WWM to launch GoodFood magazine

The monthly title will hit newsstands on October 21.

Worldwide Media (WWM) will launch GoodFood magazine, a BBC title, on October 21, in India. It is a magazine for food lovers and enthusiasts. Like the other titles of BBC, this, too, will follow the license model.

The magazine will hit newsstands with a cover price of Rs 100, with special focus on high-end gourmet chains, as well as restaurants for distribution.

To create an initial buzz and promote the magazine, the group launched an online survey, titled The GoodFood Survey, at www.GoodFoodsurvey.in on September 19. Food enthusiasts were asked a range of questions as a part of the survey, including questions about their favourite dish, favourite international and Indian cuisine and favourite dessert, and cooking, food and entertainment preferences and habits, both within and outside home.

The group will also observe October 21 as GoodFood Day in India and henceforth, will celebrate the day every year. On this day, the magazine will encourage readers to avoid the usual, get adventurous and experiment while eating in, eating out or eating away.

Tarun Rai, chief executive officer, Worldwide Media, says, "WWM has been on an aggressive growth path in the last few years. With BBC GoodFood, we are beating a new path. This is India's first international food magazine. Indians today are experimenting more with food, both when cooking at home and eating out."

There will also be an exclusive GoodFood Privilege Program for subscribers of the magazine. On subscribing, the readers will get a privilege card that can be used at privilege partner restaurants and on the GoodFood Privileges website (www.bbcGoodFoodprivileges.in), which will go live on the launch day. The card will entitle the reader offers worth Rs 50,000 across 250 top-end restaurants pan India.

The magazine will also organise GoodFood Nights - exclusive gatherings at premium restaurants across the country. GoodFood Nights will start from November, and are a part of the post-launch plan of the magazine.

The official website will allow subscribers to have access to wines, gourmet ingredients, cutlery, and dinnerware at discounted prices. Additionally, there are plans to launch the GoodFood Platinum Card in the immediate future, which will have premium and selective offers.

Debolin Sen, publisher, BBC GoodFood magazine India, says, "Today, food is the most exciting story unfolding in the country. It accounts for the largest share of consumer spending. India's hungry and wants more. The country is experimenting with new tastes, both, within the kitchen and while eating out. It's a fantastic time to launch a specialist magazine like BBC GoodFood."

There will be a special focus on the digital strategy of the magazine and by early next year, www.bbcGoodFood.in, the brand website, will be launched. The website will include recipes, reviews and other sections of the magazine. The group also plans to launch GoodFood apps in the near future.

The target audience of GoodFood will include a diverse mindset -- from people who cook regularly for family, friends and even themselves, to recreational chefs (those who are interested in new recipes and experimentation, but don't cook on a regular basis), to people who love eating out and love to experiment and sample local cuisines when they travel.

The magazine will have a 70:30 content split favouring locally-produced content versus syndicated content from the UK. A substantial ratio of locally-produced editorial content will be customised for Indian readers' tastes to give the magazine a strong local connect. Its content mix will include recipes, restaurants and food destinations through its main sections -- Eat In, Eat Out and Eat Away.

WWM hopes that the brand will allow it to explore new territories and create engaging properties.