Edgar's Club magazine goes to international publishers

15 Feb 2011

Global publisher John Brown will develop a 360 degree multi-platform approach to engage loyal Edgars Club customers, having won the publishing contract for Edgar's Club magazine. The first issue of the new look monthly magazine, which underpins Edgars' consumer marketing strategy, will be issued in September 2011.

Edgars Club magazine has a print run of 950 000 and is distributed to club members nationally.

John Brown, which publishes the successful Fresh Living magazine for Pick n Pay and the new customer magazine for Cell C, has renewed its focus on the South African market and appointed Lani Carstens, who returned from Shanghai, China to become its local MD late last year.

Its chief executive, Andrew Hirsch, says the addition of a retail fashion brand like Edgars to its rapidly expanding SA publishing stable is good news. "We are in the process of recruiting for key positions. We are delighted to announce that Justine Stafford, the multiple-award winning editor of Seventeen magazine, editorial director at 8ink and co-founder of Aficionado, one of South Africa's top fashion blogs, has been appointed editor of the new Edgars Club magazine and associated brand extensions.

"Our vision for the Edgars business is to drive growth by developing a 360 degree multi-platform approach where content will extend beyond print into digital, mobile and in-store activations to truly engage customers," adds Carstens.

Belinda Godfrey, marketing executive, Edgars, said: "Edgars Club is one of the largest loyalty programmes in South Africa. The Edgars Club magazine is the most widely enjoyed benefit by our members, and we are pleased to announce our partnership with John Brown who has been appointed to deliver a magazine and supporting channels that are relevant, accessible and aspirational to all Edgars Club members. We look forward to working together with John Brown to exceed our Edgars Club members' expectations."

The publisher is a leading global provider of magazine content for some of the largest companies in the world, including RBS, Waitrose, Orange, Virgin, John Lewis, Amway and Disney globally. It has offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Cape Town, which produces Fresh Living and numerous brand extensions for Pick n Pay and Cell C magazine. It has reportedly built Fresh Living into SA's top selling monthly food magazine and is increasing its circulation to over 80 000. It has been one of the top performers in the food and lifestyle magazine arena since its launch, growing month on month despite the economic tough times.