MELBOURNE: The much anticipated challeger to Fairfax Media's The Melbourne Weekly Magazine has been unveiled today with Metro Media revealing its new magazine, The Weekly Review.
The title which will officially launch on 28 April is a 200-plus page glossy premium lifestyle magazine. The magazine has been surrounded by controversy since its founder, former head of marketing at The Age Antony Catalano, announced he had formed a partnership with some of Melbourne's biggest real estate advertisers to publish the magazine.
It is widely considered to pose a real threat to Fairfax, whose Melbourne Weekly has been plagued with criticism over a new distribution model.
Sources have told AdNews that Fairfax has been heavily discounting its rates ahead of the launch in a bid to keep the real estate advertisers on side. Fairfax Media's chief executive and publisher, Melbourne publishing Don Churchill responded to AdNews, saying: "We do not disclose our client arrangements. At any time, as with any other media company, we can have various offers in the market that clients can take advantage of."
Catalano has poached a slew of sales, editorial and production staff from media companies around Melbourne to run The Weekly Review, including Trent Casson, group sales manager at Austereo who left to take up the role of sales and marketing director for Metro Media. He will be supported by some "very senior former Fairfax and News Ltd executives," said Catalano.
This includes John Ioannou, Catalano's former 2IC at Fairfax, who was general manager of real estate at The Age and will take charge of Metro Media's real estate division, which is the bedrock of the magazine. Former Fairfax journalist Kendall Hill and radio personality Steve Price are just two of the “household names” who will be contributing editorial.
"We are unashamedly high-end," said Catalano. "We are launching an editorial magazine which is compelling, celebrates Melbourne and is cheeky and irreverent. We are pitching at a different audience [to The Melbourne Weekly].
"Our initial distribution area is the affluent eastern suburbs of Melbourne and as a consequence there is a high level of AB consumers with big disposable incomes who care about prestige products and lifestyle. We aren't chasing local direct clients." he added, "it’s all about big brands and big display advertising."
Several media buyers confirmed to AdNews that they had seen initial presentations and a mock up of the magazine, but were yet to place any advertising.
According to Catalano, more than 20 Melbourne real estate agencies have partnered The Weekly Review. Real estate partners include Fletchers, TBM, Hocking Stuart, Bennison Mackinnon, RT Edgar, Woodards, JR Buxton, Gary Peer & Associates, Jellis Craig, Kay & Burton, Marshall White, Abercrombys, Hodges, Noel Jones, Christopher Russell, Williams Batters and McLaren.
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