Kmart Launches La Vida Magazine

Posted on September 13, 2002

Kmart Corporation has announced the inaugural September 15 issue of La Vida magazine, an entertainment and lifestyle magazine that contains features and articles of interest to the Hispanic community. Kmart says the publication will reaching more than 10 million Spanish-speaking consumers in the U.S.

The La Vida magazine will include topics such as entertainment news and artist profiles. The first issue features Marc Anthony on the cover (plus a Kmart exclusive offer for his CD); horoscopes by astrologer and psychic, Walter Mercado; food and recipes by Giovanna Huyke, celebrity TV chef; health and beauty tips by Univision host and spokesperson for Sabado Gigante, Rachel Diaz; the inside scoop and gossip; Latin holidays; special in-store promotions and a section highlighting Kmart's employees.

Initial distribution of one million copies of the La Vida magazine will be in select markets with large Hispanic populations. The La Vida magazine will wrap the Kmart advertising circular which now appears weekly in Spanish within these markets: Nogales and Yuma, Arizona; Chicago; Los Angeles, Palm Springs and San Diego, California; El Paso and Laredo, Texas; Miami and New York.

"Kmart's La Vida Magazine is the first of its kind by a major discount retailer," said Barbara J. Firment, senior vice president of Advertising Sales and In-Store Presentation of Kmart Corporation. "The topics covered in La Vida are the mainstay of our stores -- from music, to health and beauty, to food and to our employees, who contribute a great deal to customer care and to their communities. This publication is just a natural extension for Kmart in that both traditionally and historically, the Hispanic community is one of our most loyal customer groups."

Earlier this year, Kmart unveiled its new "Kmart. Cosas para La Vida" marketing campaign, directly targeting its Spanish-speaking customers through television and radio advertising. Kmart is trying to strengthen its popularity within the Hispanic market through its Spanish-language La Vida magazine and weekly advertising circular. Alturas Communications, Inc. developed the Kmart La Vida concept.