Heyday's magazine is pretty good.

My first edition of Heyday magazine has arrived. See 25th June for previous comments about the company.

In the past I have been less than complimentary about the Heyday’s web site and the company’s launch. I am really pleased to say that the magazine was far better than I expected. On the ‘5 seconds test’ (i.e. does this feel and look like something I want to keep and read) it scored 4-5. Good layout and use of imagery.

The content was pretty good as well. Because the magazine’s audience is such a heterogeneous bunch it is going to be impossible to provide content that is going to appeal to all groups, but I reckon they did pretty well with this first edition. The difficult bit is keeping up the same standards when you get to editions 9 and 10.

I still think that Heyday has a very difficult task on its hands to engage with the 50-plus target market. At least the publication side of their operations seems like it working OK. I am not so sure about the company’s marketing.

The following item (edited) appeared in BrandRepublic about the magazine’s launch.
Heyday, the new glossy magazine for of over-50s from the membership organization of the same name, has attracted national brands such as L’Oreal into its first issue.

The magazine is published by Redwood on behalf of Heyday. The not-for-profit organisation is backed by Age Concern and by joining, members receive specially tailored products, offers and promotions and the magazine

The magazine also numbers among first issue advertisers Alpro Soya and National Express. Advertising director Rebecca Grey said: “The response from UK advertisers has been nothing short of phenomenal, partly because there are only a small number of magazines that cater for this particular audience and very few display the high production qualities and glossy environment that can be found in heyday magazine.”

Heyday is a glossy bi-monthly that covers issues and subjects relevant to people heading towards or in retirement and includes columns on travel, technology, health and fitness and celebrity interviews.

The first issue carries an interview with broadcaster Selina Scott and is edited by former TV presenter and Marks & Spencer magazine editor Diane Kenwood. Heyday will have a first issue circulation of 250,000.

The monthly Saga magazine from Saga group is to stop distributing free copies and is preparing for a subscription push and a possible move to newsstand distribution. It has a circulation of 1.23 million and a controlled circulation to targeted readers making up 557,556 of this number. Dick Stroud