Martha's blueprint has designs on young women

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Blueprint, the newest magazine from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is being unveiled today in the domestic diva's bid to reach a younger demographic.

The company hopes Blueprint, which will try to combine home and design stories with fashion and beauty coverage, will appeal to women in the 25- to 34-year-old age bracket - not to mention generate a little excitement on the eve of the its quarterly earnings report, slated for tomorrow.

Testing Blueprint will cost Martha Stewart's firm roughly $5 million, as it seeks to cut it on the design/shelter magazines as well as challenge the Time Inc. powerhouse Real Simple.

"We hope this magazine gives you the tools to make it happen, throw a great party, make a sundress or redecorate your living room," Rebecca Thuss writes in her editor's letter.

Blueprint is hitting the stands at a tough time for the magazine industry, and industry sources are divided on Martha's prospects of snaring the young women who are already being served by many other magazines.

"It's a less affluent audience, but I don't think that is a bad thing," said Roberta Garfinkle, senior vice president, director of print strategy at media buyer Target Cast TCM.

"I don't think it is cracking into the market, I think it opens up a new category or piece of the market," Garfinkle said.

On Wall Street, Ivan Feinseth, director of research at Matrix USA notes, "There are a lot of niche magazines that have gone out of business lately."

Feinseth notes that while the advertising pages on flagship Martha Stewart Living have been increasing, the circulation and ad price cuts mean the mag is still commanding less revenue than before legal problems tied to Martha Stewart's ImClone stock deals sent the founder to jail in 2004.

"It is still not back from where it was before her problems," Feinstock said.

Blueprint is starting cautiously, testing a spring and fall issue. The first issue has 47.5 ad pages from marketers such as Calvin Klein, Toyota, Kohler and Kate Spade.