WORD: TORONTO’S URBAN CULTURE MAGAZINE
Editorial Profile
WORD, Toronto’s Urban Culture Magazine is an essential one-stop guide to music, black/urban culture, entertainment, news and opinion. WORD delivers quality editorial and a comprehensive guide of entertainment choices that appeal to diverse, trend-setting, college-educated, black and urban consumers with active lifestyles and money to spend.
Distribution
Serving Toronto since 1992, Canada’s largest city and other select urban centres across Canada such as Montreal and Vancouver, WORD Magazine has had to adapt to the rapid technological changes brought on by Internet Age. As publishers, we have hit the re-set button going from an estimated readership of over 160,000 with print copies distributed free in over 500 high-traffic outlets ranging from record stores, cinemas, clubs, shopping malls, clothing stores, book stores, hair salons, recreation centres, festivals and special events. Since we no longer produce a printed edition we hope that many of our readers will join us in making the transition and many more new supporters of WORD’s content will be found locally, nationally and internationally. This is not the first foray into publishing online but it is our most ambitious yet on this global platform.
Reader Profile
WORD Magazine’s urban market focus and compelling editorial mix has resulted in a readership where 75% of our readers are post-secondary educated 18 to 35 years old. They come from diverse backgrounds but are united by common interests and attitudes. These trend-setters are an integral part of today’s urban scene. These consumers are fast-becoming the new majority in Canada’s largest markets. Witness Toronto, where the visible minority population is approximately 50% of Toronto’s residents. Many of these like, Toronto itself, are foreign born but are proudly Torontonian and cosmopolitan. We have come a long way since we first began reflecting this group back to itself and to others.
Editorial Mix
As an effective and proven point of reader contact, WORD’s editorial mix focuses on a variety of black/urban music styles popular with our audience. Among those styles are hip hop, r&b, reggae, soca, electronic, jazz and world. WORD also features regular, significant coverage of the arts, comprehensive club, entertainment listings, food & drink and some very hip commentary and socio-cultural analysis. There are also special issues with focused editorial.
Special Services
WORD offers additional, specially-tailored services to get your product in front of the urban/black consumer. These include sponsorship opportunities with the annual TD IRIE Music Festival, among other events. We can also provide publishing and event management services to those who require them. Ask for details.