New ultra-luxury publication proves potential for ad campaign leverage

Former Niche Media CEO Jason Binn will publish a new magazine this fall in collaboration with Gilt Groupe, a venture that advertisers should take note of for future print campaign placements.

Mr. Binn has appointed highly-qualified editors to run the print and digital editions of Du Jour magazine. The publication will target 3 million of Gilt’s ultra-affluent consumers, an audience responsible for spending more than $600 million annually, via its online edition and 250,000 print copies will be distributed by direct mail with an additional 15,000 copies displayed on newsstands, per the company.

“Rather than being just a publication, Du Jour is a multiplatform business that targets the best eyeballs, in my opinion, on- and off-line,” said Jason Binn, founder of Du Jour, New York. “It will be a purely luxury lifestyle publication in print and digital and that is what makes the magazine have such a great footprint.”

“Du Jour will be a rich and robust experience that is exciting for an advertiser, especially when it can potentially reach more than 3 million people online,” he said.

“The ad rates are very compelling, the audience is extremely compelling and having strategic partners like the Gilt Groupe that attract an audience that is media savvy has helped me bring this new idea of marketing and branding luxury products and services to another level.”

Jason Binn is the founder and former CEO of Niche Media, publisher of luxury magazines nationwide such as Gotham, Ocean Drive, Hamptons, Los Angeles Confidential, Aspen Peak, Michigan Avenue, and Capitol File.

Luxury luster
Du Jour will launch this fall as a quarterly print publication and a digital magazine.

The premier issue is expected to boast 300-400 pages of editorial and advertising content, per Mr. Bin.

The publications will cover a wide range of topics such as fashion, travel, fine dining, beauty, nightlife, art, entertainment, business, culture, home, real estate, health, spirits, technology, finance, sports and politics.

Du Jour will report on the top United States markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas and San Francisco. These cities are where 80 percent of the sales of all luxury products and services are located, per the brand. It will also cover smaller regions seasonally in addition to seasonal regions such as the Hamptons, Aspen and Sun Valley.

Du Jour will offer city-specific content that keeps readers in-the-know of the goings on in the top markets.

The publication will feature approximately 60 percent national content and 40 percent local content from the top markets.

The digital edition will feature shoppable content.

Mr. Binn is envisioning that the shoppable content will allow the advertisers, the editors producing the content and luxury consumers to interact all via digital means, he said.

The print edition will be published on high-quality stock paper and be distributed via direct mail, per Mr. Binn.

Meanwhile, luxury brands need not abandon print as an advertising channel as long as they keep digital in mind and incorporate innovative ideas into magazine advertising space, experts say (see story).

“With controlled circulation and access to the Gilt database, Du Jour will be able to offer its advertisers precise reader information, which is incredibly valuable,” said Elizabeth DeMaso, managing director of Brenes Co., New York. “It helps eliminate waste and direct the dollars where they will have the most impact.

“The magazine is an innovative concept that is sure to generate buzz and interest among both consumers and the trade,” she said.

“Given Jason’s expertise and past success in the luxury lifestyle space, I think it is safe to say that luxury advertisers will be giving the publication serious consideration.”

Dream team
Mr. Binn became chief advisor to founder/CEO of Gilt Groupe in August 2010.

Du Jour was developed by Mr. Binn in collaboration with Gilt Groupe and James Cohen of Hudson News and Dufry.

Mr. Binn announced yesterday the team of experienced professionals that he will employ to craft the inaugural issue of De Jour.

Former Elle.com editorial director Keith Pollock and former InStyle senior editor Nicole Vecchiarelli will be co-editors-in-chief of both the print and digital editions.

Alan Katz was named chief revenue officer. Mr. Katz is best known for his role as publisher of New York Magazine.

Cynthia Lewis will be vice present of sales and has previously worked for Hearst in various publisher roles. She is also the founder of Create Lucrative Relationships.

Associate vice president of product development Max McDonnell comes to Du Jour after his role as CEO of Lonnymag.com.

Mr. Binn is also working directly with Brandon Ralph from digital shop Code & Theory to develop Du Jour’s Web site and mobile apps.

“This is clearly a bold move and runs contrary to the overall trend in magazines, but we’ve seen durability in the luxury category and a nice uptick in ad revenue for luxury titles,” said John Barker, president of Barker/DZP, New York. “I think if he is going to go for it, Binn is doing it the right way with seasoned professionals and strong partners on both the content and distribution sides.”

“If Du Jour has any advantage over established luxury titles, it is probably that it is conceived from the ground up as a digital concept with a print extension rather than the other way around,” he said. “Building content around a digital strategy is very different than just putting magazine on a Web site.

“It allows for video content, advertiser integrations, a clickstream where marketers can calculate actual ROI and it is inherently mobile and tablet-friendly.”

Final Take
Tricia Carr, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York