Here! First Issue Review
This week sees the launch of G+J’s new weekly magazine, Here! Aimed at BC1C2 women aged 20-34, the 68-page magazine has a cover price of 70p, although with an introductory first issue price of 35p. It had an initial print run of 1.3 million, and is aiming for a circulation of 400,000.
The launch comes just two months after Northern and Shell pitched its monthly OK more directly at Hello! by making it weekly.
Here! is in a similar vein to OK and Hello!, but it has more of a news angle on its celebrity gossip, rather than an insight into their homes. The magazine comes across as a mix between Hello and Woman; as well as the human interest angle there are fashion features, consumer tests, shopping and health articles.
This week’s features include an interview with the Duchess of York and the “guru” who has helped her to turn her life around; ex-Eastender Susan Tully on why she left the square; Dolly Parton and her lolly, how to get discovered as a supermodel and Liam Neeson’s love life. Each feature is light with plenty of photographs, but there is certainly lots of editorial in the 68 pages. With an ed:ad ratio of 91:9 there is perhaps more than the publishers would like but all in all it makes for an entertaining half hour. It has a wider outlook than Hello! The design, although busy, is quite plain and has the effect more of a newspaper supplement than a women’s weekly.
Advertisers in the first issue are Mini Equinox, Safeway, Persil, Kenco and a double page spread from Lancome Lip Brio.
Women’s Weekly Market
| Jl-Dec 94 ABC | Jl-Dec 95 ABC | %Ch | Actual Ch | Cover Price | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OK | 172,150 | 207,524 | 20.54 | 35,374 | 1.20 | M |
| Chat | 541,423 | 572,055 | 5.65 | 30,632 | 55 | W |
| Hello! | 476,551 | 494,803 | 3.83 | 18,252 | 1.25 | W |
| Best | 564,233 | 565,388 | 0.2 | 1,155 | 55 | W |
| Woman | 812,211 | 800,099 | -1.49 | -12,112 | 55 | W |
| People’s Friend | 479,582 | 467,109 | -2.6 | -12,473 | 42 | W |
| Womans Own | 795,293 | 761,024 | -4.3 | -34,269 | 55 | W |
| Lady | 54,638 | 52,006 | -4.81 | -2,632 | 65 | W |
| My Weekly | 423,812 | 402,588 | -5 | -21,224 | 42 | W |
| Womans Weekly | 798,177 | 754,110 | -5.52 | -44,067 | 50 | W |
| Womans Realm | 351,164 | 307,237 | -12.5 | -43,927 | 55 | W |
| Bella (own) | 981,016 | 831,596 | -15.23 | -149,420 | 55 | W |
| Take a Break (own) | 1,505,069 | 1,458,950 | -3.06 | -46,119 | 55 | W |
| Eva | – | 372,295 | – | – | 50 | W |
| Thats Life | – | 480,218 | – | – | 42 | W |
| Here! | 70 | W |