Canadians thirsty for healthy living content will soon get Juice. TC Media (formerly known as Transcontinental Media) recently launched the multiplatform media brand with the tagline “Healthy living, made delicious.”
Aimed mainly at Canadian women, the Juice brand will include a print magazine (which will have six issues per year), a website, an e-newsletter (both daily and weekly) and a tablet app. It will also have a social media presence.
The integrated media brand is being launched across English Canada in April 2012 in relationship with grocery retailer Loblaw Companies Limited. (The two groups have an existing relationship since TC Transcontinental Printing has long printed Loblaws’ flyers.)
Its content will cover healthy eating and lifestyle topics, and be created and distributed by TC Media. Lynn Chambers, group publisher at TC Media, said Juice is not a custom magazine because TC Media owns the brand, not Loblaw. So while Loblaw is currently involved, “We think there’s potential to make that a standalone property… The opportunity to create a new media brand is somewhat of a rare opportunity and that’s what makes it a lot of fun,” said Chambers.
Each of Juice‘s new and traditional media channels is meant to fulfill a consumer need, Chambers said – the print magazine will inspire customers, the e-newsletter will connect with them on a daily basis, the website will allow them to search for everything from recipes to photo galleries and the mobile app will act as a tool to help them shop.
In the future, Chambers said mobile will play a stronger role and be more customized, aiming for a one-to-one relationship with consumers. Chambers said in time, people will be able to “explore food and get great recipes that are right for their personal needs” with the app. The publication may, for example, explore point-of-purchase coupons and link with the the recently launched Guiding Stars food health rating program now running in some Ontario Loblaw stores.
The initial circulation base for the print magazine will be more than 400,000. About 25% of that base comes from TC Media’s database and the remainder will be Loblaw President’s Choice Financial credit card customers.
“We know that they are Loblaw’s most valuable customers,” said Chambers. “They’re being selected [to be mailed copies of the magazine] as a reward for that loyalty.” Issues of the magazine will also appear in select Loblaw banner stores for consumers to purchase.
