Harlequin Uses 'Mr. Romance' Winners to Promote Books

Because navel gazing isn't just for men, we thought we'd let you know trashy novel publisher Harlequin has tapped Oxygen Network Mr. Romance winner Randy Ritchwood and Viewer's Choice winner Andrew Larson to grace the covers of the company's new novel covers. All this to promote books.

New York Times Reporter Joins Ad Age

Advertising Age announced three editorial additions "designed to strengthen its global leadership position in coverage of the advertising, marketing and media industries."

Effective June 15, Nat Ives will join Advertising Age as a media reporter covering the publishing industry and corporate media strategies. Ives has been at The New York Times since 2001, where he wrote hundreds of stories on advertising and media, many of them focused on the exploration of new forms of marketing.

I wonder what Stuart Elliott thinks of this.

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Meredith to Acquire G + J For $350 Million

After overpaying for Fast Company, becoming embroiled in Rosie O'Donnell's freaked out life and getting caught inflation its circulation figured for Rosie and YM, G + J has thrown in the towel and is selling itself to Meredith Corporation. Meredith, who will become the country's second largest publisher behind Time Inc. after the acquisition, will get G + J's Parents, Child, Fitness and Family Circle. G + J will try to sell Fast Company and and Inc. on its own before June 30, the date the Meredith/G + J deal finalizes.

Orchestrating the deal was G + J's Russell Denson who is said to be the master of prepping publishing companies for sale.

VNU launches 'Inside Branded Entertainment'

Drawing together resources from its AdWeek, BrandeWeek, MediaWeek, Billboard and Hollywood Reporter properties, VNU Business Media has, today, launched Inside Branded Entertainment, a website reporting on branded entertainment. So far, it just appears to be an aggregation site for branded entertainment related stories pulled from the VNU stable of sites rather than originally created content.

Brand Manager Blog Offers Client Perspective

Thirdway, a consultancy run by former brand managers, has launched a weblog, The ThirdWay Blog, intended to offer commentary from the client side. Heading up the blog is ThirdWay, Inc. President and Adjunct NYU Professor of Marketing David Vinjamuri who spent 15 years working at Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and DoubleClick, among others. From a brand managers viewpoint, Ninjamuri rates television commercials and discusses what, in his and other writer's opinions works and what doesn't.

New Female Focused Manga Magazine to Launch

Ypulse reports VIZ Media will, in July, launch a new manga magazine for young women entitled Shojo Beat. The magazine will cover art, style, design as well as romance, comedy and adventure.