When British Cosmopolitan hit the newsstands in February 1972 it caused a sensation. It was the first magazine aimed at young women that dared to tackle sex and relationships head on – needless to say, it sold out within 24 hours. It was clear Cosmopolitan’s ground-breaking formula was going to be a success. Now, 38 years since launch, British Cosmopolitan is still at the top of its game.
The magazine market has come a long way since we launched all those years ago. However, our ability to innovate and evolve for each generation ensures we remain absolutely core to today’s young women. Whilst our brand USP of inspiring women ‘to be the best they can be’ in all areas of their lives is still as relevant in 2010 as it was in the 70s, today’s audience lives in a much more accelerated world. Magazines are just one of many mediums she engages with, so to continue to cut through the ‘media noise’, we recognised the need for the engine of the Cosmopolitan brand (the magazine) to be refuelled. It is out of this ‘engine’ that other key strands of Cosmopolitan extend, whether it’s the website, events or licensed product ranges.
It’s for this reason that the current (July) issue of Cosmopolitan has a whole ‘new look’ and features a range of changes including new fonts, a brighter jewel-coloured palette, a revised flat plan and new sections and content. The reenergised design amplifies Cosmopolitan’s upbeat message and reinforces the magazine’s core brand pillars.
Our readers will find new sections that augment our core franchises such as:
• Man Manual – A dedicated man section which underlines the Cosmo brand as the authority on men
• Cosmo’s Happy List and Cosmo Upfront – New sections at the front of the magazine replacing Cosmo News which include hot and relevant trends for the month and key fashion, beauty and celebrity stories
• ‘Sex and the Single Girl’ and ‘Sex and the Not So Single Girl’ – Inspired by the book ‘Sex and the Single Girl’ by the legendary Helen Gurley-Brown (Editor-In-Chief of Cosmopolitan International). We have enhanced these features from columns to fully dedicated pages
We know our audience intrinsically and our reader is the heart of everything we do. By giving her more of what she loves, every part of the magazine reflects her energised world. The ‘new look’ Cosmopolitan is even more glossy and aspirational and ensures we can continue to command a premium cover price on newsstand – one that is 70% more than many of our rivals.
Beyond the magazine, the Cosmo brand stretches across multiple platforms – a fast-growing and increasingly important website, a multi-million pound licensing business, books and annual events – all of which bring Cosmopolitan to life beyond the printed page and engage with our readers at different levels. The magazine redesign is just one part of our multi-platform development and we will be announcing new extensions imminently. This, combined with our intimate relationship with our readers and unique content, will ensure Cosmopolitan continues to remain one of the most dominant women’s magazines in the UK for the next 40 years and beyond.
