Nicheful thinking: First, let’s flash back to June 6, 2002 when the LA Times ran a feature on Grace Magazine, then a new launch for “plus-size” women that didn’t quite make it big.

Quote:

Samir Husni, the head of University of Mississippi’s magazine program. “There may be many, many large women out there, but they don’t necessarily want to focus on that aspect of themselves. That’s why there is not a successful Divorce magazine. Grace may get a cult following, but I believe they will have trouble attracting a mass readership.”

Okay, now let’s fast forward to this week’s Newsweek and a story about the launch of two new magazines, Conceive for women having problems getting pregnant and Plum, for pregnant women over age 35.

Quote:

The magazine business can be ruthlessly unforgiving. Of the 949 titles launched last year, 60 per-cent failed, says University of Mississippi journalism professor and industry guru Samir Husni. But Husni believes that Plum and Conceive, for which he is a paid publishing consultant, serve new niches of readers. “They reflect what’s happening in our society,” he says. “They cater to the business of creation.” And these days, creation can take a lot longer than seven days.

Blog the vote: Halley is posting (state-by-state) the voter registration deadlines for the presidential election and reflects that doing so is jogging some pleasant memories…and melodies.

rexblog bumper music:
I’ve Been Everywhere (Johnny Cash)

Important campaign polling news: Welcome to the wacky world of election season marketing:

The Kerry vs. Bush halloween mask marketing gimmick poll.

The Boston Baked Beans vs. Texas Chili Beans marketing gimmick poll.

Send me others and I’ll update the list…or point to a better list of wacky Kerry vs. Bush “poll marketing gimmicks.”