Conde Nast is reviving the Gourmet brand, but not the magazine.
The company announced Tuesday a plan to introduce Gourmet Live, a digital app under the Gourmet brand. The app will include "articles, menus, photos, videos and more, encouraging social connectivity and sharing, and game play," the announcement said.
"By focusing on a new way to meet consumer needs, tap into our deep branding, and approach our content differently, we came up with a product that reimagines Gourmet and revalues engagement," CEO Chuck Townsend said. "We are extremely pleased with the magazine apps we have developed as part of our R&D efforts, however Gourmet Live is profoundly different. We approached this like a tech company, utilizing the rich assets of a media company, keeping Condé Nast at the forefront of content innovation."
The app will be free to download at first with "paid content options" coming later.
Former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl, who is not involved in the Gourmet Live plan, tweeted about the announcement Tuesday morning.
"Re: Gourmet; they're reviving the brand, not the magazine.Pity," she wrote:
Thanks Tweeps, you've really made my day, week, month with all your support. Re: Gourmet; they're reviving the brand, not the magazine.Pity.
ruthreichl