Niche Media Founder and Former CEO Hires Phil Witt for New Venture DU JOUR Magazine

NEW YORK, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Jason Binn, founder and former CEO of Niche Media, the leading publisher of luxury magazines nationwide including Ocean Drive, Hamptons, Gotham, Los Angeles Confidential, Aspen Peak, Michigan Avenue, and Capitol File, announces the appointment of Phil Witt, the VP of Corporate Sales at Prometheus Global Media, owner of The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and Adweek magazines, as Executive Director of his latest venture – DU JOUR – effective immediately.

Witt reported to Prometheus Chairman Jimmy Finkelstein, implementing a multi-titled, cross-platform, consumer-based advertising program, which created a powerful media presence for the client and solid bottom-line results for Prometheus. Witt brings a diverse background of sales, marketing and entrepreneurship to DU JOUR, as well as an intimate knowledge of local markets, having created and published Hampton Style Magazine.  He was also at the forefront of internet marketing and ecommerce as Director of Sales of  Luxuryfinder.com.

According to Binn, "Witt's track record for closing business and his demonstrated ability to deliver bottom line, business-focused solutions, will be great assets to our sales team.   He is also recognized for building productive teams and forging long-lasting partnerships with luxury clients. I am excited to have him on board to build DU JOUR's multi-tier marketing platform."

Witt is the latest addition to a group of high-profile media executives comprising Binn's dream team for DU JOUR.  On the publishing side, Witt joins Alan Katz – who brings high-level credentials from career highlights that include EVP, Business Development of Direct Brands, VP/Publisher of Vanity Fair, Founding Publisher of Cargo and Publisher of New York Magazine – and Cindy Lewis, an entrepreneur and media executive, who previously founded Create Lucrative Relationships, and honed her retail, fashion and luxury experience over 14 years at Hearst where she served as VP/Publisher of Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar and SHOP etc.  Gayle Perry Sobel, the former Director, European Fashion for Conde Nast Digital, serves as another Executive Director.  She brings extensive experience from Conde Nast where she was instrumental in convincing print-minded advertisers the importance of digital advertising and made Style.com a top media buy. 

On the editorials side, Keith Pollock, formerly Editorial Director of Elle.com, and Nicole Vecchiarelli, formerly Senior Editor of InStyle, will serve as Co-Editors-in-Chief.  The all-star cast also includes Caryn Whitman, most recently CFO of Guardian News & Media LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of the UK newspaper giant, The Guardian, (guardian.co.uk), but previously Binn's partner at Niche Media where she took the company to market and ultimately sold it for a record price in 2007, who will serve as Chief Financial Officer.  Max McDonnell, former CEO of Lonnymag.com who revolutionized click-to-buy, will serve as Associate VP of Product Development, and Brandon Ralph from digital shop Code & Theory, will all work directly under Jason Binn as CEO/Publisher. 

This highly talented senior leadership team will lead the launch of DU JOUR, noteworthy for its unique hybrid approach. As a national magazine with targeted local content, DU JOUR will seamlessly connect digital and print media, bridging the gap between content and commerce. DU JOUR will be an ABC-audited publication. "DU JOUR will reach over three million of the most affluent online Gilt consumers, coupled with a quarterly, oversized, glossy print magazine with 250,000 print copies available by subscription and an additional 15,000 copies prominently displayed at premium newsstands throughout DU JOUR markets.

DU JOUR will focus on the top U.S. markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas, and San Francisco, where roughly 80% of the sales of all luxury products and services are located, in addition to seasonal regions, like the Hamptons, Aspen, and Sun Valley. Editorial will cover the worlds of fashion, travel, fine dining, gourmet, beauty, night life, jewelry, accessories, watches, art, entertainment, business, culture, home, real estate, entertaining, health, spirits, beverages, technology, finance, sports, and politics — ultimately shaping the lifestyle that ties these categories together.

The magazine will target transactional readers who also meet five of the seven following qualifiers: Average net worth of $5 million+; liquid assets over $1 million; average home values in excess of $1.5 million; average income in excess of $250,000; annual offline transactional luxury purchases of $100,000+; $10,000+ online high-end purchases annually; annual philanthropic donations over $10,000.

ABOUT JASON BINN (dujour.com):

Jason Binn is the Founder and former CEO of Niche Media Holdings LLC, a leading publisher of luxury magazines nationwide including Gotham, Ocean Drive, Hamptons, Los Angeles Confidential, Aspen Peak, Michigan Avenue, and Capitol File.  No longer at Niche, Binn has expanded into new areas, partnering with some of the most creative and inspired entrepreneurs of the day.  In August of 2010 he was appointed Chief Advisor to the CEO and Founder of Gilt Groupe, Kevin Ryan.  Binn was awarded Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the Year" award, inducted into the American Advertising Federation's "Advertising Hall of Achievement," and featured in Crain's "40 Under 40" list of successful entrepreneurs.

ABOUT GILT (gilt.com):

Gilt is an innovative online shopping destination offering its members special access to the most luxurious merchandise, culinary offerings, and experiences every day, many at insider prices. Gilt continually searches the world for the most coveted brands and products, including fashion for women, men, and children; home decor; artisanal products; hotels and travel experiences on every continent; and unique activities in a growing list of cities and destinations.

ABOUT JAMES COHEN (hudsongroup.com and dufry.com):

James Cohen is President  & CEO of Hudson Media Inc., a diversified magazine-service company which includes Hudson News Distributors LLC, one of the largest magazine and book distributors in the U.S. Additionally, Cohen is the founder and owner of Hudson News, the largest airport newsstand operator in the country and the leading travel retailer in North America. In 2008, Cohen and private equity firm Advent International merged Hudson News with Dufry AG of Basel, Switzerland, one of the largest airport duty-free operators in the world. Cohen now serves on the Board of Directors and is one of the company's largest shareholders. The Hudson News brand is currently represented in 11 countries throughout the world, and the combined Dufry/Hudson entity comprises over 1,160 stores in 45 countries and 160 airports and terminals. Dufry's duty-free stores carry some of the most prestigious brands in the world, including Cartier, Bulgari, Absolut, Estee Lauder, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Hermes, Sony, and many others.

SOURCE DU JOUR magazine