Reader's Digest Association rebrands as Trusted Media Brands

Reader's Digest Association has dropped the name of its most famous publication to become Trusted Media Brands Inc., a title that the company feels better reflects the business it's in and its future. A story in AdAge reports that the idea is to battle the common assumption that this is principally a one-title publishers when, in fact, things have changed dramatically in the last few years in the privately held company has relied more on publishing a wide range of titles and sites such as Taste of Home, Country Woman, Birds & Blooms, Taste and The Family Handyman.

"It's not at all about distancing us from Reader's Digest," said [Bonnie] Kintzer [CEO]. "It's about having a name of a company that actually states who you are. At the end of the day, 99% of people will think that the one brand Reader's Digest Association has is Reader's Digest." 

Today there are 52 websites at the company, which says unique monthly visits have grown 70% over the past 24 months. Mobile uniques are also up 186%, according to the company. Its properties as a whole draw 53 million uniques, have 40 million social media fans and 40 million print readers, according to the company. In addition, there's little overlap -- around 3% or 4% -- between print and online readers, the company says.

The U.S. paid-and-verified circulation of RDA titles averaged 8.9 million and Reader's Digest itself averaged 2.7 million in the first 6 months of the year, according to data released by the Alliance for Audited Media. The English Canadian edition of Reader's Digest reports an average issue audience (print and online) of 3,909,000; the French edition Sélection du Reader's Digest 647,000, according to the spring release of Print Measurement Bureau data.

At one point in the mid-1970s RD had a circulation of 17 million, second only to TV Guide as the most-read publication. 

Editors' Association of Canada rebranding to become Editors Canada

The Editors' Association of Canada (EAC) has rebranded itself and is henceforth to be called Editors Canada  (in French, Réviseurs Canada.)

"We're the same organization that's driven to advance, support, educate and inform editors, but over the coming weeks we'll be rolling out a new visual identity (including a brand new website) and voice. As always, we're committed to community, conversation and collaboration," says  Communications Manager Michelle Ou in a Facebook post.

The association, which describes itself as "Canada's only national editorial organization", has published a PowerPoint presentation to outline how and why the change has been made. Among the reasons: to increase membership, to keep members and "because it's time". 

Cottage Life rebrands Cottage as Cottage Life West, launches Edmonton consumer show

Cottage to go West

Cottage Life Media is rebranding its recently acquired Cottage magazine as Cottage Life West, starting in March 2014. And concurrently, it is launching the Edmonton Cottage Life & Cabin Show, much like its successful eastern counterparts.

In July 2012, Cottage Life Media and OP Publishing of Vancouver negotiated a swap by which OP's Cottage magazine moved over the Cottage Life Media (and Explore magazine to OP). It was clearly a means to a somewhat more national buy and readership than the heavily Ontario-based Cottage Life could offer advertisers. Cottage Life has a paid circulation of 70,000; Cottage's circulation is 20,000.

The rebranding of Cottage and the creation of a complementary consumer show is part of a national strategy being pursued aggressively by Cottage Life Media after it was purchased by Blue Ant Media in the fall of 2013. This includes the launch of a digital specialty TV channel with the Cottage Life brand.

“While Cottage is already western Canada’s leading recreational living publication, as Cottage Life West, readers can expect the same strong western Canadian focus, but even more great content thanks to the added expertise and resources Cottage Life Media brings to the table” said Peter Robson, editor, Cottage Life West [in a release.]

The first Edmonton Cottage Life & Cabin Show (a nod to the western habit of referring to their second homes as cabins) will be April 25-27 at the Edmonton Expo Centre and is expected to feature more than 100 exhibitors. Consumer shows with cottage lifestyle products and services have been a major strength of the Toronto-based Cottage Life Media for 21 years, including its Spring Cottage Life Show attracts more than 30,000 attendees and 500 exhibitors and the Fall Cottage Life Show with more than 10,000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors. The new Edmonton show will tap into a strengthening western Canadian market of recreational property owners. A report compiled in 2012 by Westcoast CED Consulting Ltd. says the resource-based economy in Alberta and Saskatchewan is creating strong markets for recreational properties and fuelling demand for log and timber frame home builders.

“More than 365,000 people in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan own a vacation property in Canada,” said Al Zikovitz, president, Cottage Life Media. “Our objective is to be the leading media brand offering the best in local content for readers and show attendees, along with fully-integrated media solutions for advertisers and exhibitors.”