Category1.pdfGOLD AWARD
Time, Inc.
Health Magazine

An all-celebrity cover strategy was one of Health‘s innovative ideas to liven the magazine’s design and format this year. Brooke Shields, Alicia Silverstone and Mariska Hargitay, to name a few, were among the big celebs that gracefully displayed the front covers of Health throughout the past few months. This may be one of the reasons the magazine experienced an 18% increase in newsstand sales, a 4% increase in paid subscribers and a two point increase in advertising market share during the 2nd half of 2008 vs. the 2nd half of 2007.

In its mission statement, Health aims to provide practical solutions to lead a more balanced, healthy life. The magazine’s target audience is “the woman that has reached a turning point in her life where she wants to take a more active and thoughtful role in her health and personal care.” In addition, Health wants to provide the consumer with a “richer experience through smart, relevant editorial features and articles.”

Some new enhancements to editorial pushed the publication to maintain strong readership and advertising environments. Web touting exists throughout the pages of the magazine to encourage readers to find more in-depth information on a subject. For example, the Healthy Inside column “Five Ways to Fall Asleep Faster” in the June 2009 issue suggested readers to visit Health.com for advice on taking sleeping medications.

Other enhancements to editorial include Girls Gotta Move, the magazine’s running club that receives editorial coverage each issue, and the Feel Great Weight program which offers menu and exercise plans—both lead readers to the online website for more detailed information.

The judges were impressed across the board on this one. “A good solid source of healthcare information,” commented one, while another liked how the magazine “focuses on editorial and continues to gain subscribers in a declining market.”

SILVER AWARD

WebMD
WebMD the Magazine

Published eight times per year, WebMD the Magazine is distributed to 90% of US doctors’ office waiting rooms, reaching a large demographic consisting of all age groups. In addition, its audience increased by 20% this year to 10.7 million readers, making it the second largest women’s health title and the third largest audience among health magazines. Judges were unanimous in saying that the publication had “strong content across a range of very important health topics” and a “unique distinction to focus on point of care.”