U.K. publisher Square Up Media is bringing its two-year-old food and drink title Foodism to Toronto, first as a website launching next week, followed by a print product later in 2016.
The venture is being led by Foodism Toronto director Krista Faist, a longtime Toronto resident who is returning home after spending two-and-a-half years in a London-based communications role with Square Up Media.
Faist urged Square Up to consider Toronto as the “freemium” publication’s first international market after being impressed by the city’s vibrant food scene when she returned home for the holidays.
“I was in awe at how quickly it was changing,” said Faist, citing the Toronto openings of David Chang’s popular New York eatery Momofuku and the expansion of London-based member’s club The Soho House. “We’re getting all of these brands investing in the city and I think we’re getting in at the right time.
Foodism’s print title will be akin to the LCBO’s custom title Food & Drink, which features high-quality paper stock complemented by top-notch photography and design.
“That’s kind of the standard we’re looking at,” she said. “The difference is that we will hopefully have a different voice, we will not be brand-led, and we’re going to have a little bit of that London influence.”
In London, 110,000 copies of Foodism are distributed through the city’s transit system and restaurants, while another 56,000 people subscribe to a weekly e-newsletter. Print copies of the publication are also distributed through British newspaper the London Evening Standard.
Foodism Toronto’s rollout is following the same path as its U.K. counterpart, which became the first of Square Up Media’s five titles to launch digitally before introducing a print counterpart about eight months later.
The tactic helped Square Up create a reader database, while insights gleaned from the web product helped the company tailor the free print magazine to ensure maximum reader interest.
Foodism’s print version uses matte paper for the front and back covers, eschewing cover lines in favour of a simple, elegant design. “The idea is for them to sit on coffee tables and live longer than just the month,” said Faist.
The product is aimed at foodies in their late 20s and early 30s who are highly attuned to the local food scene. “They’re not necessarily diehard foodies who know about every opening or every celebrity chef, but they want to eat good food and they’ve got enough disposable income to go out once a week,” said Faist. “We hope to be a ‘friend’ who recommends where they should go.”
The Drake Hotel, The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo and Sam Adams beer are confirmed as launch sponsors for the Foodism web site.
She said Foodism’s print edition has a “huge array” of advertisers including the U.K. chains Marks & Spencer and Selfridges, as well as global brands like Starbucks and Apple. Its advertiser roster also features local brands spanning food delivery services and craft coffee companies.
“The plan is to mimic that here,” said Faist. “We’ll definitely go for the big brands across grocery and beverage alcohol, but we’re also really interested in promoting local businesses as well.”
Thirty of the 100 pages in Foodism’s most recent print edition were advertising pages. Advertising options include standard run-of-press, as well as native advertising, cover wraps and homepage takeovers.
