
Too close for comfort… When magazines look amazingly alike
March 29, 2011
There is no question about it: People Style Watch has been a success story for this brand extension of People magazine. And, as is in any success stories imitators will take notice. I have always written about the three types of new magazine launches: The Ground Breakers, the ones that there is nothing like them on the marketplace when they first arrive; the Copy Cats, the ones that are quick to jump into the marketplace riding the coattails of the Ground Breakers and in some cases learn from the mistakes of the Ground Breakers and do a better job; and the Cheap Imitators, the ones that devote themselves to produce cheap copies of what they deem a success story on the newsstands.
Well, that brings us to Today’s Black Woman Style Report magazine that just published its second issue. Take a look at it and compare it with the latest issue of People Style Watch. Is it too close for comfort, or is it just me? What say you?
Nice catch. And it’s definitely not as eye catching as People Style Watch. I’d be interested in knowing how many magazine websites are similar, too.
Hauntingly similar indeed. The “look at me!” pop-up images in TBW’s also makes it feel more cluttered. They should have inlarged Rihanna (like what People did) to give the reader at least some sense of focus. It feels like she and the “Spring Fashion” pop-up blurb are fighting for your attention.
I would say they are so similar that it is indeed too close for comfort