I have just returned from a short address by Fair Lady’s editor Suzy Brokensha to PRISA at the Relish restaurant in Gardens. Suzy had a bad bout of laryngitis but still managed to deliver a few fascinating insights into the editorial shifts that have happened at her magazine. She spoke of the competitiveness of the womens’ magazine market and briefly alluded to new developments such as Associated Magazine’s sale of Femina to Media 24, InStyle’s launch, Shop’s closure, etc. Her core message to public relations practitioners relates to the issue of targeted communications, ie that her pet hate is receiving ‘blanket’ emails that have also been sent to her editorial counterparts on twenty other magazine titles. PR people should analyse the individual magazine’s editorial focus, feature line-up, etc and then tailor the message to each title.

Yesterday marked my first day outside an office for five years. I visited Dr Stuart White, a chiropractor, in Camps Bay, for a consultation. Have long believed in this discipline and a little stiffness from the flight back from the UK was all I needed to make an appointment. I have brought back copies of Grazia from the UK. It’s the fastest growing mag brand in the world, with a fantastic mix of fashion, gossip and short features. Add to that the British edition of GQ with Daniel Craig on the cover and the Times and Guardian newspapers. I can honestly say that the big reason I travel so often to the UK is to bring back all the latest media and to get ideas from what is the most sophisticated media landscape in the world. The Sun and News of the World, however destructive some people might think they are, are very successful and tap into a need. SA is moving towards a similar fascination with celebrity, though I hope it never matches the UK set up.