Uptown Magazine Expands Distribution to Washington, Atlanta and Chicago

Target Market News

(November 10, 2005) Uptown magazine marks its expansion into three new markets – Washington DC, Atlanta, and Chicago with the installment of its Fall 2005 issue.  The magazine, which this year celebrated its first anniversary, currently reaches more than 100,000 readers. 

Uptown has enjoyed a steady rise in awareness among key targets since its initial Harlem launch.  Targeting affluent African American men and women ages 25-44, Uptown’s highly stylized editorial pages celebrate the “good life” and all of its attendant trappings.
 
The magazine offers up a rich tapestry of the African American experience covering a wide range of content that includes fashion, entertainment, travel, dining, arts & culture, and architecture.  “In the widening media landscape and with numerous outlets targeting urban consumers, it’s becoming increasingly more important to deliver personalized content to our readers,”  says Brett Wright, the magazine’s chief creative officer.

“Although our focus and subject matter is universal we’re taking a hometown approach to our expansion by plugging our readers into local events and profiling indigenous Uptowners,” adds Wright.   The editors hope to strike a balance between accessibility and appealing to the aspirations of its readers. The business model is somewhat an inverse of successful publications like Ocean Drive and Gotham magazine whose scope is regional but worldly in appeal.
 
The quarterly publication now includes region-specific directories and local event coverage that differentiate one market edition from the next.  The multi-market expansion issue features a Mary J. Blige cover story  by publishing veteran Emil Wilbekin, that examines this new phase of Ms. Blige’s spiritual and musical evolution.
  
“Uptown is the magazine we’ve all been longing for.  It reaches beyond the litany of African American staples in chronicling the lives, lifestyles, travels, hobbies and idiosyncrasies that reflect the “Uptown” mindset,” says Harriette Cole, editorial director.

Current in-book advertisers include Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes Benz, Courvoisier, Cole Haan, Nicole Miller, Macy’s, Sean John, Phat Farm, Ciroc, W Hotels, and Marquis Jets among other premium brands.
 
Uptown, available on newsstands and at bookstores, is also distributed to high-end residential buildings, galleries, salons, health clubs, retail stores, spas, nightclubs and lounges as well as at special events that reach the target audience.