Canada’s STRONG Fitness Magazine will soon launch a bi-monthly title in Australia. Publisher Alicia Fistonich explains how the magazine differs from other Australian women’s health magazines.
The Australian edition of the health magazine is being published by Alicia Fistonich, a former media professional turned fitness trainer. Katelyn Swallow, former Editor of Women’s Health & Fitness magazine, has been appointed as Editor-in-Chief.
The print and digital magazine will have a circulation of around 40,000 readers and average 84 pages an edition. Its associated e-newsletter has a readership of around 60,000.
Originating in Canada and the US, STRONG Fitness Magazine bills itself as a “trusted source of cutting-edge fitness and health information for the strong, resilient, modern woman”.
Fistonich explained how STRONG is different from other women’s health magazines in the market: “In Australia, we felt that consumers and advertisers were wanting a publication that really adhered to traditional journalism, with editorial backed by research and evidence, and a gate-keeper that steers away from a saturated, and often unvalidated, social media landscape.”
“We believe that an integrated print and digital model will help to create some great readership increases over the next few years. Many publishers and magazines are already reformatting in an attempt to meet the new demands of consumers.”
Alicia Fistonich, Publisher, STRONG Fitness Magazine
“I believe it’s a good time for the industry – a recent study by Roy Morgan has shown over 15.2 million Australians now read magazines in print or online, which is up 1.2 per cent on a year ago,” said Fistonich.
“STRONG also aligns well to recent trends that have seen more and more women look to the weights room – not just for body transformations, but also for improved mental health and a sense of empowerment. We felt there was no other print publication on the Aussie market providing this type editorial to women, in the way STRONG has in the US and Canada.”
Editor-in-Chief Katelyn Swallow aims to educate, motivate and inspire Australian women, “We want to showcase the beauty and power of an array of female body types, and to support and inspire women to achieve their personal health and fitness goals through science-based editorial features and engaging stories.”
The magazine will be available from 3 October in print and digital versions.
