TIME OUT CHICAGO KIDS Everything for the little hipsqueak.
“Our mission is to make sure Chicago-area families are never bored. Kids crave new adventures and so do their parents. At Time Out Chicago Kids, we spend every day seeking out new things to try, from don’t-miss events to under-the-radar restaurants and shops. And whenever possible, we test them out first. Why? Because if you’re going on an adventure, we want to be sure it’s a good one.”
+ Amy Carr, Editor-in-Chief, Time Out Chicago Kids
WHAT WE DO
The Chicago parents’ guide to culture and entertainment. Bimonthly in print and daily on the Web, we scope out the newest all-ages arts and entertainment activities to help parents make the most of parenthood in Chicago. Each issue of Time Out Chicago Kids is packed with information that captures the minds and imaginations of Chicago’s curious kids while pointing parents to the coolest family-friendly happenings and must-hit spots. FIRST WORDS Our reporters spotlight local issues, hot neighborhoods, national trends and more. Plus, children and caregivers share their stories and a few of their favorite things about the city. FEATURES + CULTURE We preview the best kid-friendly activities, entertainment and venues and profile local artists. • DIG IN: Where and what to feed your family. • CHECK OUT: The city’s best shops for you and your kids. • THE CULTURE PAGES: Art & Museums, Books, Film, Games, Music, Sports, Stage and everything in between. • PARTIES: Find fresh ideas for kids’ parties—including venues, invitations, cakes, party favors and more—in every issue. CALENDAR We provide capsule information on concerts, screenings, storytimes, stage shows, workshops, museums, sights and play spaces for kids from infancy through tweens. FINAL FRONTIER There’s no place like home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t check out other places. We suggest where to travel when you (and the kids) need a vacation.
WHO WE REACH
Culture-seeking parents in Chicago. Time Out Chicago Kids reaches Chicagoland’s most active and culturally aware families.
AGE 25–34: 31% 35–39: 22% 40–49: 39% 50+: 8%
A TOC Kids family enjoying our summer splash boat cruise!
EMPLOYMENT STATUS Full-time: 58% Part-time: 20% Stay-at-home parent: 22% HOUSEHOLD INCOME Median HHI: $125,000 CHILDREN PER HOUSEHOLD One child: 44% Two children: 47% Three or more children: 9% AGE OF CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD* 7–18 months: 17% 19 months–2 years: 24% 3–4 years: 37% 5–7 years: 33% 8–10 years: 18% 10+ years: 17% GENDER OF READERS’ CHILDREN*
Little Time-Outers rockin’ out at Kidzapalooza and posing on our cover!
Boys: 33% Girls: 36% Both genders in household: 31% Source: Time Out Chicago Kids Reader Study 2009 *Families with 2+ children in household were able to answer more than once, so the total percentage is over 100%
HOW WE’VE GROWN Our readership is growing every day.
Recognizing a void in the market for engaging family-friendly content for Chicago-area parents, Time Out Chicago Kids was launched in May 2009 with the goal of arming parents with the tools needed to make the most of all Chicago has to offer. In just two short years, the magazine has made impressive gains in both frequency and circulation, and is poised for even greater things in the year ahead.
Distribution: 45,000 Frequency: Bi-Monthly
Distribution: 40,000 Frequency: Quarterly (2010) SINCE LAUNCH: • We’ve increased our frequency by 200% • Our distribution has increased by 28.5% (12.5% from 2010-2011)
Distribution: 35,000 Frequency: Bi-Annual (2009)
(2011)
HOW WE REACH THEM A targeted and effective distribution mix.
Time Out Chicago Kids has a distribution of 45,000+ copies per issue, the majority of which are mailed directly to the homes of Chicago’s most active parents.This exclusive home delivery model, combined with our partnerships with the city’s leading family-oriented cultural institutions and kid-friendly businesses, allows our advertisers and marketers to reach our audience where it lives, works and plays...in the city and beyond. DISTRIBUTION MIX MAILED: 76% paid subscriptions, exclusive partnerships and targeted service establishments
OVERALL BREAKDOWN:
Time Out Chicago Kids subscriptions are mailed directly to highincome home residences of Chicagoland’s most culturally aware families. Time Out Chicago Kids is also available in select waiting rooms of local doctors, dentists and family care centers and requested by kid-friendly businesses throughout Chicagoland. SINGLE COPY: 13% Key newsstand and hotel placement
57% SUBURBS
43% CITY OF CHICAGO
Time Out Chicago Kids is available at leading newsstands, retailers and bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Dominick’s, Jewel/Osco, Walgreens, etc.). Additionally, Time Out Chicago Kids is the only family publication distributed to Chicago-area hotels via our preferred concierge program. TARGETED EVENTS: 11% family-focused events and targeted outreach opportunities Time Out Chicago Kids is distributed at major festivals and kidfriendly happenings throughout the city and suburbs including: • Kidzapalooza • Old Town School of Folk Music • NPN’s Parent Network • Do Division Family Fest • And more!
