Victoria is Back: Hearst’s Southern Expansion

A joint venture between Hearst Magazines and Hoffman Media of Birmingham, AL is bringing Victoria magazine back to life and at the same time adding to the southern expansion of Hearst Magazines. Few years ago Hearst bought the Atlanta based magazine Veranda and yesterday they announced that they partnered with Hoffman Media, publisher of Cooking with Paula Deen, Southern Lady, and A Taste of the South magazines to bring Victoria magazine back to life. Victoria was founded in 1987 as a spin off of Good Housekeeping under the editorialship of “the father of new magazine launches” John Mack Carter and was the brainchild of her founding editor Nancy Lindemeyer. The magazine became an instant success with readers and in few years hit the million copies circulation mark. However, in 2003, and without any warning signs Hearst pulled the plug on the magazine citing lack of advertising pages and revenues. The magazine, according to my sources, had one of the highest subscription renewals at the time the magazine was folded. It was yet another sign from our industry leaders that they want to continue to use the same old model of subsidy by advertisers rather than readers paying the fair price of the magazine. It was like telling the millions of readers of Victoria, that we care more about the fifty advertising customers more than the two or three million readers. It is a sad but true fact in the thinking of most of our big “New York” based publishers. Well, now come Hoffman Media, the little engine that could, to bring Victoria back to life. Victoria will be entirely under the direction of Hoffman Media. The plan for the magazine is to launch in October and to hit the 250,000 circulation mark after only two issue. I am sure that both John Mack Carter and Nancy Lindemeyer are delighted to hear about their baby’s rebirth. Congratulations to both.