Although the Martha Stewart brand is gaining momentum in the US, the British are a little wary of her impending expansion to the UK. Martha Stewart Living magazine is set to debut there next month, and is not expected to be an immediate success: the first issue, due September 16, focuses on Halloween and is hoped to reach a circulation of 50,000 (as compared to the 11 million it sells each month in the US).
Stewart herself will not be attending the launch; her visa was denied in late June. Her British publisher says she hopes to visit within the next six months, and "judging by the amount of interest we've had so far she'll have to stay a long time." However, if this Independent article is any measure of the British attitude towards Stewart, they may not be all that welcoming: From the demeaning headline alone, calling Stewart "the cupcake queen of America," nearly every paragraph mentions Stewart's 2004 jail time while mocking her perfectionist reputation and citing the brand's financial struggles.
Meanwhile, in the US, people can't get enough of Stewart. Now that her exclusive contract with K-Mart has been terminated, the brand has expanded to several new markets, including Macy's and PetSmart, where a line of pet beds, leashes, and collars recently debuted. It is also rumored that Stewart will launch a skincare line in the near future.
Martha Stewart Living has also planned expansions in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and across the Middle East.
· The Martha Stewart Brand Is Transcending the Person [AdAge]
· Martha Stewart, Cupcake Queen of America, Set to Invade the UK [Indepedent]
· Martha Stewart "Barred From UK" [BBC]
· Martha Stewart Plans Global Media Expansion [Independent]
· All Martha Stewart coverage on Eater [-E-]
Martha Stewart. [Photo: MortarBlog]