City Press lifestyle magazine goes national this Sunday

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The first national issue debuts with a timely interview with Zapiro on the topic 'Courage under Satire', in which the often controversial cartoonist speaks about political cartoons in the new South Africa.

Increasing current print run

Leading content marketer New Media is increasing its current print run from 115 000 to the full run of 230 000 copies. It first launched i, as weekly lifestyle magazine supplement in October 2011, the first weekly for the content marketer. It reportedly quickly became the country's highest circulating English Sunday glossy magazine. So impressed was City Press with the overnight success and high quality of the consumer magazine that it gave New Media the brief to go national.

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"Our debut weekly has met with such an enthusiastic reception from readers and it's great to hear the positive feedback, as well as to be part of the rapid growth," said Andrew Nunneley, business development director at New Media.

The latest Audit Board of Circulations (ABC) figures reveal that City Press' circulation has grown to 163 705 in Q1 2012, showing an increase in 9.7% from Q4 2011, and a 16% growth since Q1 2011. This is the first recorded growth in the newspaper since Q3 2011.

"New territory"

Targeted as the ideal platform for advertisers to reach a top end, aspiring, LSM 7 to 10 audiences, the magazine is already gaining traction with advertisers both here and abroad. According to Aileen Lamb, advertising director at New Media, high-end companies such as Ted Lapidus, MontBlanc and Ferrari are impressed with the quality, content and reach of the magazine and Ferrari has chosen the title as a medium to advertise its new Red Power campaign.

"Putting out a weekly - especially one with such high editorial and design standards - has been new territory for our team, but I believe we've really got it right, and we look forward to engaging with the greater South African readership."

The announcement follows the introduction of a free iPad app version of i, available since the beginning of May.