Media: Publishing brands

Tuesday 17 September, on La5, at 9 pm sees the start of a new TV show The Chef – Scelgo e Creo in cucina, created in collaboration by Mondadori and Mediaset.

A prime time challenge – for 11 weeks – featuring 14 contestants aiming for the title of “The Chef” under the guidance of chefs Davide Oldani and Filippo La Mantia, and with the help of two coaches: the food blogger Chiara Maci and the chef Alessio Algherini.

The selection of the contestants was made in June and July on the web site www.thechef.mediaset.it, that will trace the entire programme up to the final. In order to take part, the aspiring chefs submitted their candidacies with a video-recipe in which the displayed their skills in the kitchen with quality original dishes.

The production team and the two chef presenters made a selection from the contributions received of the best 50 candidates who in the pre-selection phase will be tested by the two coaches. From the first challenge they can proceed to the second episode 14 challengers, the real protagonists of
“The Chef”.

In fact they will take part in the advanced stages of the programme in teams, arriving at 6 semi-finalists and 4 in the final showdown. But only one will be pronounced the winner of the title “The Chef” and the opportunity of joining the staff of Filippo La Mantia’s new restaurant.

The coaches will have the task of training the black and white teams to enliven the theme of the challenge, more precisely, the “review” of a recipe from the monthly Sale&Pepe. The coaches will also be responsible for the shopping with a designated budget where they can use their imagination in finding new ingredients to use in the recipes.

Having analysed and commented on the shopping, the chefs will sound the starting bell for the “cooking time” and the contestants will have to prepare dishes both in the studio and outside. The tests will cover all kinds of food, from appetisers to desserts and the selection of the most appropriate wines to match the recipes.

The two presenter chefs will not only judge the results but also provide useful tips and suggestions and , each episode, will elect a winning team who will receive a prize of extra money to spend in their weekly budget. The best (who might not be in the winning team) and the two worst (one from each team) will run the risk of elimination. They will face a second challenge starting from a video-recipe sent in. the author of which will be a guest in the studio. The one who produces the worst dish will be eliminated from the programme.

The Chef is the first cooking talent show to be developed mainly on the web. Starting from the sharing of video-recipes and the selection through the site (which will be continuously updated with news and videos during the programme) each step of the competition will also be covered on social networks with dedicated fan pages on Facebook (The Chef), a Twitter profile (@The Chef_La5) and the hashtag #TheChef.

A summer of big numbers for Mondadori that saw the success of the re-launching of the most important brands in its portfolio confirmed.

July and August circulation figures rewarded Grazia, Donna Moderna and Tustyle, all of which were re-launched at the same time in May, and Chi, which once again distinguished itself in the women’s people segment for its close links to the readers.

For all of these titles, the months following the re-launch and in particular the summer months, have been very positive, reversing the trend in circulation with a total of over 1,200,000 copies a week (+37% compared with April 2013, prior to the re-launch). To these results should be added the excellent performance of add-on sales and the confirmation of growth in digital.

In particular, the three women’s titles Grazia, Donna Moderna and TuStyle, reconceived in order to more effectively respond to the needs of three distinct female targets, recorded total average summer weekly sales of 800.000 – that have grown continuously compared with the same period of the previous year – overtaking the already ambitious target of 750,000 copies, announced during the re-launch phase.

“We are very proud of these results,” declared Carlo Mandelli, general manager of Magazines Italy. “Clearly it was not presumptuous of us to state that it was an unprecedented initiative in the Italian consumer magazine market that has rewarded the company’s boldness and the efforts of everyone. The circulation figures confirm this success and Mondadori’s leadership in magazines. This is also thanks to the organisational decisions taken before the summer in the Magazines Italy area with the creation of a new structure based on the integration of print and digital, form which we hope to draw further satisfaction in the coming months,” Mandelli concluded.

Grazia achieved an average weekly sale in the summer of 220,000 copies, an increase on the previous year; Donna Moderna, which maintains its leadership position in women’s magazines, saw a continuous rise in circulation in July and August, with a weekly average of 360,000; there were also excellent figures for TuStyle, which over the two summer months recorded an average weekly sale of 220,000 copies.

