Are Media’s first showcase since rebranding from Bauer Media delivered plenty of big announcements yesterday.
Not the least among them was the news that Millennial and Gen Z-focused publication Girlfriend, which currently reaches two million people per month, will relaunch in 2021.
Speaking to B&T from the event, Are Media director of sales Andrew Cook said the company was “very excited” to be able to relaunch it alongside Elle.com.au, and to reaffirm, with confidence, “the power of magazines and the brands that we have”.
“There were a lot of cheers here when the announcement came through,” Cook said.
He added that a new partnership with Adobe, through the launch of HerMatch, proved that Are Media was meeting the demands of the market on digital innovation.
“It reaffirms that we have scale when it comes to talking to women,” he said. “We really want to work with clients in terms of helping them connect with women, and we have a lot of proof points that can help them engage women in the best possible way.”
However, another thing that Cook is really excited about is working to bring back the “love affair” people have with magazines.
For context, research revealed by Are Media yesterday shows eight in ten women agree reading magazines is one of their favourite ways to escape, while 72 percent said they love the feeling of holding a magazine.
Cook said energising this area of the market is something he’s excited about for 2021.
“People are a bit over screens at times, and magazines offer that luxurious way of escaping and people value the trust that we can bring them, and the magic that we can offer them,” he told B&T.
“I think ultimately what we were trying to achieve with this showcase was making sure the market had a sense of understanding and confidence within what we’re trying to achieve next year.
“I think we will definitely knock that out of the park around the announcements that we offered … it’s nice to reinforce what Are Media is and will stand for.”
Looking ahead, Are Media in 2021 will celebrate the 25th birthday of Marie Claire Australia, and the 21st birthday of Inside Out Magazine, alongside the return of a few key, signature events.
These include the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year, the Belle Interior Design Awards, and the Logie Awards.
Miss out on the Are Media Showcase? You can read our recap of the event’s biggest reveals, here.
