• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, February 23, 2012

Hearst, Style Coalition Expand Partnership

Hearst Digital Media is expanding its partnership with the Style Coalition, a network that brings together online beauty and fashion publishers, in a deal that gives Hearst responsibility for Style Coalition’s display advertising sales. Hearst and Style Coalition will also work together to develop custom marketing programs, including tailored marketing efforts drawing on Style Coalition’s network of online “influencers.”

The new arrangement expands on their previously existing partnership, which brought together Style Coalition and Elle.com in 2010. Elle was acquired by Hearst from Lagardere in 2011, along with a number of other enthusiast magazines. 

The expanded partnership is part of Hearst’s push to develop its blogging platform as an advertising platform. The blog members of Style Coalition are selected based on traffic levels, content quality, targeted branding, audience interaction, social media presence, and adherence to ethical standards.

Sur La Table Celebrates Food & Wine 

Sur La Table, a national chain of gourmet stores that also offers cooking classes, is set to unveil a new series of classes called “Celebrating Food & Wine,” in honor of the American Express Publishing magazine beginning in March. Sur La Table stores throughout the nation will offer epicureans twice-monthly classes featuring curriculum and recipes developed by Food & Wine editors and taught by Sur La Table experts. Customers who enroll will receive a complimentary gift subscription to the magazine. Cutlery and Sur La Table kitchen essentials will be available for purchase via the Food & Wine site, also beginning in March.

Travel + Leisure Opens New Retail Stores

Travel + Leisure, also published by American Express Publishing, has opened two new Travel + Leisure travel retail stores in partnership with travel retailer Hudson Group, which also owns the national newsstand brand Hudson News. The two new stores are located in Boston’s Logan Airport and Cleveland’s Hopkins International Airport. This brings the number of T+L stores to six, including Vancouver (YVR), Halifax (YHZ), New York (JFK), and Edmonton (YEG) and a store-within-a store in San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The stores in Boston and Cleveland opened in mid-December 2011 and early January 2012, respectively.

MSLO Shuffles Execs

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has appointed two executives to newly created positions. Gael Towey, who previously oversaw MSLO’s design and creative teams as CCO and editorial director, is assuming a new role as chief integration officer and creative director. She will be responsible for ensuring quality across MSLO’s digital products. Kerry Tucker, who previously served as vice president for ad sales marketing, has been named senior vice president of partner marketing, where she will oversee marketing for the company’s two key revenue streams -- ad sales marketing and merchandising marketing.