SUBURBAN BREAKDOWN: 39% NORTH SUBURBS 14% WEST SUBURBS 3% SOUTH SUBURBS
CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES Time Out Chicago Kids offers high-impact opportunities that provide high visibility in the marketplace and set you apart from the competition. TIP-IN INSERT Opportunity to insert your brochure or marketing material directly into an issue of Time Out Chicago Kids. The piece can be custom produced by Time Out Chicago Kids or be your readymade artwork.
INTEGRATED AD UNIT Designed to expand beyond the constraints of traditional units and merge with the editorial in an attention-grabbing way, this unique four-color execution will bring your brand to life.
CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES BARN DOOR GATEGOLD Open the door to your message and be surrounded by exclusive Time Out Chicago Kids content. Pieces such as this have a long-lasting shelf life and spark action with checklists and other fun interactive activities.
Flips open to two additional 8 x 10 panels
Opens to a four consecutive page poster
CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES COLORING BOOK Encourage your target audience to engage with your brand in a fun and interactive way! This custom piece will end up on refrigerators throughout Chicago and reminds parents of your brand and offerings.
Available on a first-come, first-served basis!
LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE
Four-page Coloring Book for the Music Institute of Chicago
Four-page Coloring Book for The Field Museum
HOW WE CREATE CONNECTIONS Across a myriad of channels.
Time Out Chicago Kids will align our trusted brand with yours and leverage the power of our readership and brand equity with a 360째 integrated approach across the following touch-points:
TIME OUT CHICAGO KIDS
YOUR BRAND
Connected to our audience through multiple touch-points E-MAIL NEWSLETTER
TIMEOUTCHICAGOKIDS.COM
SOCIAL MEDIA
OUR EVENTS + SPONSORSHIPS Create community and experiences.
Whether through community service or cultural and entertainment events, Time Out Chicago Kids’ experiential platforms connect with readers and create community. A sampling of our events* includes:
Time Out Chicago Kids Book Club Our editors select books with similar themes for parents and children to read together. Incorporated into the program is a community service angle so kids can put into action what they read. Time Out Chicago Kids Summer Splash An interactive boat cruise for parents and kids alike complete with sing-along activities, snacks and beautiful views of the Chicago skyline. Time Out Chicago Kids Dining Society A dining society designed just for kids with an interactive learning experience for the whole family so eating out is not just for the adults! Time Out Chicago Kids Awards Coming in 2012, the first Time Out Chicago Kids Awards will take place by honoring the “best of” Chicago across a handful of categories such as food, retail, arts and entertainment, and events.
*Events are subject to change
EDIT CALENDAR
Tweens + Summer Camps special section
Space Deadline: April 24 Art Deadline: May 2 Street Date: May 15
Space Deadline: June 26 Art Deadline: July 3 Street Date: July 17
Time Out Chicago Kids Awards
Holiday Gift Guide
Space Deadline: Aug. 28 Art Deadline: Sept. 5 Street Date: Sept. 18
Space Deadline: Oct. 30 Art Deadline: Nov. 7 Street Date: Nov. 20
*Editorial content and dates subject to change
Suburban/City Smackdown
DEC./JAN.
Summer Events
AUG./SEPT.
JUNE/JULY
Space Deadline: Feb. 28 Art Deadline: March 7 Street Date: March 20
OCT./NOV.
Space Deadline: Jan. 10 Art Deadline: Jan. 18 Street Date: Jan. 31
Home Design
APRIL/MAY
FEB./MAR.
