Sky mag gets glossy makeover

Sky is relaunching its monthly customer magazine, which has the biggest circulation of any consumer magazine in Britain, under the new name Skymag as a glossier upmarket read.
The new-look title, which aims to appeal more to women, will relaunch next month with actress Billie Piper on the cover and an interview about her role in ITV2 drama Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

New celebrity columnists will include Ben Fogle on eco-living, Mariella Frostrup on arts and culture, and Carole Vorderman on puzzles.

Skymag, previously called Sky The Magazine, is published by News Magazines, which won the contract at the end of last year from John Brown.

The magazine's slogan will be "Make the most of your Sky".

"Skymag is designed with the ABC1 woman in mind," said the Sky director of communications, Christian Cull. "A typical reader is serious about her career and family, she is an avid TV fan with a passion for celebrity news, and is always looking for ways to improve her home and entertainment lifestyle."

The magazine aims to attract new advertisers such as Renault and Jeep, which have signed up to advertise in a Sky magazine for the first time.

The relaunch will be backed by a TV campaign on Sky as well as a press campaign in trade titles.

Sky The Magazine recorded a circulation of more than 7m in the six months to the end of June, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Mark Sweney
Tuesday August 21, 2007
MediaGuardian.co.uk