Brunico, which publishes strategy, has purchased rival Marketing from Rogers Media

Brunico Communications Ltd., the privately held publishers of strategy, has announced that it has acquired Marketing magazine, CARDonline (CARD) and the National List of Advertisers in a deal with Rogers Media. The sale is part of the divestiture of business-to-business publications that was recently announced by Rogers. 

Strategy, which was founded in the mid-80s. has until now been a competitor and rival of the 110-year-old Marketing in targetting the advertising and marketing sector; it  also publishes Strategy Daily, the email newsletter Media in Canada and Stimulant, as well as running conferences and award programs like Agency of the Year, Creative Report Card and Shopper Marketing Forum, and partner events like the CASSIES. 

It's not known yet whether there will be a straight ahead merger of titles though editorial director Mary Maddever said the intention was bringing the marketing community "the best of both".  

“We have long enjoyed a friendly rivalry between strategy and Marketing that has benefited the industry through a competitive focus on evolving content and programs to better serve the audience,” said Russell Goldstein, president and CEO, Brunico in a release on their website “Now we are excited to welcome the Marketing and CARD/NLA team to Brunico and look forward to combining forces and working with all our partners and industry stakeholders to collaborate on even greater offerings in the years to come.”

Marketing magazine was launched in 1908. It produces the Media Innovation Awards and Marketing Awards. CARD and NLA are databases designed to help media agencies and advertisers make informed media buying decisions. Marketing's key audience is made up primarily of advertisers and marketers. The print magazine says it distributes 6,000 copies per issue and says its online site has about 438,000 page views. 

Brunico founder sells out to investor group

Brunico Communications Inc., publishers of Strategy, Media In Canada, Playback, KidScreen, Realscreen and 'Boards has been sold to a group of private investors.

Brunico's founder and executive publisher Jim Shenkman, who founded the company 20 years ago, will stay on full-time for a year or so as chairman and member of the senior management team, enabling a transition to the new management. Russell Goldstein, who led the buyout group, will serve as president and CEO. (Goldstein was at Digital Cement for the past four years working with brands such as Kraft Foods, Dell, and FedEx. Prior to Digital Cement, he also worked at Rogers Cablesystems, where he was responsible for planning and launching new broadband services.)

"What excites me about Brunico are the international scope of operations, the strength and quality of the brands within the entertainment and marketing sectors, and most of all, the reputation and talent of the team that I'll be working alongside," says Goldstein, in a story published online by Media in Canada

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[Update: Mastheadonline(sub req'd) estimates that the sale price for Brunico, which was not confirmed, would have been about $10 million. It also says that Shenkman will now concentrate much of his attention on his family's major holding in the International Centre in Mississauga.]