January 29, 2007

Breaking: Businesses Cater To The Rich

Yesterday's Inquirer contained an article detailing the recentish launches of both LifeStyle Main Line (in September) and Mainline, which had its launch party a week ago. These compete for the all important eyeballs of rich people, along with Main Line Today and Phillymag (which is the "snarkier" publication, according to the article) and Philly Style and probably like 45 other magazines, too. (Isn't there something like Real Philly, too?)

Aside from the groundbreaking thesis that entrepreneurs want to make money, can get it most easily from the rich and copy successful ideas, such as a magazine, the article goes on to let the various publishers of the companies snipe at each other in the press:

Cantor is feeling the pressure enough to snipe a little at LifeStyle, a glossy, colorful publication that he deems "a step above a clipper."

"We'll see who survives," snapped LifeStyle's president and chief executive officer, Peter Graeffe.

LifeStyle's current cover features a cruise ship, but Graeffe said the article about the University of Pennsylvania's expansion was more serious than anything Mainline would take on.

Meanwhile, he said, Mainline's cover - a matte black-and-white close-up of Bradley Whitford - is of a "TV star who hasn't lived here since he was 13." (For the record, the article says the 47-year-old actor left Wayne in high school.) [...]

Larry Platt, editor of 99-year-old Philadelphia Magazine, called the Main Line publications "pretty picture magazines" and said he didn't see them as a threat. Though they compete for the same demographic, Philadelphia Magazine sees itself in a different category. The others wouldn't put a handgun on the cover.

"We're much more about narrative journalism and reflecting the zeitgeist of the city and not much about style," Platt said.

"I don't really look at them, because our readership is so loyal and so huge that I don't consider them competition."

I wonder what kind of narrative journalism Platt was referring to. Was it "Who's our sexiest single?" Or perhaps it was Bon Jovi, or maybe the 20 best high schools or maybe even Pets of Philly. No, wait, I got it: The Ultimate Beauty Guide. That shit's fuckin' better than In Cold Blood.

Posted by D-Mac on January 29, 2007 02:11 PM
Posted to Inquirer , Magazines , Main Line , Phillymag

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