Megazines Publications, Inc., publisher of the automotive magazine Sobre Ruedas, is preparing for the February 2005 launch of its new women's magazine, Acuarelas. Acuarelas
(circ. 640,000 audited, 10x/year, Spanish, CPMs $51.56) has not yet chosen an editor, but marketing director Emil Stefanutti says that Jaime Flores, vice president of publishing, is currently coordinating the effort. Acuarelas, a magazine targeting “real Hispanic women,” will be distributed exclusively through carrier papers including El Nuevo Herald (Miami), Hoy (New York), La Opinión Los Angeles), La Raza (Chicago), La Estrella y Al Día (Houston), La Voz (Houston), and Nuevo Mundo (San Jose). According to Stefanutti, they had originally planned to distribute through Hoy in Los Angeles and Chicago, but after all the circulation problems Megazines decided to go with La Opinion and La Raza instead, and use Hoy in New York where it's audited. Megazines pays a preferred fee to carrier newspapers, which promote the magazines inside their papers and publish articles related to the magazine content to provide continuity. Megazines does not split ad revenues from inserts with carrier papers, but according to Stefanutti, they do share ad revenues in less direct ways through various agreements with each
carrier paper. One of the conditions of the deals is that Acuarelas (and Sobre Ruedas) only sell national advertising. “We want to make sure that we don't cannibalize the market,” explains Stefanutti. Although no advertising deals have been closed, Stefanutti says that they are in advanced conversations with companies including Kellogg's, and he expects advertising from companies like Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Levi, Nike, as well as Food and Beauty product companies.
…and 1st annual Hispanic Auto-buying guide.
On January 1st, Megazines Group will launch Auto Guia Sobre Ruedas 2005, its first annual auto-buying guide for Hispanics. The 64-page color guide, with an audited circulation of 640,000, will be produced in collaboration with major U.S. auto-manufacturers and distributors, and distributed through Sobre Ruedas (monthly, circ. 640,000 C.A.C. audited) carrier papers in the top seven Hispanic markets – Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston, San Francisco and Dallas. Emil Stefanutti, vice president of marketing at Megazines, would not reveal the names of co-sponsors, but said that car companies involved in the project would not advertise in the publication. Advertisers will include companies that sell car related products and services. Megazines Group has partnered with Terra (www.terra.com) to provide an Internet component which will allow readers to access the information contained in the printed guide, as well as image galleries and comparison tables.
