4th May 2006
BROOKLANDS GROUP ENHANCES A PLACE IN THE SUN MAGAZINE
- Investment in pagination, supplements and promotion
- Re-alignment of editorial content
- Consolidation of spin-off titles into market-leading main title
- Matt Havercroft, Editor, to oversee new enlarged magazine
As part of an ongoing strategy to reinvest in its market-leading international property and lifestyle title, A Place in the Sun magazine, and to better capitalise on changes in the fast-moving overseas property market, Brooklands Group has announced plans to consolidate three small spin-off titles - A Place in the Sun's everything France, A Place in the Sun's everything Spain and A Place in the Sun's everything America - into its pillar brand.
In making the announcement, Publishing Director Andy Bridge, says, “Having undertaken an analysis of our readers’ and advertisers’ requirements and the ever-changing overseas property industry, we have decided to re-group our A Place in the Sun portfolio to make our key magazine, A Place in the Sun, stronger and more clearly defined it its editorial offering.”
“The clear focus on A Place in the Sun magazine allows the Brooklands Group to align more closely with our accompanying award-winning exhibition, A Place in the Sun Live, the UK's leading event for British people seeking homes abroad.”
While France, Spain and America will probably always be top of the list of overseas locations for British home-buyers, their respective market shares have declined in recent years as the emerging destinations have increased in number and popularity.
By expanding the coverage of these three destinations within the pagination of A Place in the Sun magazine, readers, the newstrade and advertisers will also benefit from bigger issue sizes, increased promotional activity and time-sensitive supplements, published on demand.
Fergus Campbell, Publisher, Channel 4 Magazines, says, “A Place in the Sun is a hugely successful TV brand that has inspired thousand of Britons to consider and buy homes abroad. The magazine and exhibitions with their multi-country formats reflect this. As tastes become more diverse it’s inevitable that interest spreads beyond the historically ‘traditional’ territories and I’m pleased that these latest plans look set to deliver not just a bigger, but also a better and more inclusive, A Place in the Sun magazine.”
A Place in the Sun magazine is the clear market leader in its category with more paid-for sales than any other overseas property title in the UK, outselling its closest rival typically three to one. The title is perfectly placed to benefit from the increasing fragmentation and pace of change within the overseas property market, carrying as it does inspiration and advice about typically 30 house-hunting destinations per issue in a bumper package of up to 296 pages.
Earlier this year the company announced plans to invest in the title by improving production values and introducing a new compact A4 format. It is also considering plans for further developments of the brand.
Brooklands Group has more than doubled in size each of the past two years and is launching at least two high-profile magazines in 2006. The company therefore expects to be able to redeploy most, if not all, of the staff currently employed on the affected titles.
Company contact:
Andy Bridge, Brooklands Group
Tel: 01737 786 800
Email: andy.bridge@brooklandsgroup.com