Custom publishing veteran Dick Snyder has cooked up a new food-related publishing venture with Torstar’s content division, Star Metro Media.
Snyder said the new publication, Food T.O., is essentially a re-invention of the independent CityBites magazine he operated for close to a decade (2005-2014), albeit with Star Metro Media providing a “little more heft” in terms of ad sales and distribution.
“It makes all the difference in the world,” said Snyder, who has served as editorial creative director of Star Metro Media’s content division since January 2015. Snyder spent more than a decade with custom publisher Totem, overseeing projects for clients including General Motors and Aeroplan, before departing in 2012.
Food T.O.’s arrival coincides with Toronto’s continued emergence as a major food city, said Snyder. “When I started CityBites 10 years ago ‘foodie’ was still a term, now I think everybody’s a foodie,” he said. “I don’t know anybody who’s not got some interest in food.”
The quarterly publication has a tentative launch date of early October, with a projected print run of approximately 50,000. The first issue is expected to be between 40 and 44 pages, with the publisher aiming for a 50-50 advertising to editorial ratio.
The multi-channel distribution strategy includes 20,000 copies placed inside issues of the Toronto Star (all targeting affluent households), 20,000 copies in Metro boxes, 9,000 copies distributed via street ambassadors and 1,000 copies through promotional events.
Food T.O.’s digital presence will include a dedicated tab on Torstar’s newly redesigned Toronto.com, while the publication will also leverage Toronto.com’s existing 45,000-person email database.
The title is aimed at a broad audience, with a 51-49% male/female split and adults 50-64 comprising the bulk of its audience. However, adults 18-34 are expected to comprise approximately 20% of its readership, and adults 35-49 an additional 22%.
More than one third of its audience (39%) dines at fine restaurants as often as possible, while 80% find exposure to different cultures rewarding and 55% put extra effort into entertaining and preparing family celebrations.
A full-page, full-colour ad in Food T.O. will cost $4,200, with the outside back cover costing $5,600 and the inside front cover costing $4,900.
The publication marks a return to the food realm for Snyder, who launched the bi-monthly CityBites as an independent venture in 2005. The publication essentially spent a decade operating on a break-even basis before suspending publication in December 2014.
“I couldn’t see how to make it successful, to be honest,” said Snyder of the decision to suspend publication. Any profit for CityBites came via custom publishing work with clients including the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance and various wine associations.
“The advertising did support it, but I wasn’t making a profit, and it was getting hard to keep it going,” said Snyder.
