Magazines latch on to that 'guy thing'

Two new magazines will try to tap into the men's lifestyle category - an emerging market in New Zealand.

Kiwi blokes are not known for paying attention to grooming or image but are an increasingly popular audience for magazines offering styling tips and a good read.

On Monday, the local edition of Alpha hits newsstands, offering sports stories alongside fashion tips.

The following week, Big Fella, an online magazine thought to be the first of its type for men in the country, goes live.

The start-ups are the latest in a series of an emerging type of men's magazine. They follow the launch of local men's lifestyle title M2 in May last year and style guide FQ Men in 2004.

"It's a territory that hasn't been addressed strongly in the past but more and more publishers are seeing it as an opportunity," says Kevin Blight, chief executive of media buyer Mitchell & Partners.

But Blight warns publishers may need deep pockets to sustain the titles until the market builds.

"I think it's a territory that has got lots of potential - they've just got to get enough momentum, so they get enough sales to get the readership they need to generate the advertising they need," says Blight.

"It's that sort of vicious circle."

The local online men's market has lower overheads than print and less competition. Alistair Jamison, general manager of media buying agency Starcom, says this country lags in providing men's magazine websites. "You look at any other market around the world and the way they have been able to deliver male content online - that has worked pretty well for them."

Big Fella website will aim to attract educated men aged 25 to 35, says managing director Ken Freer.

It launches on July 10 and, similar to its sister site NZ Girl, will email weekly newsletters to members.

Freer says the advertising model is advanced, with the possibility of sponsored podcasts and integrated content features such as DIY "how to" guides.

Alpha magazine appeals to changes in men's lifestyle during the last decade, says Phil Barker, managing director of publisher News Magazines.

"Over the last decade men have become more interested in improving their lifestyle and looking after themselves," says Barker, a New Zealander who moved to Australia in 1988.

The magazine, with an initial New Zealand print run of 20,000, will focus on sports but also showcase fashion, cars and health and target men aged 18 to 45.

The monthly magazine is sold in Australia for $2 with News Ltd metropolitan newspapers. The NZ edition will be sold on newsstands for $4.95, and marketed by sponsoring a show on Radio Sport.

Australian men are tuning into weekly magazines, traditionally the realm of women's titles, with Zoo Weekly this week releasing an independent circulation audit showing more than 80,000 paid sales a week.

Zoo Weekly's publisher Emap also announced the creation of a new men's magazine division this week.

New Zealand men are waking up to the new wave of magazines, says ACP Magazines women's lifestyle titles editorial director Kirsty Cameron, who oversees FQ Men.

The company launched controlled circulation with the latest winter issue, sending out 6000 to men on the mailing list of upmarket clothing retailer Working Style, says Cameron.

"We would like to have a balanced model between newsstand and controlled circulation - because men are hard to grab at the newsstand," she says.

"Men don't tend to migrate to where the fashion magazines are racked.

"Word of mouth is what spreads the buzz about magazines, sampling is very important, you get your magazines into the right hands."