Niche Media Founder and Former CEO Jason Binn Builds Dream Team for DU JOUR Magazine

NEW YORK, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Jason Binn, founder and former CEO of Niche Media, the leading publisher of luxury magazines nationwide including Gotham, Ocean Drive, Hamptons, Los Angeles Confidential, Aspen Peak, Michigan Avenue, and Capitol File, announces his leadership team of top industry talent in editorial, publishing, and technology to launch his latest venture – DU JOUR – in Fall 2012. This innovative, multi-platform digital and print publication (dujour.com), developed and executed in collaboration with Gilt Groupe and James Cohen of Hudson News and Dufry, will target three million of Gilt's top-tier members, an audience responsible for spending in excess of $600 million annually.

On the editorial side, Keith Pollock and Nicole Vecchiarelli will serve as Co-Editors-in-Chief, overseeing both  print and digital content. Pollock, who was editorial director of Elle.com, built that site's monthly traffic from 240,000 monthly unique hits when he joined in 2007, to more than 2.4 million hits in 2008, according to ComScore. After moving to Brant publishing group to launch websites for publications including Interview and Art in America, he returned to Elle in 2010 in a bigger role, preparing the site for the merger between Hachette Filipacchi Media and Hearst Corp., and presiding over the launch of the first-ever fashion magazine iPad app. Since his return, Elle.com has become the highest-traffic site within the Hearst fashion category, and the number one revenue generator among digital properties within the Hearst portfolio. 

Nicole Vecchiarelli comes to DU JOUR from InStyle magazine, where she was Senior Editor, reporting directly to Editor-in-Chief Ariel Foxman. In her leadership role there, Nicole helped grow the publication's strategic relationship with the entertainment community and instituted best practices for leveraging the magazine's print content online. Vecchiarelli previously spent ten years at Conde Nast as Entertainment Director at Teen Vogue and Details.

According to Binn, "Keith and Nicole will raise the bar for style and sensibility in this industry, helping to redefine what a modern on- and offline magazine can be, and inspiring an audience that is second to none. I am excited to have them as partners and to leverage their skills, experience, and long-standing success record to bring my partners' and my year-long vision to life."

On the publishing side, Alan Katz has been named Chief Revenue Officer. Katz rose to fame as Publisher of New York Magazine in 1999, generating a record high of over $100 million in revenue annually prior to his departure. He then became founding Publisher of Cargo, whose premiere issue was the largest men's launch in history, and exceeded Conde Nast's launch plan by 67%. A seasoned media executive, Katz also served as VP/Publisher of Vanity Fair and Group Publisher of Interview, Art in America, and Antiques. He's also held senior management positions at MyTime.com, and, most recently, at Direct Brands, the home to the Book of the Month Club, Columbia Home Video, and the former BMG Music Club — which generates $500 million annually. 

Working side by side with him will be VP of Sales Cynthia Lewis. Her exceptional knowledge and understanding of the luxury, fashion/beauty, and retail industries was honed over 12 years at Hearst, where she served as founding Associate Publisher and then VP/Publisher of Marie Claire, consistently delivering year-over-year revenue growth. She then served as VP/Publisher of Harper's Bazaar, and later launched SHOP etc. Most recently, she founded Create Lucrative Relationships (CLR), which developed strategic sales and marketing programs to grow online and print revenues for clients including First Comes Fashion, The Daily Front Row, and Bergdorf Goodman. Before starting CLR she served as President of Latina Media Ventures (LMV), an exclusive multi-media company targeting bicultural Hispanic females, a group that represents the largest subset of the fastest growing segment of the US population.

In addition, Max McDonnell will serve as Associate VP of Product Development. McDonnell was formerly CEO of Lonnymag.com, the online shelter publication, where he created a revolutionary platform that enabled readers to engage directly with the product and immerse themselves in the digital magazine experience. Binn is also working directly with Brandon Ralph from digital shop Code & Theory — hot on the heels of being tapped by Anna Wintour for Vogue.com and Tina Brown for The Daily Beast — to help build DU JOUR's website and mobile apps.

Working 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, monthly digital publication reaching over three million of the most affluent 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 US 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