Jo Elvin, Editor-in-Chief of Glamour remarks: “Glamour was a brilliant innovation, a star was born, and as the front runner in the market we gave women the editorial they craved how and when they wanted it. Embracing digital from day one, brand reach has grown - Glamour has never reached more people than it does now - and as the context has changed, now is the moment to recalibrate in response to our readers’ changing lifestyle and needs.”
From January, the magazine itself will become larger in format, recognising the print experience is now regarded as more luxurious and indulgent, most likely to be consumed at home, compared to when the magazine launched in 2001 with its handbag size, at a time when snacking on the print edition throughout the day was the norm. Not only will the size increase, but the paper stock will be enhanced both in weight and brilliance to “amplify” the content. This will ensure the print medium and experience is maximised, says Glamour.
Together with the change in size of the print edition comes a step-change in editorial strategy, defined by and crafted for the platform the content appears on. So, in the case of print, the fashion editorial will have greater standout, becoming ever more immersive with the stunning photography being given the space to breathe, while the features will flourish in a new layout. Fashion Director Natalie Hartley is working closely with the new Glamour design team, lead by Art Director Lisa Rahman, taking the print title in a more sophisticated direction, as conceptualised by Jo Elvin.
Glamour.com is migrating to a new, mobile first platform, better suited to serving its smartphone dominated audience on the move, and aiming to ensure the Glamour brand is the first choice in the busy ‘always on’ lifestyle of its audience seeking up to the minute fashion and beauty inspiration and celebrity news. Data driven content analysis will ensure engagement is maximised. The addition of a prominent new Glamour Video channel will comprise an archive of Glamour footage, as well as a number of new creative franchises aimed squarely at the “video obsessed” millennial audience.
The Glamour social media strategy has had similar rigorous focus, continues Conde Nast, following the principle editorial approach that the content must be created specifically for the individual platform on which it sits. For example, Art Director Lisa Rahman, has overall responsibility of Instagram, reflecting its highly visual aesthetic, while Social Media editor Kat Brown is responsible for social media content across channels.
According to the publishers, the editorial team is entirely joined up in its approach across platforms, with all attending the 9am daily news conferences run by Jo Elvin, while Digital Strategy Director Natasha McNamara ensures the various online channels are aligned and delivering to the content specific mantra.
“With these significant changes the Glamour brand is evolving to better serve the changing needs of its audience and its advertisers in the digital age. A bigger, brighter canvas in print; a more accessible, agile approach in digital marks the start of an exciting next chapter for the Glamour brand,” comments Jamie Jouning, Publishing Director of Glamour.
The publishers say that a ‘paid for’ relationship with its audience remains the Glamour route of choice to market but that they are exploring tightly targeted sampling opportunities with like-minded partners, whilst also developing alternative paid for distribution channels.
The new Glamour brand strategy will debut in January 2017, and with the February 2017 issue, on sale from 5th January.
