Portfolio Magazine Debuts

Posted on April 20, 2007

These may be grim times for print magazines but that isn't stopping Conde Nast from launching its new business magazine called Portfolio. Joanne Lipman, who spent 22-years at the Wall Street Journal, is the publication's editor-in-chief. Lipman also recruited editorial stars from major publications.

A New York Times article notes how the magazine is launching during troubled times with reduced ad pages. The Times also says, "But Portfolio would not be the first business magazine introduced during trying times. Henry Luce founded Fortune just months after the Wall Street crash of 1929, for example."

Print magazine expert Mr. Magazine also notes that Fortune magazine was launched during a grim time period. He says, "The sad part those analysts have forgotten the history of the magazine industry plus they did not even see the magazine or any of its content. Just as a quick reminder about launching a magazine in the worst of times, Fortune was launched by Henry Luce in the midst of the Great Depression with a dollar cover price (think one dollar in 1930)."

The 1930s had the Great Depression but there was no electronic media competition like we have today. Conde Nast is going to have a hard time selling this print magazine no matter how great the quality of the magazine is. If Portfolio becomes a star it will be because of the website not the print version.