Southern Accents, a Time Inc. publication focusing on Southern style and living, will cease publishing.
The September/October 2009 issue will be the last print edition of the bi-monthly, though it is slated to continue online production at SouthernAccents.com. The economy, which has seen Southern Accents‘ ad pages drop 37% between Q2 2008 and Q2 2009 (per PIB), was cited as a major reason for the closure.
“Southern Accents is an elegant, sophisticated brand that has resonated with its devoted readers for many years. However, in this difficult economy, we need to focus our energy, resources and investment on our biggest and most profitable brands, so we had to make this difficult decision,” Sylvia Auton, an EVP at Time Inc., overseeing the Lifestyle Group, said in a statement.
Year-to-date, ad revenue for Southern Accents has dropped 32% since this time in 2008.
Circulation for the magazine had held steady for years, at just under 405,000, the December 31 publisher’s statement pegged total paid and verified circulation at 405,635. Southern Accents served a predominantly female audience, with an average age of around 49 and a median household income of $92,140 (per MRI).
Southern Accents was part of Time Inc.’s Birmingham, AL-based Southern Progress Corporation, which also publishes Southern Living and Cooking Light, among others. Southern Progress underwent a series of cost-cutting measures last year, including job cuts and the loss of three senior executives. The company’s direct sales arm, Southern Living at Home, was put up for sale in January 2009.
