When Marie Claire launched in Australia 25 years ago, its then owner Murdoch Magazines threw it a “million-dollar” party in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
These days, the magazine industry, including its parties and budgets, is much smaller but editor Nicky Briger says the sector still has a lot of life in it.
This week the fashion magazine, now owned by Are Media, is celebrating its 25th birthday with a 252-page collector’s edition featuring Nicole Kidman on the cover.
Over its two and a half decades in Australia, Briger says Marie Claire has leaned further into championing social causes, such as the #metoo movement and #letherspeak, and discussing issues such as racism and coercive control. As an example of readers’ appetite, Marie Claire’s recent Instagram posts on ‘how to help’ Afghanistan have been its most shared posts of the year so far.
“Thanks to the explosion of social media, the world’s changed – everyone now has a voice and they’re not afraid to speak out against inequality and have ‘woke-n’ up to the world’s injustices,” Briger tells AdNews.
“Campaigning for social issues and allowing women to be heard has always been a core part of marie claire's DNA, and thankfully we have a legion of like-minded readers who are equally keen to agitate for change.
“These days brands want to stand for something and make a difference, not just push a product. Because marie claire’s been doing this for 25 years, we approach this authentically; we’re not just hopping on a trend. I honestly believe that’s the cornerstone of our success and why we’re still on shelves (and in social feeds) to this today.”
Marie Claire has increased its cross-platform readership by 55% year-on-year to 833,000, according to Roy Morgan figures. Its print product has 265,000 readers, up 6% period-on-period and digital has 435,000 readers. A majority, 60%, of its reach is digital with 5% of readers consuming both online and print.
“There’ll definitely be a continued shift towards digital over print, but print will always have its place,” Briger says. “The magazine is our shop front or ‘haute couture’, in a way, whereas digital will mostly be more snackable and news-based.”
Briger has been overseeing Marie Claire as editor for the past six years and worked on the launch issue in the 90s, attending its launch party in Sydney.
“Marie claire launched in Australia with an excessively glamorous million-dollar party, the likes of which haven’t been seen in the local industry since,” Briger says.
“To this day, it’s still the most extravagant party I’ve ever attended and continues to score a mention in stories on Australia’s most fabulous events. The then-owner, Matt Handbury, hosted the blow-out at his Point Piper mansion with a giant dance floor built over the harbour and more than 500 guests heaving to live bands and DJs.
"There were fireworks and the backdrop was a 20-metre long neon marie claire sign sitting in the middle of the harbour. It really set the tone in those days. We had a huge staff, bigger budgets, extravagant events and hefty booksizes with multiple, big-ticket paper executions.”
Nicky Briger
Since then, Briger has seen the magazine industry transform, from new ownerships, title closures, the shift to digital, and now the pandemic.
“I’m currently working from home in lockdown in trackie-daks and Ugg boots but before COVID, there were still plenty of glamour moments, like trips to Milan and Paris, but mostly it’s hard work, late nights and true grit,” she says. “But I feel like that’s always been the case in a way.
“We’re a brand, not just a mag, and that’s why this industry isn’t simply stabilising, but showing real growth in terms of audience acquisition and revenue increase.
“There’s print, digital, affiliate, and eventing. And while we’re always looking forward and exploring new opportunities and technologies, we’ll never lose sight of our core, purpose-led values – without that, you have nothing.
“To stay relevant, luxury magazine brands must be creative, push boundaries and constantly surprise, delight and inspire their audiences. That need for creativity never ceases, and that’s why this industry will thrive, thrill and engage for decades to come.”
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