In the fold of the Figaro group, the Gala magazine redoubles its ambitions

At the end of 2023, the Figaro group welcomes a French flagship of the magazine press. It has just acquired from Vivendi and its subsidiary Prisma Media the weekly Gala, which has established itself over the decades as a reference in the celebrity press and has become a powerful digital player in Europe. “It was a great opportunity for our group to continue the transformation of its economic model, by integrating a highly digitalized and complementary reference magazine with our other titles. It enjoys a strong dynamic on current affairs even beyond the people,” comments Marc Feuillée, general manager of the Figaro group. The European Commission gave its approval to the operation on Wednesday and the acquisition will be effective before the end of November.

In the space of just three years, Gala will have changed ownership twice, passing from the hands of Bertelsmann to those of Vivendi at the end of 2021, then the Figaro group today. “ The fact that the arrival of Gala in the Figaro group takes place in the year of the magazine’s 30th anniversary is a very good omen,” rejoices Matthias Gurtler, editorial director of Gala. “The power of the Figaro Group will help us achieve our objectives of growth and permanent innovation,” adds the journalist, present at the Gala house for almost fifteen years.

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Gala's 60 journalists (out of a total of 70 employees), divided between print, the website and the video service, have all chosen to continue the adventure. Over the coming months, they plan to settle in Paris, rue de l'Abbé-Groult, alongside other employees of the Figaro group.

“The editorial line of Gala is to tell the story, to show the person beyond the personality,” explains Matthias Gurtler. “By capturing natural moments of celebrities outside of photocalls, whether they are the more traditional stars of cinema, fashion or music, but also increasingly politicians and athletes in recent years,” he explains. -he.

With the integration of Gala, the Figaro group will benefit in particular from the title's great expertise on social networks, while the brand has more than 9.4 million subscribers on TikTok (60% of which are located abroad) . Which makes it the first European media account on the most downloaded application in the world, and the fourth globally, behind MTV and ahead of Vogue. “Gala was able to create with TikTok the CNN of glamor and find a form of identity since the pandemic, in a context where celebrities are increasingly putting themselves on display on social networks,” believes Matthias Gurtler. We consider ourselves today as a tri-media, between print, the web and the video component on social networks. »

“The magazines that have managed to pivot their model in order to reach audiences on all media are not that numerous,” believes Marc Feuillée. Beyond the celebrity aspect, Gala's editorial offering for women (fashion, beauty, lifestyle) is, moreover, a strategic sector for the Figaro group, which already includes the general public site in its portfolio. Le Journal des femmes, and the premium press title Madame Figaro. By combining these three brands, the Figaro Group will reach 14.6 million women, or 52% of the female population in France.

From behind the scenes of Pharrell Williams' fashion show for the luxury brand Louis Vuitton on the Pont-Neuf to the indiscretions of the Ballon d'Or ceremony, including the dinner organized a few weeks ago by President Emmanuel Macron for Charles III at the Palace of Versailles, the Gala teams are everywhere. “The magazine’s first influencers are ultimately our journalists in the field,” slips the editorial director. The paid circulation of Gala in France is 123,123 copies each week, including some 20,000 subscribers to the glossy magazine, according to the latest data from the OJD. “The digital subscription can only be an additional advantage for Gala, which is very focused on the audience (more than 1.1 million readers daily, Editor's note) and free content,” explains Matthias Gurtler. Every year, for the duration of the Cannes Film Festival, the editorial team also publishes Gala Croisette, a 96-page daily newspaper in French and English versions, distributed in 15,000 copies in major hotels, restaurants and places to go out on the Croisette, thanks to around thirty advertising partners.

Profitable, Gala earned half of its 40 million euros in turnover from advertising in 2022. After the integration period, the Figaro Group and Gala will look at the various natural economic and editorial synergies to be put in place in the coming months, around a common advertising network, readership pools, cross promotions, newsletters or even event ticketing… “We will continue to innovate from spring 2024. With the desire to include Gala in the editorial requirements of the Figaro group,” concludes Matthias Gurtler.