Sharing 'sisters' boost two entertainment magazines' appeal
Today and tomorrow, two Daily Herald sister publications will debut new looks and features stemming from a behavior common among sisters -- sharing each other's "clothes."
And, much like teenagers who exchange jewelry, shoes or outfits, the new products remain the distinct individuals they always were but with some new appeal and flair.
Readers of our free youth-oriented publication Beep, which launched in 2005 as a Web-only publication with a print version later added in Cook County, will notice the change today. Among other things, they'll see additional movie and music reviews, dining information and event listings, courtesy of the Daily Herald's Friday entertainment section Time out! And, on Friday, Time out! readers will see more movie capsules, local-travel information and nightlife options taken from Beep's closet.
Both publications also will debut a recognizable change in their look, but they'll still be their familiar, independent selves. Beep, as entertainment editor Lisa Balde writes on beepcentral.com, will still "paint the 'burbs orange every week" with its familiar color scheme, but its design will be dressed up a bit more all the same. Time out!'s cover, which for years had featured multiple pictures teasing to articles inside, will feature a single dominant image, with teasers leading you to top offerings inside.
The changes blend some of the best items from two similar great products and result in two even-greater publications. With the addition of reviews from Daily Herald critics Mark Guarino, Dann Gire, Ted Cox and Barbara Vitello, Beep's package will become more diverse and sophisticated. Taking on Lisa Balde's features on local bands and adding nightclub profiles, Time out! will gain a lively and even more-local flavor.
Indeed, Time out!'s unique structure, which includes at least one in-depth feature along with a variety of secondary reviews and calendar items on everything from nightlife and theater to books and movies, already gives the magazine a depth and appeal that is unmatched among newspaper entertainment supplements in the Chicago area. And, Time out!'s extensive list of things to do in the city and suburbs is the most thorough entertainment calendar a suburban reader can find.
The additional dressing from Beep will help make the magazine more sassy as well as more useful.
"I'd describe the look as slightly alternative weekly and much more contemporary than in the past," says Time out! editor Ernie Schweit.
Of the content, Eileen Brown, the Daily Herald's vice president for innovation who oversaw this symbiotic project from the beginning, says simply, "We will be the expert on suburban leisure and entertainment."
Take a look for yourself. Watch for one of the free Beep print publications at various sites around Cook County. Make it a point to study Friday's Time out! debut in the Daily Herald. You'll still see two distinct publications, each with its own unique personality. You'll be stimulated about the arts and culture in the suburbs and beyond. And, you'll get a depth of calendar information for the entire region that you couldn't find if you stacked up all the other Chicago-area entertainment publications combined.
Sharing clothes has a rich tradition of helping siblings improve and expand their wardrobes. It's nice to see that the practice can work just as well in the business world.