Targeting Travel + Leisure

My target publication is Travel + Leisure magazine. The target audience for this magazine is middle to upper class Americans ranging in age from mid-twenties to late sixties.

I would definitely run the World's Best Hotels 2010 article. This is a great highlight to what the magazine is all about, traveling to all corners of the world with some insight from fellow travelers. This article's insight comes in the form of a summation of the best hotels around the globe, whether they be noted for their fair pricing or their extreme extravagance. What I particularly liked about this piece is that the list, which is comprised of 100 hotels total, has been chosen by the magazines readers.

Another piece I would run online isn't a written story but a photo contest. The visuals in this kind of article would be a wonderful draw to regular readers and would also be a great way to catch the eyes of potential new readers. I think this also another innovative way to get the readers involved and invested in the magazine. The photo contest is a way to let the voice and artistry of the readers to be heard and seen. I feel it's a necessity for a publication like Travel + Leisure to have visual elements, and to do that in such a way where readers get to share a personal story and experience through their own photos is a seemless fit.

There is currently a story titled "Best Life Changing Trips" on T+L's website. It's a story I was particularly drawn to and would choose to run in the online publication. The article is actually not fueled by past personal experiences that have already changed peoples lives as I assumed, rather, it outlines 22 detailed trips designed by T+L's top operators. The article is succinct and inspiring. While it kind of works as an ad for the 22 'life changing' trips, it stirs the reader's ambition to do something unique and adventurous in their life. While not all can just jump on a plane to Antarctica, the research that made this compilation possible makes it easier for those who feel that time in their life approaching and gives inspiration to those who will seek it in their future.

The last story I would run is titled "Chef Vikas Khanna Asks, What Connects Food and Faith?" I like this story because it provides some depth to the magazine; it expands the topics T+L covers. It's an intriguing piece because many people relish in watching the food channel, many people feel food is important in their lives, as well as religion, but I have never come across a story or a person who has linked the importance of food to religion. The article is about a Sikh chef and delves into the some of the inspiration and ideas tied to the article title. But the piece also serves as an introduction to a film series called "Holy Kitchens", in which Vikas will explore the relationship between food and religion.