Condé Nast History
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Condé Nast History Condé Nast publishes 128 magazines and maintains and develops over 100 websites across 25 markets. Condé Nast is part of Advance Publications, Inc., one of the largest privately owned media and communications companies in the world. Below is a brief history of Condé Nast. 1. The beginning of Condé Nast The founder of Condé Nast Publications, Condé Montrose Nast (hereafter referred to as Nast), was born in New York City in 1873. Nast graduated from Georgetown University and later went on to earn a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Despite his legal education, Nast took a job in publishing, as the advertising manager for an American magazine, Collier's Weekly. He not only increased advertising revenue significantly, expanding into regional advertising and introducing double- page spreads and full-colour front and back covers, but also pioneered an edition with editorial devoted to a single topic. Among his other publishing interests, Nast was Vice President of the Home Pattern Company, a manufacturer and distributer of women’s dress patterns. Here, he became knowledgeable about women’s fashion and women’s magazines, and subsequently in 1909 went on to purchase Vogue. Founded in the US in 1892, by Arthur Baldwin Turnure, Vogue was a weekly society magazine, which recorded social events and offered guidance on etiquette, including advice on what to wear for such occasions. Nast transformed the publication into a bimonthly women’s fashion magazine. Commercially, Nast recognised the value of Vogue readers as an influential and affluent audience and pursued high-end advertisers willing to pay extra to reach them. Similarly aware that Vogue readers demanded the highest editorial quality and standards, he hired the best illustrators and photographers to create attractive, stimulating content focusing on fashion. Vogue flourished and within a year under his management, subscriptions doubled, newsstand sales tripled and the magazine was carrying 44% more advertising pages than its closest competitor. Addressing his advertisers, Nast commented: ‘Those who used Vogue on my first invitation eighteen months ago did so largely in my faith to deliver. Those who did so five months ago did so on a mixture of fact and fiction. Now I ask you to come on fact alone.’ Following Vogue’s success, Condé Nast purchased an interest in House & Garden in 1911 and subsequently purchased the magazine outright. In 1913 Vanity Fair was purchased and in 1939, three years before Nast died, Glamour magazine launched. In his lifetime Nast was known as one who always originated, a champion of excellence and innovation. A century later, his commitment to editorial quality remains the core value underlying Condé Nast companies worldwide. Today, Condé Nast US publishes 18 magazines, including in addition to Vogue, Vanity Fair and Glamour, the globally renowned brands of GQ, Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Traveler and Wired. 2. Growth and expansion in Europe Britain Recognising the strength of the Vogue brand internationally and a demand for it in Britain in particular, Condé Nast exported copies of American Vogue to be sold in the UK. However, in 1916, the intensification of submarine warfare in the Atlantic limited the cargoes carried by the merchant fleet to essential supplies only. To meet the continuing demand for Vogue, Nast launched the British edition. British Vogue was thus the first Condé Nast International publication. Since then, the British company 1 has gone on to publish a number of market-leading publications, including Brides, Britain’s longest- standing wedding title, launched in 1955, and Tatler – launched in 1709, one of the first magazines in the world and the oldest magazine in Britain – acquired by Condé Nast in 1982. In the same year, British Condé Nast purchased the design and decoration magazine The World of Interiors. In April 2001 the British edition of Glamour launched. The company also developed two new Condé Nast brands: Easy Living (2005), a women’s magazine for ‘busy grown-up women with a modern attitude’, and Love (2009), a visually striking style magazine published biannually. Another biannual, GQ Style, which launched in 2005, is a men’s fashion and style title produced by GQ. 13 consumer magazines, including GQ, Wired (voted British Society of Magazine Editors Launch of the Year 2009), Vanity Fair, House & Garden and Condé Nast Traveller, and a number of contract publishing titles, all contribute to the ongoing success of the British Condé Nast company. France In 1920, Nast established Vogue in Paris. As with every Vogue edition globally, Vogue Paris adheres to Vogue’s core brand values while editorially delivering a unique and distinct voice and personality. Condé Nast France currently publishes seven magazines, including Glamour, GQ and AD, and biannual editions of Vogue Collections, Vogue Hommes International and AD Collector. Italy 