Time Out Chicago Kids 2012
MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS Time Out Chicago Kids 2012 MAGAZINE PRINT + IMAGE SPECS Page trim size: 8” x 10.5” / 16” x 10.5” (spread) Live work area: 7.5” x 10” / 15.5” x 10” (spread) Bleed size: 8.25” x 10.75” / 16.5” x 10.75” (spread) Image resolution: 300 dpi or higher Preferred logo format : Encapsulated PostScript Format (EPS)
PROOFS All ad material must be accompanied by a SWOP-approved proofing solution and must contain a SWOP-approved color bar. No corrections should be noted on the proofs. Time Out Chicago Kids is not liable for the final color output of your ad if an appropriate color proof was not supplied. Proofs should be printed at 100% and include all marks (trim, bleed, live) outside printable image area.
MAGAZINE PRINT SPECS (NON-BLEED ADS)
1/2 VERTICAL
7.125” x 4.6875” 3.5” x 9.5”
1/2 HORIZ. SPREAD
15” x 4.6875”
1/4 SQUARE
3.5” x 4.6875”
1/4 HORIZONTAL
1/4 horizontal
1/2 horizontal
7.125” x 2.2812”
1/4 VERTICAL
1.6875” x 9.5”
1/8 HORIZONTAL
3.5” x 2.2812”
1/8 VERTICAL
1.6875” x 4.6875”
1/16 PAGE
1.6875” x 2.2812”
1/8 H
1/4 square
1/2 vertical
1/2 HORIZONTAL
7.125” x 9.5”
1/16
FULL PAGE
15” x 9.5”
1/8 V
SPREAD
TRIM
1/4 vertical
AD SIZE
MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS Time Out Chicago Kids 2012
RECEIVING MATERIALS We must receive your ads no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Thursday one week prior to publication. Please name your ad using the following format: Advertiser_Issue Date.pdf (example: BarnesNoble_3.17.12.pdf) If you require our assistance in building an ad, elements and copy should arrive 8 days prior to publication issue date that the ad is to appear. A 15% surcharge will be added for design assistance. TOC IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY ADS NOT APPROVED BY AN ADVERTISER BY 5:00 P.M. THE THURSDAY PRIOR TO THE ISSUE DATE. RESERVING AD SPACE All ad space must be reserved by 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday the week prior to the issue release date. *Holidays may affect closing; please check with the advertising department. APPLICATIONS + FORMATS Time Out Chicago requires all ad materials to be provided in PDF format. All PDF ads must be created using the PDF x 1a setting. DIGITAL TRANSMISSION Ads can be posted to our FTP site. Host: tocftp.timeoutchicago.com Please use the format above in the filename. PRODUCTION CONTACT: Production Department Time Out Chicago 247 S State Street 17th floor Chicago, IL 60604 Cheryl Magiera, Production Director T: 312-924-9551 • F: 312-924-9560 E: cmagiera@timeoutchicago.com
TIMEOUTCHICAGOKIDS.COM Everything for the little hipsqueak. “At timeoutchicagokids.com, we firmly believe that parenting means never having to say you’re sorry for taking your kid to a lame-o event. That’s why each day we offer up the best in hip, kid-friendly theater, fashion, museum exhibits, film and tons of other events and activities that have made it through our staff ’s strict standards. We’re like your foodie cousin, or that friend who knows about all the hippest bands... except with ice cream and kindie rock.” + Erin Osmon, Web Editor, Time Out Chicago Kids
PARENTS’ DIGITAL RESOURCE A daily dose of activities for your kids.
Timeoutchicagokids.com is the go-to online resource for Chicago’s kid-friendly cultural events the whole family can enjoy. With our special features and photo galleries of our editors’ favorites, plus listings of events by day, Chicago parents always have a place to plan their family activities. Plus, daily updates ensure that parents have the ability to plan activities in advance or at a moment’s notice.
AVERAGE IMPRESSIONS: 140,000 page views per month 25,000 unique visitors per month
Growing every month!
At TOC Kids HQ, we’re busy blogging about the hippest kid happenings around: from music to dining, plus tips and tidbits like roundups of free museum days, parenting news and trends!
PLAYDATES E-MAIL NEWSLETTER The resource to plan your family’s weekend.
By sponsoring Playdates, Time Out Chicago Kids’ weekly e-mail newsletter, advertisers have the opportunity to reach our engaged parent audience. Sent every Thursday, Playdates helps Chicago parents plan the perfect family weekend by highlighting the best kid-friendly events, activities and restaurants, while also showcasing the most popular content from timeoutchicagokids.com.
