Shopping magazine Lucky saw ad pages drop 20.3% in 2012, and
newsstand sales -31% in 2H 2012 (though overall circ stable). In January, Conde
Nast named Gillian Gorman Round to oversee both its editorial and business
operations (a first), and Lucky is a first priority for Anna Wintour in her
new, added role as corporate artistic director. First iteration of Lucky's
evolution seen in June/July issue, with redesign emphasizing visuals ("eye
candy," in Round's wording). The new cover photo (shown) was shot outdoors
instead of against a white backdrop in a studio. A grid-like way of showing
products in the magazine, often as thumbnail images, has given way to livelier,
larger photos as well as more images of models in real-world settings. But
real-world settings and other aesthetic changes aren't meant to dilute the
focus on shopping. "We are all about the girl and helping her define what
she's going to buy for herself," Round said. "We are reasserting that
position--owning, occupying, and dominating that position and making sure that
every part of our brand is exceeding that position." Ecommerce strategy is
another key challenge for Lucky. Round has background in ecommerce and is
promising action, but no details on plan as of yet. (Separately, WWD reports
that Wintour's artistic director title is being added to all CN magazine
mastheads in June or July issues, depending on production schedules.)
