Condé Nast Launches Dating Website

How strange!
Last week was a big week for Condé Nast; last Monday, the publishing house announced that they were shuttering Cookie, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, and Gourmet. With the closing of these four magazines, Condé let go of about 180 people. Charles Townsend, CEO, told staffers in a company-wide memo that:

“We have now completed an extensive review of our business ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ an important undertaking given the dramatic changes in the U.S. economy. The review has led us to a number of decisions designed to navigate the company through the economic downturn and to position us to take advantage of coming opportunities. Cond├â┬⌐ Nast’s success comes from the ability of our publications to attract readers with a wide range of interests, as well as advertisers who value them. But in this economic climate it is important to narrow our focus to titles with the greatest prospects for long-term growth.”

Last Friday, the very same day magazine empire laid off an additional seven advertising staffers at Glamour, Townsend made good his word to take advantage of “opportunities,” albeit strange ones: Cond├â┬⌐ Nast has launched the stylish online dating website, TrulyMadlyDating.com. The site, for which membership costs $30 per month or $95 for six, aims to “unite glamorous girls with fashion-conscious GQ-reading boys to create matches made in style heaven,” according to their mission statement.
We kid you not.
One insider says feelings amongst staffers are mixed, noting that “If the site does well, it could be the boost we need. But it just seems so ridiculous. We’re all worried about our next paychecks, while they play matchmaker….It’s a very strange time to work here.”
Roberta Garfinkle, Targetcast SVP of print media and former chair (and current member) of AAAA’s Consumer Magazine Comittee weighs in on the issue, wondering, “With so much work to do making the magazines and the magazines’ web sites a place where advertisers want to invest their money – this is what they come up with? It’s very bizarre….My best guess is that there are many more changes coming. They could take the format of reduction of circulation, or simply folding, like Gourmet. We don’t know all the numbers behind all of Cond├â┬⌐ Nast’s decisions, but the ones we can see are not looking good.”
Yikes!
So strange and kind of scary for the nervous staffers at the mega-mag publisher. Hope they don’t cut any more jobs!
Would U visit TrulyMadlyDating.com?
[Image via Getty Images.]