Media24 announces Femina closure

Earlier in February, the management of Media24 proposed that Femina be closed due to the poor financial prospects for the magazine. Since then, Media24 management had been in consultation with the staff and the process was concluded today.

Media24 acquired Femina in 2006 from Associated Magazines, and, according to the statement, has in the last three years made substantial investments in the repositioning of the brand in order to improve its financial prospects. Nevertheless, the brand has not been able to gain sufficient traction to secure its financial future.

“We take a long-term view on magazines. The five year projections for Femina, however, do not indicate the required improvement,” said John Relihan, CEO of Media24 Magazines.

Liezl de Swardt, publisher of Media24 - woman360, commented: “The glossy woman's magazine market is highly competitive. In order to be successful, a brand must compete effectively for its share of the market.

“For niche products to succeed, they have to be truly unique and sustainable. Unfortunately, Femina, despite its niche positioning, continued to compete against general interest glossies.”

The April issue will be on sale on 17 March.

For more:

• TimesLIVE: Femina's demise a long time coming