MEDIA DECK
M ILK & HONEY
THE INDUSTRY LEADER TODAY’S BRIDE SF is the longest publishing, most widely recognized and circulated wedding magazine in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since we entered the marketplace in 1993, more than 25 regional wedding magazines have come and gone. Several were glam and sexy; some were local city magazines trying to expand their brand; others were regional attempts by national titles like Modern Bride and Wedding Bells. The one thing they all had in common is the failure to reach, capture and deliver bay area brides to their advertisers, and when a magazine fails to deliver results, advertisers stop buying ads and the magazine goes away. In light of so many failed magazines, the question begs to be asked—what’s the secret? How has Today’s Bride SF remained such a powerful and reliable advertising resource when so many others have closed? The answer is simple−targeted geo distribution! Our mantra since the company was founded by editor-in-chief Cristine Thomas, is “Distribution! Distribution! Distribution!” After all, a magazine that doesn’t make it into the hands of the target audience is nothing more than paper and ink. We make every issue count with our broad network of newsstands, bridal salons, bridal events and wedding related ‘point-of-pickup’ locations, all regularly monitored by our circulation department. Today’s Bride SF caters exclusively to the San Francisco Bay Area. Advertisers don’t pay for circulation that covers all of California, and readers don’t have to flip through 30-40 pages of Sacramento and Southern California advertisers just to find a single bay area wedding venue or service provider.
EL IZA BETH M ESSI NA
THE INDUSTRY + THE AUDIENCE THE INDUSTRY This coming year the bridal industry will generate over 72 billion in consumer spending. Over 2 million weddings will occur with an average (bay area) cost of $39,329 per wedding with an average guest list of 140. A range of 45-75% of the wedding expenses will be paid for by the to-be-weds. Although the market remains consistent in size, the consumer is changing. They’re older, more sophisticated, more informed and financially independent. They’re prioritizing which elements of the wedding are most important to them and allocating budget accordingly. They’re trimming the guest list and focusing more on the quality of the event than the size. THE AUDIENCE • Average age in the bay area: bride 31 / groom 34 • Average combined income: $138,300 • 16% of couples will spend more than the national average of 34k • 84% of couples will spend right at or below the national average • The bride is still at the center of wedding decisions, but 77% of grooms will take an active role in the planning process Publishing since 1993, Today’s Bride SF continually evolves based on results from our bridal focus groups. Every issue boasts additions and changes based on what our brides divulge about their usage patterns, preferences and priorities. By focusing on exactly what our audience is asking for, we garner a higher usage rate than traditional wedding magazines, resulting in increased advertiser exposure and response.
CIRCULATION + DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION IS OUR #1 PRIORITY. It’s a fact—no matter how beautiful the magazine, if it doesn’t reach the hands of the bride, it can’t deliver a response. Our targeted, multi-layered distribution network ensures Today’s Bride SF is everywhere the bride and groom go, reaching them at the earliest planning stages possible. Today’s Bride SF is available at Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, Target and select grocery markets throughout the Bay Area where it is sold at a cover price of $5.95. Today’s Bride SF also commands a high profile at bridal salons, jewelry stores, venues, bridal shows, client retail and boutique wedding events, where it’s distributed at no cost. CIRCULATION 30,000 concentrated exclusively in the San Francisco Bay Area DISTRIBUTION NETWORK 20% newsstand sales 20% wedding faires and boutique bridal events 20% bridal salons and trunk shows 30% jewelers, reception sites, client retail, online orders, etc. 10% wedding industry professionals--venues and service providers MONITORED DISTRIBUTION All bridal related distribution locations are monitored and restocked monthly by our circulation department. Our diverse distribution network and management ensure that Today’s Bride SF is the most well distributed bridal publication in the Bay Area.
SABINE SCHERER
CONTENT THAT CAPTURES WE UNDERSTAND OUR READERS’ desire for inspiring ideas, fresh and enlightening perspectives and practical planning tools. Throughout Today’s Bride SF magazine and website we create a canvas that tantalizes the eyes and inspires the soul. With style and romance, we provide the breadth and depth of information and inspiration couples’ need to plan the most spectacular of all soirees−their wedding. Today’s Bride SF features the sophisticated graphic appeal and local resources to attract even the most discriminating, affluent bride. At the same time, we carefully balance our content to accommodate the other 84%: the mid-range, price sensitive brides. With 45-75% of the expenses now paid for by the bride and groom, we see a growing trend—priority purchasing. This makes our range-of-appeal more important than ever. No matter what economic level a couple enters the matrimonial marketplace or how their priorities evolve, Today’s Bride SF meets the need with quality content and resources. TODAY’S BRIDE SF FEATURES • 50+ pages of Style + Design • 28+ pages of Real Weddings • 16+ pages of Fashion Features • Smart and savvy planning advice, tips and tools • 220+ local sites and services • Industry Pulse wedding industry event features
SYNERGY THAT DELIVERS TODAY’S BRIDE SF LEVERAGES A MULTIFACETED approach to reach, capture and deliver the highly coveted, must-buy consumer−today’s bride. With distribution concentrated exclusively in the bay area, we garner a market share, usage and impression rate far higher than the thousands of wedding sites and blogs vying for the brides’ attention. That’s a powerful position for influencing where couples go next. We know our audience is technically savvy. In addition to print, they want the flexibility and accessibility of online and mobile interaction. We leverage the enormous market share generated by the magazine to direct to-be-weds to our website and digital magazine. By providing multiple options for accessing the same great content, we’re creating familiarity and keeping couples engaged with Today’s Bride SF. OUR SUITE OF PRODUCTS + SERVICES • Today’s Bride SF print magazine • Today’s Bride SF digital magazine • TodaysBrideSF.com • Bridal and industry event calendars • Nearly 3,000 copies shipped or delivered to wedding industry professionals • Social networking on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram • Weekly bridal and industry e-blasts with special offers, events and invitations Advertising via multiple targeted media generates marketing synergy and reinforces credibility. Multiple impressions from a healthy ad mix results in increased top-of-mind awareness, and a heightened level of brand recognition by your prospective clients.
