575 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10022
212/223-1217
http://www.worth.com
When you want to reach decision-makers with truly deep pockets, there are a select few pubs that deliver. Worth is one of them. More than 60 percent of the 2.12 million readers
have gone beyond a college degree, 50 percent work in managerial roles, and their median household income is more than $89,000. Readership is largely male.
This year, Worth added a section designed to give its readers the information they need to live well. The new section, dubbed Self Worth, is not just another lifestyle section,
warns Gary Walther, editorial creative director and lead editor for the section. "I'm working to tailor it to Worth readers. If there's a business angle, that's great." Walther
comes from a luxury travel and lifestyle magazine background, but while he says the Worth audience is interested in luxury lifestyle items, "it's not their primary reason for
getting the magazine." He tries to come up with ways to tweak lifestyle to fit the financial magazine's M.O.: increasing worth.
Content/Contacts
Self Worth is comprised of six topics: Getaway Plan, On the Marq, Learning Curve, Second Homes, Giving Well and Business Attire. Getaway Plan offers information usually on a
small luxury hotel that is "a destination in itself," Walther says. On the Marq covers cars, but Walther is quick to warn that it is "not reviews," but a look at things like the
secondary market for Formula One cars, vintage cars and the newest trendsetter models - "We won't do, 'Here's the new SUV.'" Learning Curve provides information on whom to hire
for one-on-one instruction on everything from fly fishing to skiing. Second Homes is soup to nuts on retreat homes; Giving Well focuses on philanthropy. Business Attire talks
about how to find the right clothes - and the right people to make those clothes - since Casual Fridays are fading fast.
Contact Walther at the publication's mailing address (above).
Pitch Tips
Walther emphasizes that he wants pitches that fit Self Worth's unique take on lifestyle. For the Getaway Plan section, for example, he doesn't want far-off destinations or
elaborate travel itineraries. "Readers want to literally escape and be well taken care of for a long weekend." Because many readers are looking for places they can drive or reach
via a short flight, the section is focusing primarily on North American getaways, as well as the Caribbean.
Send Walther a letter with a press kit. Email is also acceptable (gary_walther@worthmedia.com). He prefers not to receive phone
calls unless he knows you and has had prior experience with you.
Comments
In terms of deadlines, "As with all lifestyle stuff, it's usually not breaking news," so there's no urgency to get Walther information. The magazine closes during the first two
weeks of every month, so those weeks are not the best times to contact him. Business Attire will probably be what Walther calls the "least susceptible section to PR." The readers
do have to dress well, Walther says, but to put a GQ-style model on the pages and recommend cuts of suits and fabrics for the season is not appropriate to Worth readers. Instead,
Walther is finding businesspeople who dress well and asking why and how. "These are the ones that I end up hunting down through my contacts," he says.
In The Pipeline
Worth's special 250 Richest Towns issue is in the pipeline and Walther is looking for information on what makes those towns rich. He'll focus on homes, including design and the
psychology of owning a second home. Walther says the window of opportunity for pitching for this issue will be the next three months. And he'll always be on the lookout for any
lifestyle-oriented items that also include a business angle.