Most airlines produce complimentary inflight magazines. It’s a captive audience of bored, high-value readers and this perfect publishing storm means Air New Zealand’s Kia Ora is one of the country’s most expensive magazines to advertise in. Now the same idea is being employed on the ground, with premium cab company Corporate Cabs releasing its own glossy ‘in-car’ magazine called ME, ‘your guide to a luxury lifestyle’. It’s printing 4,000 copies of the bi-monthly publication for its 400-strong nationwide fleet and Emirates, The Hilton, Luxury Real Estate New Zealand, Cavit & Co, and Mount Difficulty Wines have come on board as advertisers for the first 48-page edition, which features an exclusive interview with entrepreneur William Goodfellow and Glenfield’s finest export Rachel Hunter.
“This is the first lifestyle magazine produced by a cab company in New Zealand and we are proud of its quality,” says Corporate Cabs chief executive Colin Samson. “We already provide reading for clients who want to escape from their busy day while they travel with us, and we think ME will give people a fantastic excuse to sit back in comfort and unwind with entertaining and informative content.”
Corporate Cabs services Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown, and its clientele is made up of about 20 percent overseas visitors each month.
The magazine is published by Charlotte Carlyle Wilson, director of The Marketing Dept, which also publishes high-end tourism magazine Recommend New Zealand. The advertising director is Catherine MacKay, who has worked on top selling magazines and the New Zealand Herald.
Editor Naomi Lindsay says the writers will cover everything from food to super yachts, travel to fashion, and art to entertainment. There will be celebrity interviews, articles on luxury vehicles, technology and design, and columns featuring wine and restaurants. Susana Sarmiento has been appointed as fashion editor, and it hopes to sign up a celebrity chef for its food column.