Esquire Re-Positions For The Thinking Man
The National Magazine Company has unveiled plans to reposition Esquire in the increasingly crowded men’s lifestyle market and is launching a national press campaign to advertise the move.
The campaign, which confirms Esquire’s desire to occupy a position at the more sophisticated end of the men’s lifestyle market, follows the appointment of Simon Tiffin as editor last year (see New Editor For Esquire).
Commenting on the move, group publishing director, Tess Macleod-Smith, said: “There is still a gap in the market for a magazine with intelligent writing and style. The new Esquire is aimed at older, upscale, intelligent men.”
Esquire’s new editorial direction began 18 months ago, when the magazine dropped a cover featuring a bikini-clad Caprice, in favour of actor, Johnny Depp. The decision marked Esquire’s move away from the booze and boobs image synonymous with the majority of lad’s mags.
According to Macleod-Smith: “Caprice also featured on the cover of three other men’s magazines, so there was no differentiation in the market. We are not interested in the floating FHM reader, who will pick a magazine on the basis of which model has the biggest boobs, our readers are past that.”
In America the average Esquire reader is 48 years-old, in England readers are significantly younger at 31, giving Natmags a good indication of where it can develop the title.
Analysis of Esquire’s circulation over the last five years reveals that the title has suffered from a sizeable decline, which it now appears to be stemming. However, its decision to move away from the covers favoured by FHM and Loaded has not resulted in readers deserting the title, as some commentators previously suggested.
In fact, the latest ABC results for the six months ending December 2002 brought good news to Esquire magazine, which saw its circulation increase by 9.8% year on year to 68,075, up from 62,007 in the same period in 2001.
Natmags acknowledges the fact that Esquire has experienced circulation declines in the past, but according to Macleod-Smith: “The magazine’s readership is consistently 81% to 82% ABC1 males, which appeals to high-end advertisers such as Mercedes and Prada. In a recession advertisers want to reach specific customers who can connect with their brand. Therefore our strategy to realign Esquire to older, intelligent men fits with advertisers need to target carefully.”
However, the men’s market continues to be dominated by FHM, which despite wistful forecasts of the decline of laddism, saw its circulation increase by 8.75% year on year to 620,226 in the six months ending December 2002. While other men’s titles have wavered over the usual booze and boobs formula, FHM has stood its ground, recently unveiling a range of semi-naked women in its high street honeys initiative (see FHM Goes Head To Head With Loaded).
Esquire is usually compared with Condé Nast’s GQ magazine, which has seen its circulation decline by 1.9% year on year to 123,502. The title has also been repositioning itself in the market, with a solid investment in editorial including the appointment of a range of new columnists, such as Will Self (see GQ Adds Weight To Editorial With New Additions).
National Magazine Company: 0207 439 5000 www.natmags.co.uk
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