There has also been a continuing rise in the presence of the three brands in digital, with an overall increase in the average number of unique users of 55% compared with last year (source: Shinystat, July/August), also thanks to the launch of Tustyle.it and the new mobile versions of Grazia.it and Donnamoderna.com.

The richness and liveliness of the content and exclusive news coverage have rewarded Chi, which saw total average circulation in July and August rise by 13% compared with the same period of 2012, reaching a total of 410,000 copies, with a peak of over 520,000 copies for the 14 August issue.

There was also much appreciation for the new formula of GraziaCasa, launched in the spring after the reconfiguration of the interiors portfolio. The magazine, which has enabled Mondadori to strengthen its control of the sector, saw a substantial increase in circulation from April to today (+73% compared with the same period of 2012), with average monthly sales of over 90.000 copies.

From this month the sale of national advertising for the Radio Subasio will be exclusively managed by Mondadori Pubblicità.

The agreement is a further fundamental step in the process of reinforcing the Mondadori Group’s advertising sales company which, already strong with its sales for R101, Radio Kiss and, since April of this year, Radio Italia solomusicaitaliana – with the addition of Radio Subasio consolidates its leadership in the Italian radio market.

With an average daily total of 8.9 million listeners and 23.8 million over 7 days, net of duplications, Mondadori Pubblicità’s new offer is extraordinarily complementary in terms of the stations listeners, both in terms of the target and distribution around the country. The addition of Radio Subasio to the Mondadori Pubblicità portfolio completes the coverage of central Italy, where the station is leader in terms of audience.

“This concession if further proof of the consideration of Mondadori Pubblicità for the radio business as a strategic asset with great development potential,” declared chairman and chief executive, Angelo Sajeva. “In the space of just a few months, firstly with the acquisition of the concession for Radio Italia and now the addition of Radio Subasio, we have significantly altered the configuration of the Italian radio market and our position in it. Our offer is now structured, both in numerical terms and the way in which it complements the different targets, it really can become the first choice of clients who want to use radio to advertise their products and services and,” Sajeva concluded, “with this acquisition, which will increase our annual revenues in the sector to over €60 million, we will also become one of the leading radio advertising sales companies in the Italian market.”

With a daily average of 1.6 million listeners and 6.1 million over 7 days, Radio Subasio is Italy’s most important local radio station.

“For us this opens up a new phase,” underlined Rita Settimi, president of Radio Subasio, “that we hope will be positive for a marked increase in advertising sales in a very difficult moment for the market as a whole.”

CIAK, Italy’s most authoritative film monthly, edited by Piera Detassis, is back, together with the city-magazine Venezia News, with the Official Daily of the 70th International Film Festival of Venice (28 August – 7 September 2013), directed by Alberto Barbera and organised by the Venice Biennale, the president of which is Paolo Baratta.

For the entire duration of the Festival Daily “CIAK in Mostra” will accompany and be at the service of the public with film profiles, interviews, special articles on the international film world, thematic and historical summaries, news, comment and curiosities to get the most from the festival and the Lido. In addition to the staff of CIAK, for the occasion the sharp pencil of Stefano Disegni will follow and provide a daily comment on the Festival with cartoons and satirical strips.

R101 is the official radio of the 70th International Film Festival of Venice, which will run from 28 August to 7 September 2013.

This collaboration will place R101 at the centre of an event of international renown with the aim of contributing to making the spectacular and magical world of cinema even more exciting.

For the entire duration of the Festival R101 will provide exclusive radio coverage, in the mobile studio Radiocall, of the delegations of all the films in competition, keeping listeners up to date with all the emotions of great international cinema, providing background detail, curiosities about the Festival, news previews and interviews with the stars on the red carpet.

