Condé Nast, which has long taken magazines established in the U.S. and introduced them into new international markets, is experimenting with doing just the opposite.
La Cucina Italiana, a food and wine magazine from Condé Nast Italia, is the publisher’s first international title to be introduced into the U.S. market. The publication arrives after the company consolidated its infrastructure under Condé Nast International, helmed by a newly formed position in global CEO Roger Lynch.
Condé Nast is no stranger to taking U.S. brands global. Take Vogue, for example, which now has more than 15 international editions, including in Australia, Korea and Ukraine. Condé Nast has already grown La Cucina Italiana’s presence after acquiring the title in 2013.
La Cucina Italiana is already in markets besides Italy, including the Czech Republic, Turkey and Serbia. After the U.S., the brand will expand to Britain, Germany, France and Spain. “The U.S. is the most important step forward in internationalizing this brand,” said the magazine’s business director, Alessandro Belloni.
Fans got a first look at the print magazine during a launch party at Eataly New York’s Flatiron location. The U.S. edition of the magazine was designed with an American audience in mind, including its more than 100 recipes. Many of the recipes are based around Americans’ desire to eat more meat than their European counterparts and prepare dishes quickly, said Maddalena Fossati, director of La Cucina Italiana and La Cucina Italiana International.
The magazine has American reporters in Milan and freelancers throughout the U.S., including in Los Angeles and New York. “Italian food is really the cuisine of the moment,” Fossati said. “The audience is ready.”
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