1965 saw the launch of Vogue Italy, followed by L’Uomo Vogue three years later. Condé Nast Italy has implemented a number of successful initiatives, including launching Vanity Fair, which is considered the leading national weekly title in Italy. Condé Nast Italy has also built strong positioning within the Italian bridal market with Vogue Sposa and Sposabella and was the first to introduce the ‘handbag-size’ Glamour, which has since become the standard format for a number of the international Glamour editions and their competitors. Italian editions of GQ, AD, Condé Nast Traveller and Wired were also introduced and are strong leaders in their respective categories. Condé Nast Italy currently publishes 14 magazines. Germany Condé Nast Germany launched Vogue in 1979 and GQ in 1997, followed by versions of AD and Glamour. In 2005 Condé Nast Germany successfully launched Myself, introducing a new women’s brand to the Condé Nast portfolio. In 2009, Vogue Germany celebrated its thirtieth anniversary with three separate 732-page issues, making it one of the largest consumer magazines ever published in Germany. Condé Nast Germany currently publishes six magazines. Spain The first Condé Nast title to launch in Spain was Vogue, in 1988. Such was its success, that a number of specialised titles have since been launched, including Vogue Novias, Vogue Niños, Vogue Belleza, Vogue Colecciones, Vogue Complementos and Vogue Joyas. Glamour launched in Spain in 2002 and the following year was voted Magazine of the Year. Glamour is now the best-selling women’s monthly magazine in Spain. Spanish editions of GQ, AD, Vanity Fair and Condé Nast Traveler are also strong leaders in their respective categories. Condé Nast Spain publishes from Madrid and has a regional office in Barcelona. It currently publishes 14 magazines, including Sposabella Portugal. 2 Russia Vogue launched in Russia in 1998. There are now six Condé Nast titles in Russia – Vogue, GQ, AD, Glamour, GQ Style and Tatler – and October 2011 will see the launch of Russian Condé Nast Traveller, which will be the seventh edition of this title worldwide. In 2009 Glamour Russia won ‘The Year’s Leader in Sales’ award in the category Print Media Publications for Women. In the same year, Karina Dobrotvorskaya, President of Condé Nast Russia, was named among ‘Best Managers’ in the Media Business category in the annual ratings published by Kommersant, a leading Russian business newspaper. 3. Expansion in Asia Pacific Australia Vogue was introduced in Asia Pacific with the 1959 launch of Vogue Australia followed by Vogue Living. Both titles are now published under licence agreement with News Magazines Pty Ltd, which also publishes GQ and the recently launched GQ Style. Korea and Taiwan 1996 was a significant year for expansion in Asia Pacific with the launch of Vogue Korea, under a licence agreement with Doosan Magazine, and the simultaneous launch of Vogue and GQ in Taiwan. In 2001 GQ launched in Korea, followed in subsequent years by Korean editions of Vogue Girl, Allure and W. Japan In 1999 Vogue Japan launched. In addition to Vogue, Condé Nast Japan also publishes GQ and a number of biannual titles, including Vogue Hommes, Vogue Girl and Wired. China Vogue服饰与美容 launched in China in 2005. Additional Condé Nast China titles include GQ智族, GQ Style, Self悦己 and Modern Bride新娘. Each of these Chinese titles has developed into the market leader in their category. The 2011 launch of AD安邸, the premium architecture, design and lifestyle magazine, marked the sixth Condé Nast magazine cooperation in China and eighth AD launch globally. India Condé Nast was the first international publishing company to enter the Indian market with 100 per cent ownership. The launch of Vogue India in 2007 was the seventeenth Vogue launch worldwide. Condé Nast India has since launched a number of other magazines, including GQ in 2008, followed by Condé Nast Traveller in 2010. AD is scheduled to launch in India in March 2012. 4. Expansion in Central and Latin America Glamour was the first Condé Nast magazine to launch in Mexico in the late 1990s, followed shortly by Vogue and AD. GQ launched there in 2006. Latin American Vogue, Glamour and GQ editions have also been successfully established in Spanish speaking markets in Central America and Latin America, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Panama. 3 Brazil Vogue was introduced in Brazil with the launch of Vogue and Casa Vogue in 1975. Condé Nast now publishes five magazines there under a joint venture with Editora Globo. 5. Other markets In addition to the aforementioned markets, Condé Nast International includes licensees in Africa and Europe. Over the past 13 years there have been 16 launches in nine markets. Of these launches, seven were of Glamour – in Greece, Poland, Hungary, South Africa, The Netherlands, Romania and Bulgaria. The first magazine launch in Portugal was GQ in 2001, followed a year later by the launch of Vogue. The most recent Vogue launch was the 2010 launch of Vogue Turkey.