In addition, until 31 July all R101 listeners will have the possibility to win a holiday for two in Venice during the Film Festival: to take part all you have to do is visit the web site www.r101.it and look for the “Extra – Gioca e Vinci” section and reply to a question (you can try as many times as you like). The winner will be drawn on 2 August 2013.

Icon, the men’s fashion and lifestyle magazine, is exporting its successful formula to Spain where it will be launched in the autumn, the first international edition of the title, as a supplement of the newspaper El País.

Icon Spain is the result of a licensing agreement between Mondadori International Business and Promotora de Revistas General and Ediciones El País, which plans to publish 10 issues a year of the magazine. With a daily average of 1,929,000 readers and an average daily circulation of 324,814 copies in 2012, El País is the leading Spanish-speaking national newspaper and also has a strong online presence, with 15.6 million unique users in April 2013.

In its Spanish version, Icon will confirm the formula that has brought its success in Italy: a strong focus on the contemporary man and the icons that represent him, through the eyes of leading photographers and the most prestigious international style journalism.

First launched in Italy in April 2011 and edited by Emanuele Farneti, Icon is the men’s magazine linked to Panorama and gives an account of the icons of pop culture and celebrates trends and tendencies in fashion, art, design, architecture and lifestyle.

A formula that is appreciated both by the public and the advertising market, and which has enables Icon to quickly position itself at the forefront of the men’s fashion segment in terms of the number of advertising pages in the months of publication. A contribution to the excellent performance in Italy has also been made by a web channel with a rich range of photo galleries, videos and blogs, the launch of “deluxe” versions of the magazine intended for a circuit of selected newsstands and bookstores, and a special issue dedicated to sport, in addition to the organisation of events in collaboration with the most prestigious fashion and luxury brands.

From today fashion aficionados have a new point of reference: the Tu Style “personal shopper” is now available also online at TuStyle.it, the web site for those who want to be constantly connected with the world of fashion, beauty and celebrities.

TuStyle.it opens a window rich in news and content, about everything that is trending, from the catwalks to social networks. There are a number of sections that are particularly highlighted, Moda (Fashion) for the truly fashion-addicted, Copia le sfilate (Copying the catwalks) an interactive shopping guide at affordable prices, Tu-torial, a video channel with advice from stylists to personalise your look, Bellezza (Beauty) where you can find out about what’s new in cosmetics, the most glamorous cuts and trends in make-up, Vip Watching, an observatory of the world of entertainment, with a daily focus on celebrities. Plus Hot topic that at every moment of the day will signal the hottest topics on Twitter and Instagram, and offer the possibility to comment by sending your own tweet directly form the home page of the site.

To mark the launch, TuStyle.it has organised a special initiative “Diventa Tu Stylist” (Become a Tu Stylist), for those who love to play with style. To take part all you have to do is sign up on the site (http://diventatustylist.tustyle.it/) and compose your own outfits with the clothes, shoes and accessories offered by the interactive toolbox. The outfits created will be displayed in a gallery and can be voted on and shared up to 31 July. The most original will be selected by a jury of members of the magazine’s editorial staff, who will dedicate an article on the site and in the magazine to the winning look.

Tu Style is also on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

The music of R101 goes on summer holidays with its listeners, accompanying them around Italy in a series of events that combine music, fun and sport.

Starting with the Lega Volley Summer Tour Rilastil Cup, the event that in July will bring the best of Italian women’s Serie A volleyball to some of Italy’s leading beaches. These will include San Benedetto del Tronto (6-7 July), Porto Cesareo (13-14 July), Riccione (20-21 July), Jesolo (27-28 July). At each stage R101’s DJs and animators will bring all of the station’s energy to the stage at the resort, which will be set up on the official field and where the public can take part in games and other amusements, as well as amateur competitions for kids and adults, with prizes and gadgets for all.

