A COOKING magazine that has been successful taking on what already might seem a saturated market: Jamie Oliver.
It goes to show how buoyant this sector is - and more importantly how much we still love a celebraty endorsement.
According to Guardian Media, Jamie Oliver's magazine is on a real bread roll - with plans to double its print run.
Anyone who has read this offering will realise it is a new hybrid: thick heavy pages of advertorial coupled with a few recipes but ultimately a rather sickening 'this is more about me and my brand, and I know you love me and my brand'.
The irony here is this - much as I am cynical about the product I even wanted to subscribe. As such, I dutifully bought my first issue in London several months ago and filled in the coupon, and sent it off with my details (there was a 20% offer off on some of the cookware). Did I get a response? No. Did I get my subscription? NO. The sad fact is that if every operation of a magazine is not running smoothly it is a sad testimount to customer satisfaction and putting the reader at the heart of the magazine.
Jamie Oliver's bi-monthly magazine Jamie is to almost double its print run and go on sale in supermarkets for the first time.
The magazine, which was launched six months ago, is to increase its run from 140,000 printed copies to 260,000 when the fourth edition goes on sale a week today, Thursday 25 June, and will also be sold by the major supermarkets Asda, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsburys and Somerfield, for the first time. For the first three issues the magazine was sold exclusively in WH Smiths only.
Paul Dring, the magazine's managing editor, said the title is not likely to undergo any major editorial changes. Jamie will continue to be printed on matt paper from sustainable managed forests, which Dring added is "very much appreciated by our readers". The cover price will remain at £3.99.
He said the first full six-month audited ABC sales figures for Jamie, to be published in August for the first half of 2009, are expected to be "excellent".
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