media update’s Aisling McCarthy chatted to Lynette Botha, features editor at Marie Claire South Africa, about the role special issues play in the bigger magazine picture.

Why do you run special magazine issues, such as the ‘Power’ issue?

This is the first 'Power' themed edition we have run; being our August issue and the month in which we celebrate National Women's Day in South Africa, it seemed like the perfect fit.

It is also the first time that we have run the ‘Future Shapers’ campaign, in association with our brand partner Audi. Future Shapers is a Marie Claire global initiative, first published by Marie Claire UK – and the synergy was perfect for this particular issue.

Celebrating amazing, powerful, and forward-thinking women who are shaping the future of South Africa was a no-brainer for us, and we plan to continue this initiative annually. 

You can read more about the ‘Power’ issue and the ‘Future Shapers’ campaign here: Marie Claire celebrates powerful women in its August 'Power' issue.
With a monthly magazine, surely every edition focusses on a specific topic, issue, or thread. How do special issues differ from this?

Yes, we generally have a holding theme like the ‘Fashion’ issue or the ‘Beach and Body’ issue. These are overriding themes that help us better curate the content for the issue and the specific time of the year.

Special issues generally have a dedicated section in the magazine that is an extended feature – more of a production than our regular features and shoots, for example, our ‘Naked’ campaign (July, ‘Naked’ issue) and our ‘Future Shapers’ special section (August, ‘Power’ issue).

The ‘Naked’ issue was released in July this year. Read more about it here: Marie Claire raises awareness with its 2017 'Naked' issue.
Are special issues more challenging to put together than regular issues? How much more work goes into special issues? 

Yes, definitely. As mentioned above, there will be a separate and extended production in these issues.

Both the ‘Naked’ issue and the ‘Power’ (‘Future Shapers’) issue required us to spend a lot of time researching and finding the right people to feature in these campaigns, to organise the shoots in Cape Town and Jo'burg, and lots of behind the scenes back and forth to ensure the absolute best possible outcome. 

Talk us through what makes a topic worthy of a special issue? How do you decide on a topic for a special issue, such as with the ‘Power’ issue? 

We spend a lot of time brainstorming our issues before putting them together, taking into consideration newsworthy topics, international and local trends, and what is important or topical for women in South Africa in that particular month.

The entire team is involved and the special issue themes often come about organically.

For more information, visit www.marieclaire.co.za

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