Then, from 12 to 14 July, R101 will participate in the memorial of Marco Simoncelli during love&muSIC, three days of events and charity fundraising dedicated to the memory of the motorcycle racer from Romagna, at the Valdichiana Outlet Village in Foiano della Chiana (Arezzo). Marco Balestri will be the moderator in a series discussions and debates with young people about road safety and, on Friday 21, will introduce a concert by the Pooh and on Saturday 13 a musical spectacular featuring artists such as Mario Biondi, Umberto Tozzi, Ben from Curiosity Killed The Cat and many more. On Sunday, the presenter will start the “procession” of motorcyclists in memory of Sic.

And, from 27 July, R101 will also be a partner of the Bolgheri Melody festival, which will feature artists of the calibre of Marco Mengoni and Giorgio Panariello. And finally, in August, R101 will be the official radio station of the World Master Games in Turin, world summer games for athletes over 30 involving 99 countries in 160 different sporting disciplines. The radio’s animation and music will accompany the event form an ad hoc studio set up in the WMG2013 village, inside the Parco del Valentino, with games, dancing and gifts for the public.

The second edition of the “CinéCiak d’Oro”, the comedy awards created by CIAK as part of Ciné – Giornate estive di Cinema (Summer Days of Cinema), for films and protagonists who have left a mark on cinema’s most popular genre.

This year, in line with the theme of the Notte Rosa (Pink Night), all of the awards are characterised by a feminine tendency, with particular attention to Italian comediennes.

THE “CINÉCIAK D’ORO” AWARDS

The “CinéCiak d’Oro” was awarded to Anna Foglietta, who was elected Best Comedy Performance of the year for her explosive role as a sensual and hilarious fishwife, in the Christmas film Colpi di fulmine by Neri Parenti.

The surprising and highly popular series created and directed by Ivan Cotroneo, Una mamma imperfetta (produced by Indigo Film and 21, in cooperation with Rai Fiction and Corriere della Sera) won the “CinéCiak d’Oro Colpo di Fulmine”, for combining cinematic quality with the lightness and accessibility of the web. The series, available online on the web site Corriere.it and broadcast in September by Raidue, in eight minutes and with a touch of unpredictable folly, looks at the problems that all mothers have to face, caught between childcare and work, the household and husbands, the unexpected and the obstacles.

A film within a film, between reality and fiction, Una famiglia perfetta by Paolo Genovese, was awarded the prize for the Commedia dell’anno (Best Comedy of the Year), thanks above all to a never before seen (at least in Italian cinema) ability to celebrate femininity through an extraordinary group of protagonists: including Carolina Crescentini who was awarded the “CinéCiak d’Oro Miglior Attrice in commedia” (Best Actress in a Comedy) for her role as Sole.

Monica Guerritore received the important “CinéCiak d’Oro-Classic” for her skills as an committed actress and her ability to adapt to comic and grotesque characters in the last season thanks to her roles in La peggior settimana della mia vita and Come non detto.

Finally, Claudia Gerini was awarded the special Absolut Comedian prize, following her recognition as the authentic contemporary heir of the great comedy actresses of the past, such as Monica Vitti.

CIAK is the partner of “Ciné – Giornate estive di Cinema”, an event promoted by ANICA, in cooperation with ANEC and ANEM: an important appointment for the film industry during which the annual conventions of the distribution companies are held, along with the presentation of the films due for release in the second half of the year.

R101 goes in search of snippets and curiosities about celebrities with Cotti e sparlati, a new programme, presented by Flavia Cercato and Sergio Sironi, dedicated to the hot news items of the week, accompanied by light and amusing comments and a mix of news and humour.

Every Sunday on R101, from 12 to 1 pm, the two presenters will draw up a list of the week’s five most discussed items of gossip, and also providing a selection of the latest news from the web. The programme will also have as a regular guest the Chi journalist Valerio Palmieri, who will reveal behind the scenes details directly from the magazine.

Cotti e sparlati will also have a “lightning conductor” moment, in which listeners can let off steam and freely criticise a personality who, for one reason or another, has irritated them, and giving their point of view. Finally, a pointed guessing game will be launched at the end of every programme by gossip specialist Gabriella Sassone, who will invite the most malicious listeners to guess the name of that week’s mysterious celebrity.