THURS. 0+ families Reach 8,00 sday! every Thur
EXCLUSIVE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY Promote your business or event by sponsoring our weekly newsletter for parents. An exclusive sponsorship includes both ad units, plus your logo and 50 words of sponsored text*.
*Sponsored text subject to edits by Time Out Chicago Kids.
DEDICATED E-MAILS
Your message delivered direct to our readers’ in-boxes. Bask in the spotlight of a Time Out Chicago Kids dedicated e-mail. Deliver your advertising message directly to our list of motivated and responsive Chicago parents. Perfect for promoting a special offer, invitation or discount. With 100% share of voice, this message is all about you.
Sending info the entire family will enjoy! Your stand-alone, custom e-mail is received from a familiar and trusted source, TOC Kids!
SOCIAL MEDIA
Join the conversation with us. Being a parent means being social. From organizing playdates to birthday parties and activities, parents are constantly out on the town experiencing all Chicago has to offer with their families. Time Out Chicago Kids provides valuable content across a handful of social channels so that our audience is up to speed even when on-the-go. Time Out Chicago Kids offers its advertisers the opportunity to interact with our audience of dedicated, hip Chicago parents via high-impact promotions that are integrated into our popular blog, Hipsqueak, as well as our Twitter and Facebook pages.
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/TOCKids
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/timeoutchicagokids
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Explore the best picks for your family in the city: timeoutchicagokids.com
YOUR MESSAGE HERE.
Sign up for Playdates, our weekly e-mail newsletter: timeoutchicagokids.com/newsletter
DIGITAL SPECS Get connected with our audience online and communicate with them while they are planning activities for their families and making purchasing decisions.
LEADERBOARD: 728 X 90
728x90
MEDIUM RECTANGLE: 300 X 250 300 x 250
300 x 600
WIDE SKYSCRAPER: 160 X 600
160 x 600
HALF PAGE: 300 X 600
MEDIUM RECTANGLE: 300 X 250 300 x 250
HALF PAGE: 300 X 600
ONLINE AD UNIT SPECS FILE SIZE 39K maximum with no more than three rotations or loops (loop blocks are acceptable). FORMATS GIF, JPG, Rich Media *All creative elements are due no less than one week before launch date. URL Please provide a Web address for linking banner ads.
WE’RE THE PERFECT PACKAGE Grow your brand with us.
Time Out Chicago Kids has taken over the Windy City and become the resource for Chicago parents. Our audience is dedicated, hip, active and influential in their communities. Time Out Chicago Kids goes well beyond the printed page and reaches consumers wherever they are and whenever they want to be reached so that they can plan activities as needed. We have helped numerous Chicago businesses connect their brands with our audience in exciting, engaging and unique ways. Let’s explore some ideas as to how we can help your business.
“Time Out Chicago Kids is an all-in-one guide for cool, kid-friendly things to do in the city. We use it as a resource for fun on a regular basis.” -Carly Ubersox, Co-chair Neighborhood Parents Network
“As a new mom and marketing professional, I found Time Out Chicago Kids to be a great resource for information, activities and products. It’s packed full of great ideas and things to do.” -Adriana McClintock, Marketing Manager, Ravinia Festival
Let’s work together and create solutions for your brand or business.
Randy Hano VP, Group Publisher 312.924.9252 rhano@timeoutchicago.com
Andrew Hilsberg Digital Sales Director 312.924.9262 ahilsberg@timeoutchicago.com
Trevor Mikus Associate Publisher 312.924.9265 tmikus@timeoutchicago.com
Mary Helen Cutler Senior Account Supervisor, Time Out Chicago Kids 312.924.9580 mcutler@timeoutchicago.com
David Wilson, Senior National Account Manager 312.924.9266 dwilson@timeoutchicago.com
Chelsea Rosenheimer, Account Manager 312.924.9268 crosenheimer@timeoutchicago.com
John Ahlin, Senior Account Manager 312.924.9351 jahlin@timeoutchicago.com
Robert Ruthardt, Account Manager 312.924.9263 rruthardt@timeoutchicago.com
Megan Carroll, Account Manager 312.924.9359 mcarroll@timeoutchicago.com
Max Wastler, Account Manager 312.924.9267 mwastler@timeoutchicago.com
Jessica Malooley, Account Manager 312.924.9255 jlmalooley@timeoutchicago.com
Sarah White, Sales Coordinator 312.924.7272 swhite@timeoutchicago.com