11354 SW 154th Terrace
Miami, FL 33157
305/535-3125
http://www.LOFT69.com
Looking to tap affluent, well-educated members of the Hispanic marketplace? Look no further. LOFT magazine, launched last month, targets sophisticated, highly-educated - and
highly-paid - Hispanic males with a lifestyle book that's unlike other men's titles. LOFT is a Spanish-language publication, but its primary audience will be within the U.S.
"We're based out of Miami and have great coverage of New York and L.A.," says Editor Felipe Jaramillo. The magazine also will target readers in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and the
rest of Latin America.
Initial circulation for the bi-monthly is only 60,000, but advertisers like Calvin Klein, Absolut, BellSouth, BMW, Rolex, Cartier and Chanel already have signed on for the
potential to reach the deepest pockets in the Hispanic community.
Content /Contacts
LOFT is a men's lifestyle book - but don't look for articles on how to develop a great six pack in just two weeks. "We don't believe that's intelligent," scoffs Jaramillo. He
and his team are looking for stories that appeal to sophisticated readers between the ages of 25 and 40. The inaugural issue includes a look at the true story of a Miami nightclub
impresario turned state's witness, and an interview with Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief of foreign correspondents.
Use Jaramillo as a gatekeeper to the rest of his editorial staff. He's open to phone calls, but a heavy travel schedule takes him away from his office often. However, he's very
responsive to email.
305/535-3125 ext. 145
[email protected]
Pitch Tips
No need to pitch in Spanish - Jaramillo is fluent in English. He'll disseminate pitches he can use to appropriate editors and reporters throughout his network of writers in the
U.S. and abroad. All pitches should include an angle that appeals to a refined audience. Pitches that appeal to business types are especially interesting, given that LOFT's
readership stems from the readership for publisher Zoom Media's business pubs - also targeted to the Hispanic Market.
Keep in mind that LOFT places a particular emphasis on the quality of its photojournalism, using photographers who also work for books like GQ and Esquire. If your story has
photographic appeal, it'll likely be a hit with the editors.
Deadline for the second issue is Oct. 30.
Comments
The book is "a pan-regional product with a very locally-focused execution," Jaramillo says, and its content and look will be customized for the unique Hispanic audiences in
each of its target markets - for example, a largely Cuban and Colombian audience in Miami, a heavily Puerto Rican audience in New York or the cultures of Latin America. "We can
create different covers and different editorial for each market."
And what about the title? LOFT, Jaramillo explains, derives from the sophisticated architecture of SoHo and evokes a modern, ample, hip atmosphere - a connotation that sums up
exactly what the magazine is all about. Plus, "LOFT is a simple, four-letter word that a person can pronounce in English, Spanish or any language," Jaramillo says.
In The Pipeline
Jaramillo is coy about what he'll cover next, but he gives us a hint: "We are the only Latin American or U.S. Hispanic pub with a correspondent and photographer in Pakistan
right now."
In general, the publication will cover men's lifestyle issues with a local focus. Each issue will include at least six feature stories, coverage of travel, gadgets, cars,
music, movies, books and style - and, of course, Hispanic women.
Take your cues for upcoming stories from the content of the premier issue: everything from an interview with a soccer megastar, to a feature on a book on the death chamber in
America. As long as it's written intelligently and appeals to a fairly elite audience, it works.