In a climate that has seen the likes of King Magazine crumble and other publications holding on for dear life, Vibe magazine reportedly is looking to expand.  Vibe Media Group has announced the launch of a new print and online brand designed to concentrate on the celebrity culture, entertainment and gossip.  The new publication, titled The Most, which will debut online (TheMostmag.com) on June 1 and hit newsstands nationwide June 16, is said to differ from Vibe magazine which concentrates more on the music and lifestyle content.

The Most magazine will prescribe to a very new media marketing strategy concentrating efforts through  the use of social networking, including Twitter and Facebook.  The publication was launched after the Vibe brass tested the concept in with its January tabloid issues over the past two years.

“We think launching The Most in this market is a very smart, very savvy move because here’s a hole in the marketplace,” explained Danyel Smith, editor in chief of Vibe and president and editorial director of Vibe Media Group. “There is not a celebrity and lifestyle magazine that focuses on the urban community with the quality and beauty and excellence we have, and we know there’s an audience out there that is hungry for it.”

“I can’t pinpoint a certain age or gender that wants this type of entertainment” added Vibe publisher Edgar Hernandez.  “It’s definitely a 21 year-old and older audience, but I would say there’s no really sound demographic that we can point to.”

Lets call a spade a spade here.  Vibe recognizes declining readership in its flagship brand and a shift towards the gossip/ inside scoop related content that blogs have made very popular by sites like NicoleBitchie and RapRadar.  While Vibe and its superior resourses will be able to overwhelm and steal marketshare from smaller blogs, in all liklihood its corporate ties will serve to its detriment.  In addition to being more cumbersome and less libreral than the traditional blog, sites like the aformentioned will likly maintain thier edge as thier loyal readership will continue to look to them for uncensored content. 

Though I believer there is a market for “The Most”, from comments like “there’s not really sound demographic” shows that the Vibe brass hasn’t done their homework and this effort is an initiative based off market panic.  I’m no magazine guru but they are walking a VERY tightrope here.