‘Andpersand Magazine’ to launch in India on September 23

Andpersand Magazine’, popularly known as ‘& Magazine’, finally debuts in India on September 23. The magazine claims to have that much more than other luxury lifestyle magazines in the Indian market, hence the name. Published by the MaXposure Media Group, the Miami-based magazine, with editions due for Amsterdam and Dubai, will make the Indian entry through India's financial capital Mumbai. It will later be launched throughout India.

The magazine targets affluent, stylish professionals in the 25-49 age groups. The magazine will be accompanied by an Indian version of the website, which will be unveiled along with the magazine’s launch here.

Prakash Johari, associate publisher for the magazine in India, says that the magazine will be distributed through various routes. India Book House will be responsible to distribute it across India through news stands. Priced at Rs 150 for 142 pages, the quarterly magazine will have additions by way of booklets in the coming months. It will have a print-run of 16,000 copies. The magazine may be converted to a bi-monthly one some time in the future.

These booklets will cover various events for which it has tied up with The Times Group’s event management arm, 360 Degrees, for various lifestyle and luxury events. These are of the likes of Smart Living Awards to be held in Delhi in November and Jewellery Awards in Mumbai in December. Johari describes The Times Group as a close partner. These events will be covered as booklets along with the magazine from time to time.

The magazine is also looking at placing it at various hotel chains like The Park, The Radisson, The Crowne Plaza, Le Meridien and The Claridges and is in negotiation with the ITC Group. Contract publishing for these chains, says Johari, is a profitable venture for the magazine, considering its upmarket content and target readership.

A special screening of the film ‘Miami Vice’, which hits theatres on September 14, will be organised as a pre-launch event to promote the magazine. This will be premiered in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore on September 14. The film is based on the popular television series from the 1980s, called ‘Miami Vice’. The film, since it was shot in Miami, was apt because it shares its origin with the magazine and fits in with the theme.

Johari justifies September 23 as an ideal date for the launch, since it gives the magazine a week’s lead over other magazines in the coverage of the recently concluded Delhi Fashion Week. Johari discloses s that the magazine’s launch was delayed to that date for the same reason.

The logic was to get the magazine in the right hands – of those with disposable income and with a sense of style and lifestyle. Also, value-added services to advertisers are on the agenda. The magazine is looking at a lot of PR activities and luxury-brands related events. Johari claims that the magazine is here to set never-before-seen standards in its luxury segment.

The magazine will cover major areas that touch any lifestyle-conscious consumer like fashion, automobiles, travel destinations, hotels and resorts, art and architecture. The inaugural issue will feature a Dubai-based resort and Austria as a travel destination. It will also showcase well-known painters like Riyaz Khan, Anjum Singh and Baiju Parthan.

That apart, beginning with this issue, every issue will carry two photo shoots. This issue will feature models Bipasha and Sunalika under the theme ‘Too far west is east’. This will essentially bring out the trend of the west looking at India for fashion and ideas, explains Johari. In contrast, it will highlight how Indian designers is emulating western styles.

As a preparatory step, two months back, 4,000 copies of the Miami issue of the magazine were circulated by Central News Agency (CNA) among the media and advertiser fraternity as also owners of rights for major luxury brands in India. Some of these are Lambourghini, Bentley, Baume & Mercier, Paul Smith and Cartier. This helped to get valuable feedback and understand the market realities. Also, it offered the advantage of a direct access to customers catered to by these brands.

He adds that the Indian market is largely consolidated in terms of the presence of premium brands, which are in the hands of a few. This made it easy to get positive feedback which helped in coming up with the Indian version.

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