Destination fitness site, Sweat TV, is launched for active women by Meredith Corporation

Meredith Corporation has launched Sweat TV, an online workout portal that features more than 200 exercise videos. Many of the videos come through Fitness magazine's existing video library, but content is included from Shape.com, FitStar, Grokker and POPSUGAR. According to a release, the workout videos allow users to target each body part, including abs, arms, and thighs; and workout type, including yoga, cardio and post-pregnancy. Each workout is divided into video “playlists” of individual workout moves, so users can jump to and replay specific sections for additional instruction. 

“Workout videos are by far one of the most popular reasons consumers visit Fitnessmagazine.com,” says Melissa Inman, general manager of Fitnessmagazine.com and Shape.com. “So we saw building a destination site for workouts as a huge opportunity. Through SweatTV, we’ve curated an extensive library of videos so users can easily find the workout they’re looking for. And with 60 percent of our users accessing the site on mobile and 33 percent of video views taking place on mobile, we made it a priority to optimize the platform on those devices for on-the-go workouts when traveling, at the gym or at home.”

Users can either become members or choose to get a 24-hour free workout experience after seeing a sponsored message.

Rogers rebrands and relaunches recently acquired Canadian Health & Lifestyle magazine

Canadian Health & Lifestyle magazine, which Rogers Publishing bought in April, is being rebranded and relaunched effective with its Winter 2012 issue, out early in November. The magazine will also be increasing from quarterly to six times a year in 2013.

According to a story in Marketing magazine, the focus of the magazine is on small adjustments that readers can make to improve their lifestyles and that the print redesign is concurrent with the launch of an iPad version.

"Around the time Rogers Publishing purchased the book, Rogers Media senior vice-president of sales and marketing Dale Hooper said at an industry conference that women represent one of the main consumer groups Rogers is trying to better connect (the others being sports fans, entertainment lovers and news followers). "

The magazine has a largely controlled distribution of 397,000. Some 230,000 of those are distributed free to its customers by the Katz Group Canada Ltd. through its Rexall group of pharmacies, including in its Rexall, PharmaPlus, Guardian, IDA and The Medicine Shoppe outlets. Those copies have carried the Rexall logo along with the Canadian Health & Lifestyle banner. According to the latest fall 2012 PMB data, the readership is 2.1 million, of whom 65% are women 25 to 54. The associated website healthandlifestyle.ca will also be redesigned to reflect the new emphasis.

British Vogue study says glossy readers mix print and digital in "heightened engagement"

Research recently released by Condé Nast in Britain says that readers of glossy magazines aimed at women are increasingly mixing their consumption of printed and digital titles, but using each for different purposes. Media Week reports that the study, commissioned by flagship Vogue, found that glossy readers are using both print and online titles distinctly.

The study said the number of women using magazine websites had risen 40% in the past two years and the number of readers of high-end glossies had risen 43%.

However, readers saw print and digital versions as distinct entities offering different experiences, as 82% of the total sample believed websites would not entirely replace print.

Just 6% of respondents now only read the printed version of a magazine, while 75% of print readers said they also accessed their brands on other platforms.

Digital platforms have become an accepted way to access magazine brands, with 39% of glossy readers accessing digital magazine versions regularly, and 22% now accessing content via apps, the Vogue study suggested.

The study found that 77% of glossy magazine readers now use magazine websites at least once a month, with more than 29% using these sites at least once a week.

The so-called "hardcore" everday or "fashion first"  readership of websites is only about 7%; but 17% read print magazines online via apps and digital editions. 

Stephen Quinn, publishing director of Vogue, said: "Where once it were imagined that digital might kill print, it has instead heightened the level of engagement the reader has with her magazine of choice."

Condé's digital division generated revenue of £6.18m last year – up from £4.97m in the previous 12 months, the story reported. In the same period, the main print publishing business also recorded an impressive bounce back from the recession, with pre-tax profits almost tripling year on year to £15.14m.

Flare relaunches web site

Flare, the Rogers fashion flagship, has announced the relaunch of Flare.com, its website. According to the magazine's press release, among the new features is a monthly celebrity 'Style Setter' spotlight, an interactive astrology section that allows users to find their perfect 'Love Match', a new Flash tool that allows readers to 'Get the Look' from actual Flare covers, two new blogs (The Lazy Fashionista and From the Runway) and interactive, photo style polls.

Flare.com one of the earliest big magazine ventures onto the web,launched in 1996. The site is said to have an average of over 180,000 unique visitors and almost 1 million page views per month.