P&G To Expand Custom-published Magazine to U.S. Market

According to an Advertising Age report, P&G is rolling out a custom-published magazine, Rouge, in the U.S. The publication has been in Canada for four years, and is looking to gain an additional six–seven million U.S. homes. Adding the U.S. brings circulation for the P&G title, produced by Redwood Custom Communications' Javelin unit, to 11 million households by 2010. The report states that circulation would hit approximately 18 million if U.S. distribution of Rouge reaches the same household penetration rate as in Canada.

Further, Advertising Age, predicts that P&G will reduce its sizable ad spend in other publications, though it's not clear Rouge will be a death knell for P&G spending on other magazines—as the medium, along with digital, has seen steady or increased spending in recent quarters as P&G has slashed its TV spending amid declining U.S. sales. "But owned media is still a concern as P&G amps up its share of sales from e-commerce, either on its own sites or those of outside e-tailers, where it can hope to spur impulse sales through its own offerings," states Advertising Age author Jack Neff.

Rouge, a coupon-heavy publication, fills a gap at a time when Sunday newspaper distribution, and the coupon inserts that go with it, is in decline, and much of the social-media support for Rouge has come from mentions of the coupons.

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