With the latest issue set to sell 40 000 copies, its highest recorded sales to date, New Media has also announced that the magazine is to be published monthly instead of bi-monthly, as from its December 2006 issue. Cited in the September issue of BRAND magazine as the title that signalled a radical change in the customer publishing arena, Woolworths TASTE has more than doubled its circulation since its launch in 2004 and surpassed its objective of being the leading food magazine in the country, while enhancing the relationship Woolworths has with its customers.
A powerful example of just how hard a customer magazine can work for a brand, independent research reveals that reader relationship with Woolworths has considerably strengthened as a result of the magazine. "Nearly two thirds of readers look to the magazine for inspiration and ideas, actively using TASTE recipes with 80-100% of their ingredients being bought through Woolworths," says publisher Jaco Scholtz.
New Media's Editorial Director Irna van Zyl reveals the magazine's secret ingredient for success: "Employ the best art directors, the best journalists and the best editors. Then provide real value for your readers."
Produced by a multi-award-winning team, headed up by acclaimed editor Sumien Brink, food editor Abigail Donnelly and art director Mark Serra, Woolworths TASTE provides tangible results for the client, while the quality of the magazine speaks for itself.
Van Zyl ventures: "If a magazine is created specifically for its target market nothing can beat it for entrenching the brand, reinforcing customer loyalty, adding value and getting people back into a store."
