Unilever, Toyota advertise in new Hachette Filipacchi apps

By Chris Harnick

December 18, 2009

Knorr sponsors the Woman's Day iPhone app

Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. has launched five new iPhone applications for several different media brands with advertising from Unilever and Toyota.

Unilever’s Knorr brand is the sponsor of the Women’s Day application. Knorr has branding on the splash page and a sponsored recipe at the top of the Featured section. The five applications, Elle Astrology, Elle Shopping Guide, Woman’s Day Cooking Assistant, Car and Driver Buyer’s Guide and Cycle World, will be monetized through paid downloads and advertising. 

 “These applications reflect a major step forward in the development of our mobile business,” said Yaron Oren, director of mobile strategy and operations at Hachette Filipacchi Media, New York.

“Previous efforts have been largely focused on mobilizing existing content and services,” he said. “Now, we like to say we are in the business of solving problems for mobile consumers and advertisers, whether that be through entertainment, utility or location-based services.

“This mindset is breeding more innovation.”

Toyota is sponsoring the Car and Driver app

Hachette Filipacchi is a cross-platform media company known for its various publications such as Elle, Woman’s Day and Car and Driver.

Filling consumer needs
Toyota’s logo is present on the Car and Driver application splash page.

The automaker has banner ads within the application for its 4Runner automobile.

Hachette's Elle has a mobile shopping app

When clicked, the ad brings the consumer to a landing page within the application.

The landing page features models and prices, photos, the ability to request a quote and find a dealer.

Hachette Filipacchi also uses the mobile channel to monetize seven of its magazine titles.

The publishing giant started selling ad space on the mobile versions of Caranddriver.com, Elle.com, Ellegirl.com, Premiere.com, RoadandTrack.com, Womansday.com and ELLEgirl Latina. Quattro Wireless does the ad sales and serving for the titles (see story).

Mr. Oren said Hachette Filipacchi's priority is on filling an unmet consumer need as opposed to reaching a specific demographic.

“As long as we see good ROI, we use all marketing tactics at our disposal,” Mr. Oren said. “We promote all of our applications to our existing magazine, online and mobile audiences.

“We also target new audiences through mobile ad buys that not only lead to direct downloads, but help aid discoverability for other users by pushing us up the App Store rankings,” he said.

Woman's Day Cooking Assistant and Car and Driver Buyer's Guide are Hachette Filipacchi's first applications focused on providing utility and have been launched as free, ad-supported services.

The Woman's Day application features recipes, a cooking time calculator, shopping list and a recipe box.

Car and Driver Buyer's Guide application features new car information and news along with car buying advice. Consumers can also store vehicles for future review in a garage feature.

The Elle Shopping Guide is location-based.

Hachette Filipacchi said location-based applications offer a new revenue opportunity in local advertisers.

The application features the ELLE Top Shops category, which is also in the magazine. Editors select their favorite Elle shops to highlight.

In the Offers section, local retailers in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be able to place coupons and other deals in an effort to drive consumers in-store. More cities will join the three.

Initial retailers making offers include Diane Von Furstenberg, Intermix, Otte, Flight 001, Iven.tory, Kiki de Montparnasse, AG Adriano and Goldschmied.

Hachette Filipacchi said Elle Astrology and Cycle World are aimed at its most passionate consumers, those willing to pay for content.

The company said it plans to experiment incorporating premium elements into other applications as well.

Mr. Oren said the company’s decision to invest in applications across our brands was a coordinated effort. However, Hachette Filipacchi did not specifically plan at the outset for these all to launch around the same time, it just worked out that way.

“Each brand certainly has its own particular goals and challenges,” Mr. Oren said. “Broadly speaking, some of our biggest challenges always have and will continue to be deepening relationships with existing readers/users, reaching new audiences, serving our advertisers more effectively and building new revenue streams.

“Our mobile apps are helping address all these challenges,” he said.