Wednesday, December 3rd 2008

Making a brand of yourself

Whilst waiting for my train to whisk me back to the frozen wastelands of North Yorkshire last night, I thumbed through the magazines in WH Smiths at the station.

I literally rubbed my eyes in comedic disbelief when I saw this…

The new bi-monthly Jamie Magazine, hitting the shelves this Thursday and funded to the tune of £250,000 by none other than Mr. Oliver himself.

With an initial print run of 140,000, the magazine will be exclusive to WH Smith for the first three issues, and make readers feel as if they are “being invited round to Jamie’s house”, according to the magazine’s editor, former Gourmet Traveller editorial director Andy Harris.

So will it survive further than three issues?

Do we need more of the mockney sparrow in our daily lives?

I don’t doubt it is successful to create a brand from your own image, as proved by the likes of Branson, Jordan and the Beckhams. But there surely must be a limit?

Posted by Richard on Wednesday 3rd of December 2008 at 12:28pm

Tags: Media

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I am a fan of Jamie and I think it's time he was recognised for all of the good work he does and passionately believes in. Having said that, I probably wouldn't buy the magazine. I would question how well it is going to do especially just selling in WH Smiths. If I buy a magazine my purchase would be made on the weekly shop in the local supermarket.

Posted by Melissa on Wednesday 3rd of December 2008 at 4:47pm

Couldn't they think of anything else to call it? Jamie magazine sounds a bit lame. Can't quite read the price but it looks like £3.95. I defo wouldn't spend that much on what looks like a few recipes. Doesn't he write the free recipe cards that you can pick up from Sainsbury's?

Posted by Louise on Wednesday 3rd of December 2008 at 5:29pm

I agree on the recognition for all the lovely work and stopping the residents of Rotherham from existing on crisps and microwave meals...

But recogntion in the form of creating a magazine named after you, with your face on the cover, your recipes, your lifestyle, funded by your own money.

Sounds like an over-inflated ego to me.

Posted by Richard on Wednesday 3rd of December 2008 at 5:53pm

Isn't that what celebrity is all about, so you may as well cash in on it!

Posted by Tasha on Thursday 4th of December 2008 at 9:28am

A celebrity in the true-est sense should be someone 'we' have put on a pedestal...

It's unfortunate that today's 'celebrities' are building their own pedestals to hoist themselves up.

Posted by Richard on Thursday 4th of December 2008 at 1:43pm

This is a very public example of a general growing shift.

Many people (particularly the under 20s) are very comfortable with creating a 'brand' for themselves - an online persona that frequently extends to logos, visual themes, audio/visual idents and offering commentary and words of wisdom that extend and reinforce their 'brand values'.

As work and play increasingly merge it's less clear who are friends, colleagues, relatives, potential customers or a combination of these. The move to constant self promotion seems to be mirroring this phenomenon.

Or maybe it's just human nature technologified?

Posted by Simon B5 on Friday 5th of December 2008 at 11:36am

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