When Leslie Jane Seymore succeeded Glenda Bailey as editor in chief
of Marie Claire in July 2001, the Redbook veteran faced a challenge
most editors dread: how to improve upon a successful franchise that
has a proven formula. And, most importantly, not screw it up.
Launched in 1994 by Hearst Magazines in partnership with Paris-based
Marie Claire Album S.A., the fashion monthly broke new ground by
mixing and matching couture with streetwear. Under Bailey, who now
helms Hearst's Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire solidified its
mass-with-class message and developed a strong following among its
readers and advertisers.
The best-plotted career is to follow a dud -- that's what you always"
hope for," Seymore says. "In my case, I followed a superstar. But I
didn't let that stand in the way of what I had to do".
Instead of trying to remake Marie Claire, Seymore says, she pushed
the magazine's DNA as far as she could take it, creating new elements
and enhancing others. Many of Marie Claire's successful tricks of the
trade have been pilfered across all publishing categories, Seymore
notes.
Seymore last spring added more shopping pages, including Recycle It
and Steep & Cheap, which pairs pricey and inexpensive clothing and
accessories. Inspired by the wave of reality TV series, Seymore
extended MC's celebrity stunts pages to include more real people. For
the September issue, for example, MC sent a model onto a New York
City subway car clad only in a painted-on outfit.
While Bailey put most of her energy into fashion coverage, Seymore, a
former beauty director at Conde Nast's Glamour, has expanded the
number of beauty pages in MC, translating popular fashion franchises
such as Splurge vs. Purge into new sections, as well as adding more
lush photos to the mix.
Beginning in May, Seymore introduced significant changes to Marie
Claire's covers, adding backgrounds such as gold and turquoise and a
black logo. And instead of the trademark "juicy smile" with hand on
hip, MC's cover celebrities now wear a more serious look. "I think
people want to see a very confident woman and see her looking
composed and beautiful, but maybe not so cute," explains Seymore.
What's more, in a complete departure for MC, the stars are now
wearing designer dresses only, instead of affordable $200 numbers. On
the November cover, Courteney Cox Arquette sports a Missoni dress
that would set readers back $1,475 (one lucky reader will win the
size 6 dress).
At least one media buyer questions the magazine's more-luxe cover
strategy. "I don't think Marie Claire is in the fantasy business",
says Ross Klein, senior vp of corporate marketing for Polo Jeans Co.
"It is into maximizing the attainable. And in this economic climate
that's really important".
"We have always been about juxtaposing both," responds MC publisher"
Katherine Rizzuto. "And our readers understand that".
Readers seem to be responding positively to the changes. The May
issue, with Sandra Bullock on the cover, sold 745,376 copies on
newsstands, handily beating this year's first-half average of
August's Julia Stiles cover performed even better, selling ;622,641
MC's biggest newsstand seller ever -- despite the test of -- 760,000
a $3.50 cover price. (MC's cover price will rise in January to $3.50,
from $2.95). The title's average first-half paid circ grew 4.6
percent over last year to 952,223, according to the Audit Bureau of
Circulations. Newstand sales (which comprise about 65 percent of MC's
circ) rose 10.6 percent.
Given the solid growth, MC in January will raise its circulation rate
base from 850,000 to 875,000 (March and September '03 ssues will have
,a rate base of 900,000). Though the circ could be bumped even higher
Rizzuto says, in this economic climate it would be foolhardy to ask
advertisers for even higher rates, especially after two consecutive
years of 9.3 percent increases at MC.
Marie Claire's ad pages are up 1.8 percent through October to 1,332,
reports the Mediaweek Monitor. New advertisers this year have
included Banana Republic, Cole Haan and Prescriptives. "Flat is not
the new up," Rizzuto says of publishers' favorite assertion these
days. "Up is up!".