Will Our Shelter Mag Survivors Reach The Rebound Finish Line?

All eyes are on Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and House Beautiful as they move into the last quarter of the year with new Chiefs at their helms. It's a hopeful time for everyone who follows, reads, works in, with and loves  shelter magazines after chewing  so long on the tough threat of their demise during the "print is dead" era.

A recent article by Folio Magazine cautiously notes a rebound for the category is occurring, but  the most resilient media titles are those that take their brands beyond the printed page with live events, online communities, social media, etc. House Beautiful's Kitchen of Year Event in New York City helped the magazine bring in nearly 50% more ad pages for their annual issue over last year.

Smells like smart marketing to me.

I think Dwell's been the early adopter in this category, being one of the first to deliver their content online, while the rest of the category was slow in accepting that the world was changing.  (Architectural Digest, where have you been?) Let's hope these survivors will reach the rebound finish line better and stronger than when they started.  

Who do you think's done the best job at staying alive through the downturn?

Ask.Listen.Learn: Decorating Diva On Meet Media Chat April 2

Save the Date! Tell your industry friends! Tweet it, Facebook it and shout it out from a rooftop! On Friday, April 2nd I'll be hosting  Meet the Media Chat (#MeetMdiaChat) on Twitter - the first of a series of live Twitter chats focused on connecting design businesses with the media on a more intimate level.  Carmen Natschke of the design and architecture blog The Decorating Diva will be the inaugural guest and she's ready to answer your questions!

One of the most important things in PR is knowing the media and understanding their needs and interests.  #MeetMdiaChat will allow you to learn more about their content and ask specific questions you have about getting a story placed with them and other curiosities you may have. So don't be that next ignored e-mail, unanswered phone message or embarrassing case study on the Bad Pitch Blog. Attend, ask, listen, learn.

Join  #MeetMdiaChat 

with 

Carmen Natschke 

@DecoratingDiva 

Friday, April 2nd,  1:00 - 1:30PM EST

Stay tuned on Twitter following #MeetMdiaChat and on my blog for more details and news on upcoming chats.  #MeetMdiaChat will run once a month with different media guests. (Got two lined up already!)  If you're a journalist, blogger, editor, or freelance writer who wants to participate, or have a suggestion on who you'd like to meet on #MeetMdiaChat, leave a comment or email me at laura@lauranewmanpr.com.
Tweet to you soon!

About Decorating Diva

The Decorating Diva, LLC covers interior design, the decorative arts and architecture throughout the year.  In addition, each month The Decorating Diva, LLC dedicates a series of articles to a specific topic related to design, decorative arts or architecture.

The Decorating Diva.com is listed in the top one percent of all websites tracked by ALEXA and Technorati; has a monthly audience reach of 40,000 (Nov 2009) and is regularly quoted in industry publications as the source for design trends and eco-savvy design.  

Wit Watch: New Digital Shelter Magazine for "Nesting Newbies"

"For a Home Tweet Home" is the cover tag line for the new digital shelter magazine Nesting Newbies.  The vision is certainly young and current, aiming to combine "......a traditional magazine format with the new social media trend of original online videos and blogs to present a cross-platform experience for 'nesting newbies,' the site’s target audience of those who are new to nesting and have no clue when it comes to cooking, entertaining, and decorating. Cooking and decorating enthusiasts will also enjoy the original ideas being presented."  


Looking through the Winter issue, (their second) it feels a bit like a hipper, younger  Better Homes & Gardens with  accessible entertaining, cooking and home design stories. I especially liked the interpretation feature on the spectacularly designed San Francisco Dining By Design tables for DIFFA. One of my favorite design events! Produced by McIntosh & Murphy  and edited by its co-founder Jodi Murphy, the model seems  poised to take full advantage of the reader technology headed our way.  What do you think of Nesting Newbies? Does it feel like another sign of the "old guard" (print home magazines) being phased out? 

Photo: Nesting Newbies