down to our product, which is about empowerment and having a practical side,” she said. “We bring the power of longevity and a more intimate relationship than what comes from a TV.”
The title’s ad revenue has soared more than 400 percent in the past five years.
“We count on our older advertisers, but more have been coming in from the general marketplace,” Ms. Bradley said. “I think our story really resonates with advertisers, and our integrated marketing campaigns really appeal to them as well.”
To commemorate its 35th anniversary, Selecciones will hold an awards luncheon and media event Oct. 4 in Miami. The meeting will honor seven Hispanic teens for their talents, accomplishments and contributions to their communities. Seven personalities drawn from TV, music, athletics and politics will present each teen with an award and a $2,500 scholarship donated by McDonald’s Corp.
“These seven teens have all overcome personal obstacles and exemplify the will and determination to succeed,” Ms. Bradley said. “This is the message we try to put out with our magazine.”
The magazine will reproduce its original 1941 and 1971 vintage covers for the October issue, creating a collector’s edition for readers and further incentive for advertisers.
Additionally, Selecciones will launch advertiser and consumer initiatives such as customized retail programs, brand-building grassroots events and other distribution opportunities throughout top Hispanic targeted cities.
“Our magazine is the flagship of our enterprise, and our readers take pride in the recognition that we give them,” Ms. Bradley said. “We are a reader’s magazine and are expected to have a brand to fill that message of empowerment.”
