±±¾©Èü³µpk10

After his first year as the editor of the original lads' magazine,

Loaded, Keith Kendrick can see light at the end of the tunnel.

A period-on-period ABC increase of 1.1 per cent might not seem like a

spectacular achievement, especially given the 12.1 per cent year-on-year

drop Loaded is showing, courtesy of a slump in the first six months of

2001. However, Kendrick has seen Loaded's UK newsstand sales increase by

more than 20,000 over the past six months - and with the sales of its

chief rivals, FHM and Maxim, dropping over the period, he has every

reason to feel things are moving in the right direction.

"We have reinvigorated Loaded, put our foot hard on the gas and that

shows in these ABCs," he says confidently. "I had a very clear idea of

what to focus on: humour, photos of sexy women, advice about

relationships, but more than anything else to make the mag very

funny."

Kendrick's credentials for leading a Loaded revival were far from

immediately apparent when he took on the task 12 months ago. As the

editor of IPC's women's weekly Chat, he hardly seemed cut from the same

cloth as the title's anarchic founder, James Brown, or Tim Southwell,

the previous incumbent. However, as GQ's editor, Dylan Jones, points

out: "If someone is a good and proven editor, there's no reason why they

can't move across genres."

Vijay Solanki, the marketing director at Shazam Entertainment and

formerly marketing director of Loaded's publisher, IPC ignite!, adds:

"Keith was brave taking on the role. It's a leap for him and a leap of

faith for the management. He took on an editorial team that needed fresh

direction. It's been bloody hard for the poor man."

Indeed it has. Kendrick inherited a title that had been without an

editor for the best part of a year and, before long, his staff were

revolting and railing against the editorial direction he suggested. The

acting editor, John Perry, resigned, Solanki left, the managing editor,

John Aldred, quit, as did the features editor, Tammy Butt.

Kendrick explains: "There was a very passionate debate about the

direction of the magazine. The Loaded staff is intelligent, passionate

and enthusiastic, so I'd be disappointed if they didn't have an opinion.

And my God, did they give their opinions." Although the press made the

most of the departures at the time, Kendrick insists no animosity

remains and points out that both Perry and Butt write for Loaded on a

freelance basis.

So after a rocky start, Kendrick went about putting his stamp on

Loaded.

When he got the job, he claimed to have a "bible" of ideas for the

magazine and implied big changes to come. However, the redesign that

finally emerged last October proved more of a tweak than a

revolution.

Out went Howard Marks, in came Johnny Vegas. Kendrick added real-life

features and sex advice pages. New sections included World of Women and

a humour section called Zoo. All in all, though, more attention was paid

to ideas that didn't make the cut. Back in April, the publishing

industry tutted at a leaked e-mail suggesting badges of honour for a man

masturbating on video and another robbed while "trying to pull" a

prostitute.

Such gossip added to the perception that Kendrick was upping the

magazine's raunch element in a bid to regain ground on FHM. Kendrick, on

the other hand, insists that he has added a veneer of class to Loaded's

coverage that should make it more palatable to women.

"Loaded has become much more sumptuous in terms of quality of the copy,

photography and the models we are using," Kendrick argues. "We know that

our readers love gorgeous, beautiful women. The tone of the mag is very

engaging and flatters beautiful women. We respect women."

Those titles claiming the more upmarket ground in the men's sector

aren't too convinced. "If that's the intention then it has passed me by

completely," Jones says.

An equally damaging criticism of Loaded's current content is that, by

adopting features such as sex advice, it is merely aping the more

successful FHM.

"Because most men's titles are down, one would hope that it would

inspire them into doing something different and broadening out - maybe

becoming more particular rather then generic," Jones says. "But I would

imagine that they will not and will become even more generic in fear of

haemorrhaging more readers."

Loaded's publishing director, Eric Fuller, isn't preaching a message of

radical innovation. "Our job is to continue to deliver a target audience

for advertisers," he says. "We hope our editorial development is making

the magazine appropriate and relevant for the same group of core

readers. We are not changing the editorial to appeal to younger or older

men, it's about the core target."

It's a core market to which the editor is becoming ever more attuned

himself. According to Solanki, Kendrick has gone to some lengths to

demonstrate a "steely liver" over the last year.

"You can't help but be infected by the Loaded bug," Kendrick

insists.

"It's a contagious magazine. Editing it has caused me to change my

lifestyle. I go out and party a lot more. I meet more women and I'm

having a better time than I have ever had in my professional life. I've

become Loaded rather than Loaded becoming me."