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in these tough times
New Amex quarterly is a companion to SkyGuide
By Lisa Schneider
The magazine business can be a devilishly counterintuitive one. The classic example of this is BusinessWeek, which, as publishers never tire of pointing out, got its start during the Great Depression, surely business's darkest hour.
So maybe it's not totally crazy for American Express Publishing to be launching a new lifestyle magazine aimed at business travelers at a time when business travelers are suffering from the twin hits of a down economy and a terrorism scare.
The new title, called Go, is a companion to SkyGuide, AEP’s monthly flight listings magazine. The first issue of Go, which has an initial frequency of four times a year, will be sent to all 160,000 SkyGuide subscribers this month.
The argument for Go is even similar to the one for the early BusinessWeek: namely, that people's need for solid information is at its greatest when times are most turbulent.
"The travel industry has significantly changed" in the wake of Sept. 11, says Janet Libert, publisher and editor of Go.
"There is such a need for information about what is going on in the travel industry. Business travelers more than anyone need to have this info because they are the core of the travel industry."
Go’s editorial content will include articles with tips on how to get through specific airports more efficiently, on health and fitness, and on the latest technologies that can help one organize one’s life.
Each issue of the magazine will also feature book reviews, reader profiles, a web site review and a Q&A with Randy Petersen, the air travel guru who has racked up more than eight million frequent flyer miles.
The spring 2002 issue will include features on "San Francisco for Your Alter Ego" and "The New Normal in Air Security."
"Our readers want to travel more efficiently more effectively," says Libert. "They want to get there, get the deal done, and get home. We’re just enhancing our SkyGuide brand by adding more editorial content."
On the advertising side, Go faces a formidable challenge, at least initially. Magazine advertising for transportation, resorts and hotels was down 24.2 percent in January versus the same period last year, according to the Publishers Information Bureau.
Travel & Leisure, which is also published by American Express, was down 32.2 percent in ad pages to 54.6. Condé Nast Traveler's pages were down 21.1 percent to 86.3.
Business magazines have been doing even worse.
BusinessWeek’s pages were off 58.9 percent in January, Forbes's were off 40.8 percent and Fortune's were off 48.6 percent.
Libert says the situation isn't quite as bad as it looks, noting that Go will carry 17 ad pages in its launch issue.
"Here’s what’s happening: These companies are being much more practical about where they advertise. But most of these companies realize that they have to advertise now more than ever."
SkyGuide carried 30.5 ad pages in January, up 46 percent from January 2001, but its revenue for the month was only $523,470. An annual subscription to the SkyGuide package, which includes a weekly newsletter, a web site, and subscriber breakfasts, costs $69.
March 6, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
-Lisa Schneider is a staff writer for Media Life.
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