The publishing giant's consumer media arm has drafted in Geoff Campbell, the former executive publishing director of Emap Australia's men's division, to work on a fashion-based online project.
Emap is remaining tight-lipped about the nature of the project, but Media Week understands it will involve consumer and business-to-business aspects and build on its existing fashion portfolio, which includes weekly women's title Grazia; WGSN, the online research, trend analysis and news service for the fashion and online industries; and Drapers, the fashion trade title.
The development comes as rival publisher IPC prepares to launch an online-only portal for women, which is expected to bring together content from titles including Pick Me Up, Women's Weekly, Now and Woman's Own.
This site, which is set to be launched in the next few weeks, will also provide style and relationship information and advice.
Campbell has headed Emap's men's division in Australia for eight years. He most recently launched the Australian edition of Zoo and rolled out a localised version of Zoo's website. Prior to his stint in Australia, Campbell ran Emap Singapore and Malaysia.
The move to bolster Emap's fashion portfolio comes only two weeks after Media Week revealed that the struggling publisher has touted its men's lifestyle title Arena to various potential buyers.
Development Hell, Factory Media and Dennis Publishing have all been linked with buying Arena, while Emap is also thought to be looking to sell monthly women's glossy New Woman.
Last week, the publisher, which recently instigated a raft of redundancies, announced that revenue in its UK consumer magazines business had dropped by 8% year on year in the first quarter of 2007-08, with advertising revenue down 13% and circulation down 4%.
In a trading update released ahead of its annual general meeting, the company said the market for men's magazines "continues to be weak".
It expects to make efficiency savings in excess of £20m by 2009, and is continuing the search for a new chief executive.
United Kingdom
New Emap launch is for digital eyes only
LONDON - Flagging publisher Emap is set to launch a digital fashion product in the hopes of boosting its ailing consumer division.
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