3/15/2004 - CurtCo Media & Hearst
Independent Media to Launch Robb Report Russia
Licensing Agreement Brings Luxury
Lifestyle Monthly to Russian Market
NEW YORK, NY (March 15, 2004) – CurtCo
Media, publisher of international luxury lifestyle
authority Robb Report magazine, today announced
it has reached an agreement with Hearst Independent
Media for the launch of Robb Report Russia.
Robb Report Russia, scheduled to debut on newsstands
on March 17, “provides us with an ideal
opportunity to bring the unique Robb Report franchise,
with its expertise in luxury products and services,
to the fast-growing wealthy segment of the Russian
market,” said CurtCo Media CEO William J.
Curtis. “This alliance allows us to combine
our knowledge base of the luxury market with Hearst’s
proficiencies in international licensing. We are
thrilled to be working with this highly respected
international publisher.”
The new title will be targeted to Russia’s
most affluent readers, with a focus on luxury
products and services offered both internationally
and in Eastern Europe. The publication will include
existing Robb Report content, as well as news
and information specifically for the Russian market.
Robb Report Russia will also provide international
advertisers with a highly focused medium to reach
the rapidly growing Russian luxury consumer market.
“Russia is an ideal market in which to
launch a luxury magazine. Hearst has had success
launching well-established magazine titles all
over the world and we’re very excited about
working with CurtCo to launch a Russian edition
of Robb Report,” said George Green, president
and CEO of Hearst Magazines International.
'We are very excited to add Robb Report to our
magazine portfolio,” said Derk Sauer, CEO
of Moscow-based Independent Media. “It is
a great brand and fills a niche in the Russian
market that is vacant at the moment".
The transaction marks the latest move in CurtCo’s
ongoing objective of extending the Robb Report
brand that includes the acquisition of the luxury
lifestyle publication in June 2001, development
of The Robb Report Collection in November, 2001
the launch of Robb Report Home Entertainment &
Design in October, 2002, and the acquisition and
subsequent re-launch of Worth magazine in November,
2003. This year, the company has already launched
two quarterly titles, CurtCo’s Digital TV
and Robb Report MotorCycling.
Now in its 28th year, Robb Report is the leading
international authority on the luxury lifestyle
with a paid U.S. circulation of 100,000 and an
average subscription price of $65. With exclusive
editorial and stunning photography, Robb Report
provides an authoritative and detailed guide to
the varied passions of today's affluent consumer.
Each issue features extensive coverage of luxury
cars, motorcycles and private aircraft as well
as fashion and style, luxury travel and real estate,
home furnishings and home entertaining. Annual
franchise issues include “Car of the Year”,
“The Best of the Best” and “The
Ultimate Gift Guide.”
CurtCo Media
CurtCo Media is operated by CurtCo Media Labs,
which, since 1987, has operated as a developer
of publishing businesses. Over that period, the
company has acquired or launched publications
that address clearly identified vertical niches,
creating powerful brands that lead their respective
markets. With offices in Malibu, New York and
Boston, CurtCo is parent to a family of publications
that are uniquely targeted to the world’s
most affluent readers. These titles include Robb
Report, The Robb Report Collection, Robb Report
Home Entertainment & Design and Worth. CurtCo’s
aggressive expansion plans include the launches
of two additional publications in 2004: CurtCo’s
DigitalTV and Robb Report Motorcycling.
Hearst Independent Media
Hearst Independent Media was founded in 1994.
HIM publishes the glossy magazines Cosmopolitan,
Magia Cosmo, Cosmo Beauty, Cosmopolitan Petersburg,
Cosmopolitan Ural, Cosmopolitan Kazakhstan, Cosmopolitan
Ukraine, Harper's Bazaar, Domashny Ochag, Vkusno
i Polezno, Popular Mechanics.
Independent Media
Independent Media was founded in 1992. IM publishes
Men's Health, FHM, FHM Ukraine, Yes!, Top Sante/Formula
Zdorovya; the newspapers The Moscow Times, The
St. Petersburg Times, Na Rublyovke, Vedomosti
(a joint publication with Financial Times and
The Wall Street Journal) and the newspaper supplements
Business Review (The Moscow Times), Nedvizhimost
(Vedomosti); B2B publications Agrobusiness, Finansovy
Director (a joint publication with Profmedia);
the magazines Golf Style Next (a joint publication
with the Moscow Golf Federation) and PROSPORT
(a joint publication with Profmedia). Also IM
owns 50% of the Pressexpo company.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff Perlman
Brandware Public Relations
office - 818.706.1915
cell - 818.317.3070
jperlman@brandwaregroup.com
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