Rogers Media to custom-publish magazine for Wal-Mart starting in April

Rogers Media is to custom publish a magazine for Walmart Canada called Walmart Live Better. It's the outcome of a request for proposal earlier this year and the ministrations of the ad agencies JWT Toronto and Mindshare Canada which developed the concept and strategy for the magazine. 

Rogers will create the content (food, home, health, beauty and fashion) for the 6-times-a-year magazine, starting in April, according to a story in Marketing magazine. Rogers will also sell 3rd-party advertising and a full-page ad will cost $27,000. Walmart will handle distribution of 1 million copies an issue  through its Walmart supercentres.

“We’re creating a vehicle to really extend that brand promise of live better, and a magazine with deep content is the way to do it,” said Jacqueline Loch, vice-president of Rogers’ Content Solutions group. “It’s a believable, credible way to get engagement with consumers.”

There are plans to produce a French edition starting before the end of 2013 and an iPad version. There will be the usual ancillary items such as a dedicated microsite, an e-newsletter and e-blast and branded social media.