Connect.
With a network that reaches 90 million households and a Web site that attracts about 8 million unique visitors every month, the Food Network offered sponsors valuable online and on-air packages. However, the lack of a print component in these packages left sponsors on their own trying to reach target groups through piecemeal buys in food and general-interest publications.
The Food Network partnered with The Magazine Group to publish a strategic 24-page "smart" magazine to offer sponsors an extension of the online and on-air package. The Magazine Group created the first magazine to tie in with Wal-Mart's Super Bowl party campaign and worked with the Food Network to develop branded editorial content specifically for football—and food—enthusiasts, including Food Network recipes, entertaining tips, and interviews with on-air talent like Paula Deen and Robin Miller. The magazine also featured a number of ad pages set aside exclusively for Wal-Mart.
Engage.
One million copies of the magazine were distributed in 2,000 stores and The Magazine Group provided a digital version of the magazine that was posted on Wal-Mart's Web site. The magazine was a powerful branding tool for the Food Network, generating such an impact with consumers that many who had seen neighbors' copies (and even stolen them!) called to get on the mailing list and get their own copy.
Using Food Network content—instead of advertorial content—The Magazine Group combined the best of traditional magazines with the best of custom publishing: The Food Network maintained the integrity of its brand and engaged readers in entertainment/lifestyle content, while Wal-Mart gained exclusive promotional exposure and sponsorship plus flexible distribution through retail, events, mail, and online.
Grow.
Through this "smart" publication, The Magazine Group helped the Food Network gain a powerful competitive edge, offering sponsors a unique 360º multiplatform campaign that surrounds consumers with print, online and on-air content. Sponsors are rewarded with customer engagement that outperforms other media buys, while the Food Network captures the revenue that sponsors were previously spending with other magazines. The Magazine Group continues to work with the Food Network to create successful themed magazines for additional sponsors such as Beringer.
