Rogers sells flagship magazines

Maclean’s, Chatelaine in St. Joseph deal

TORON TO • The publisher of Toronto Life, Weddingbells and Fashion Magazine will acquire the last of Rogers Media’s consumer-oriented print and digital publications in a deal that seems at odds with the prevailing pessimism about traditional media.

Seven print and digital titles — including Maclean’s and the French and English versions of Chatelaine — will move from Rogers Media to St. Joseph Communications, a privately owned printing and publishing company based in Toronto.

Tony Gagliano, the executive chairman and CEO of St. Joseph Communications, said he sees untapped opportunities with consumers and advertisers by adding the Rogers titles.

“What we have done — I think what we’re good at — is finding new revenue opportunities, where sometimes traditional advertising has fallen by the wayside,” Gagliano said Wednesday in an interview.

Its Toronto Life, he said, has had double-digit revenue growth “and more than that in profitability growth” for the last two years.

In part, that growth was fuelled by more special events and through a membership benefit program, he said.

“Because of that, the brand becomes very important to them. The more important the brand comes the stronger revenue opportunities we have, the stronger profitability opportunities we have,” Gagliano said.

“Data is very important to us as well,” he said. “That a new model . . . that is very different from a traditional advertising model.”

By analyzing the interests and behaviours of readers and audiences — a technique used by search engine and social media companies — traditional publishers and broadcasters are offer-

Tony Gagliano