Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein Push Home Collections in Town & Country

September, 2013 – This article from Luxury Daily discusses Town & Country magazine’s editorial and advertising emphasis for their dual audience of affluent men and affluent women.  (http://www.luxurydaily.com/ralph-lauren-calvin-klein-push-home-collections-in-town-country/)

By Jen King

Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Stark Carpet promoted interiors in the October issue of Hearst’s Town & Country magazine to appeal to an affluent readership with a penchant for luxury home decor.

Interior design and brand home collection ads appear throughout the 210-page issue, as well as numerous jewelry and menswear ads. Town & Country’s addition of menswear in the “Design Special” aligns with the ongoing trend of men’s fashion being included more often in traditionally women’s wear focused publications.

“Ad pages are up 57 percent in October, said Jennifer Levene Bruno, publisher and chief revenue officer of Town & Country, New York.

“The October issue so brilliantly reflects the brand’s dual audience,” Ms. Levene Bruno said. “There is a heavier emphasis on men’s editorial and the advertising followed suit. Brands aimed at a mature, successful guy who can appreciate and afford true quality, whether bespoke suits, handmade watches or remarkable experiences in travel and life, came in to support and benefit from this relevant content.”

“Town & Country has the authority, taste, heritage and credibility to continue to appeal to women and men in a way that is currently unparalleled in the marketplace.”

“We welcomed 44 new advertisers, and overall 61 percent of the ad pages in this issue are from brands new to the October issue or new to Town & Country.”

Town & Country has approximately 695,000 readers with an average household income of $280,786.

Designer delight
The October issue of Town & Country opens with tri-fold ad for Mercedes-Benz’s 2014 S-Class model.

An ad for Cartier’s Haute Joaillerie ring begins a fine jewelry trend found throughout the issue.

Additional fine jewelry ads include Harry Winston, Chopard, De Beers, Graff, Van Cleef & Arpel and Tiffany & Co. on the back cover.

To keep up with the growing focus on men’s fashions in publications, Town & Country featured ads from Phineas Cole, Brunello Cucinelli and Bergdorf Goodman’s men’s store.

Being the Design Special, the issue also featured ads from Calvin Klein’s home collection and a four-page ad for Ralph Lauren’s home collection beginning opposite the table of contents.

Interior design brands found in the publication are Berndhardt, Stark Carpet and Sferra linens. Thermador has an extended ad for appliances.

Featured content in the Design Special includes a look at the private life of actor Hugh Jackman, who appears on the issue’s cover; the art world in Dallas and Houston, TX; a profile of the surgeon behind actress Angelina Jolie’s breast surgery; and a design spread on American’s chicest house according to Karl Lagerfeld.

Switching gears
Publications have recently begun to focus more on the style and fashion preferences of its male readers rather solely on women readers.

For example, Ermenegildo Zegna, Giorgio Armani and Saint Laurent are among the advertisers promoting men’s fall/winter collections in the “Men’s Style” issue of WSJ. magazine that targets affluent male readers.

The 124-page edition with fashion designer Tom Ford on the cover has the tagline, “The Power of Style,” which allows the issue to further resonate with its affluent male readership. A strong tagline can attract readers who want to improve some aspect of their life such as style.

Creating a balance among the ad space helps to appeal to a larger readership.

For instance, American Express Publishing’s Departures is continuing to add new high-end apparel and accessories brands such as Valentino, Ralph Rucci and Moncler as a way to connect the dots between travel, fashion and lifestyle.

Advertisements from men’s and womenswear lines are featured among travel and transportation ads in the 220-page September fall fashion issue. By increasing its reach in fashion, Departures is likely to attract fashionable readers interested in the jetsetter lifestyle.

Publications should be mindful that too much male-driven content can estrange female readers.

“There is a lot of competition for the male audience and Town & Country may be taking some risk that its focus will be diluted,” said Ron Kurtz, president of the American Affluence Research Center, Atlanta.

“The book has always had a good approach to presenting a broad perspective of  a lifestyle for the affluent in both its editorial content and advertising,” he said.