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In September, Washington Post Media will be launching a colorful new glossy called FW—code for “Fashion Washington.” Sounds like an advertising vehicle for a paper with big revenue problems, but let’s go with the company’s spin on the product: “Fashion Washington covers everything from luxe jewelry lines, trunk shows and store openings to profile so style-world insiders and star-studded parties.” The monthly publication will be delivered to Washington Post subscribers.
But not to all Washington Post subscribers, mind you.
According to a promotional card for FW, this promising product will be sent to 96,500 of the paper’s “most affluent” subscribers—plus an additional 500 to “luxury hotels, elegant spas and FW events.” What’s going on here—is the Post ripping off the Examiner‘s biz model?
Not exactly. FW will come bundled with the regular newspaper, so you won’t find it scattered all over your lawn—unsolicited and unwanted—the way you do with the Examiner. For the uninitiated, the Examiner delivers free to high-income people around the area, but those high-income people often don’t appreciate being in the Examiner‘s club.
Maybe things’ll be different with FW. Maybe walking around with a copy of this pub will say to others, Hey, I am in the top sixth of Washington Post subscribers in terms of wealth.
Yet one question remains. In its promotional lit, FW says that its audience will “read about the fascinating cast of characters—designers, shop owners and famous faces—contributing to Washington’s fashion scene.”
Just who are they talking about here? And where’s this fashion scene? At Cosi or something?