Pen pals: Burda magazines from around the world

Absence makes the heart grow fonder – but the success of these foreign brands might just have gotten lost in translation. Hugely successful magazines in their home countries, they are barely known to audiences across country borders. To make you familiar with some of Burda’s local heroes, we asked a few creators from around the world to introduce themselves and their products. Today, editor-in-chief Monika Mudranincová is telling us all about Marianne, published in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

• Name: Marianne
• One of the leading consumer brands for women in the Czech Republic
• Expertise: A mix of intelligent reading, humour, and lifestyle
• Published monthly in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
• First published in 2000

Mrs. Mudranincová, how long have you been editor-in-chief of Marianne? 

I started as editor-in-chief of Marianne in August 2016, so it has been a good five years.

How has Marianne changed since then?

Marianne has become much more active and closer to its readers since then. We have been able to build a closer relationship with our readers by addressing wider age groups. 22 years ago, when Marianne was first published, the original target group was compromised of women in their thirties. Today, Marianne is a magazine for the generation of mothers and their daughters. The long history of Marianne gives us a unique possibility to address more consumers. 

During my 5-year engagement in Marianne we have introduced many new activities: apart from innovative print content, which is focused on high-quality journalism, we came up with many new ideas to strengthen the connection with our readers.

Can you name some examples?

• At “Cocktails with Marianne”, our readers can enjoy a live talk show with celebrities and experts, hosted by me.
• In one of our newly implemented podcasts “Seven Sins of Parenthood”, I interview an expert about family education.
• To celebrate Mother’s Day, we have launched “The Day for My Mom”, an annual contest for daughters to express love for their mothers with a letter. The most touching letter wins, and a mom is gifted a pampering day with her daughter in Prague (hotel, photoshoot, dinner, and more).
• The “Inspirational Women of Marianne” is an annual selection of the 20 most inspirational women in the Czech Republic chosen by the editorial team and published in the print and online version of Marianne.

One of our events that has already been an important part of Marianne for over 20 years is the “Marianne Days”. It marks the biggest sales event in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, granting shoppers access to hundreds of attractive discounts and bonus goodies at Marianne lounges in major cities once a year, in fall. Building on the great success to date, we launched an additional spring edition in 2021 and are constantly working on improvements to grant our consumers the best experience possible.

Please describe 2022’s version of Marianne in three words.

Stylish. Inspirational. Friendly. 

How many people are involved in the creation of Marianne?

Our editorial team consists of ten people, eight in print and two in the online section. Marianne is also supported by several colleagues of BurdaInternational CZ’s marketing, project, and advertising departments.

What are you currently most proud of, regarding Marianne?

I am most proud of the close connection we have with our readers. We often receive positive feedback from them through letters and during live events. Furthermore, I am extremely proud of the whole Marianne team. My colleagues are not only highly professional but also very passionate and warm-hearted, and they love their jobs at Marianne just as much as I do – it is a love brand for all of us. I am confident this feeling of our "Marianne family" extends to the pages of Marianne magazine. We all simply live Marianne!