THE POWER OF PRINT PRINT IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER with our core demographic–Millenials. That coveted consumer base, born between 1980 and 1994, currently 25-39 years old, has hit digital overload and is gravitating to the tactile experience of print like never before! CREDIBILITY Print magazine ads benefit from perceived credibility. The reader trusts the information the publication offers and the ads in the publication reap the benefits of that trust by simply appearing in the publication. Psychologists refer to this trust transfer, where the positive qualities of one thing, influence the perception of another, as the “halo effect.” ENGAGEMENT Print readers are more actively and intentionally engaged with content than internet users. Websites by their very design create a distracted consumer. With so many clickable-options the user’s attention becomes fragmented. Plus, people tend to multi-task when they’re online which further divides their attention and reduces recall for ads seen. That said, brides obviously use the internet to help plan their wedding. So we mirror the magazine on our website–TodaysBrideSF.com, providing extended content, familiarity and strong cross platform engagement with our brand. TARGETED Niche magazines are read by highly interested audiences because they’re specific to a topic of interest. That’s particularly true for Today’s Bride SF. Not only does it feature the eye-candy content brides are looking for, it also contains the must-have local venues and services they’ll need for their bay area wedding. Increasing our niche appeal, Today’s Bride SF caters exclusively to a targeted geographical region—the San Francisco Bay Area. Our readers don’t have to flip through 30 to 40 pages of Sacramento and Southern California ads just to find a single bay area venue or service. ROI Print magazines deliver an average return of $3.94 for every dollar spent on advertising.
PRINT DRIVES ONLINE AUDIENCE WE DRIVE TRAFFIC FROM PRINT-TO-SITE with extended styled shoots, real weddings, articles, vendor resources and references. There are literally thousands of wedding related websites competing for a bride’s attention. So, how do we rise above all the beautiful clutter to capture the attention of our target demographic, bay area brides? Easy, we advertise the website in the most popular, most widely distributed wedding magazine in the San Francisco Bay Area—TODAY’S BRIDE SF! More brides will use our magazine to plan their wedding than any other resource in the marketplace. So we run multiple full-page print ads; reference the site frequently in articles; include it in the footer; and print it on the spine of the magazine. In addition to link-backs from clients, other sites and blog feature contributors, over 4,000 brides receive our weekly eblast featuring upcoming bridal events and a link to TODAYSBRIDESF.COM. SEO is important—we love it when we come-up at the top of a search, so our site is built for fluid SEO modifications and growth. That said, our ultimate goal and primary focus is to entice our print brides to engage with our website. By extending styled shoots, articles and real weddings, we motivate brides to go to the website to “see more.” Once there, they experience the same gorgeous, image rich aesthetic and terminology as the magazine, creating continuity and familiarity, which results in repeat visits and reinforced recognition of the advertisers they see in both print and online mediums. When it comes to content, we’re sensitive to the fact that internet users tend to multi-task while they’re online, causing them to be easily distracted. So we focus on easy to navigate content that counts, not clutters—local venues, services, inspiration, events and planning.
MELA NIE DUERKOP P
REQUEST RATES WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING TO INCEASE BOOKINGS, get more leads so you can be more selective, or simply want to get in front of the thousands of wedding professionals and venues that get the magazine, Today’s Bride SF offers the most cost effective and results driven marketing platform in the San Francisco Bay Area. Get a print ad in the bay area’s #1 wedding magazine–Today’s Bride SF plus a digital magazine ad and an online profile, for less than the national websites charge to get listed and lost among hundreds of competitors. ILEA, NACE, WIPA and ACPWC members, be sure to mention you’re a current member of one of these awesome associations for an additional 15% savings. It’s our way of saying “Thank you for supporting the associations that bring us together and elevate our industry.”
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST RATES + INFO ON OUR CURRENT PROMOTION. FINAL DEADLINE OCTOBER 30, 2019 PUBLICATION DROP DATE DECEMBER 30, 2019
ENGAGING GREEN AS A MAGAZINE WE USE A VALUABLE RESOURCE−trees, to deliver your message to 30,000+ brides and industry professionals every year. As an environmentally responsible company, we’ve made a commitment to green standards for both the creation and disposal of our product. THE CREATION • We print the exact number of books needed to saturate the bay area • We limit pages by running extended content on our websites and blog • We use printers and paper companies who are FSC and SFI certified • All inks used are vegetable-based • All paper used is Elemental Chlorine Free • All paper, inks, coating and bindery glue are 100% recyclable • Paper is purchased from manufactures who plant four trees for each one cut • Our paper manufactures are all located in the US (reduces travel distance) • Our office is paper-free THE DISPOSAL • Today’s Bride SF is 90% biodegradable and 100% recyclable