Marketing & Circulation

Dennis O'Brien, Vice President, Circulation, The Taunton Press

Ken Sheldon, Director, Circulation, New York Magazine

The Taunton Press

• Publisher of 5 Special Interest Magazines– Fine Cooking, Fine Gardening, Fine

Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding, Threads

• Specials – including Fresh, Container Gardening, Wood Turning

• Books - Quick Fix Meals, Robin Miller• DVDs & CDs• Pay Web Sites – Finewoodworking.com &

Fine homebuilding.com

Circulation @ Taunton

• Subscription Sales

• Newsstand Sales

• Direct Marketing– Books– DVD, CD– Specials

• Web Audience

Marketing & CirculationWho’s driving this bus?

Is circulation delivering the readers to match your market positioning?

Or are you forced to massage your numbers?

How can you get these teams on the same page?

• The marketing function is increasingly at the critical center of any publishing enterprise. Keeping your marketing team in sync with Circulation is key to reaching and retaining both readers and customers, building your brands and growing your revenues.

• How can Circulation collaborate with Marketing to add value and extend reach?

Communication!

Communication

Why is it so difficult?

• # Hours in the day

• Volume of promotions

• Increasing number of products

• New channels – web, e-mail, e-letters

• Increasing complexity of promotions

Touch Points

Providing a Forum for Communication• Planning/Budget• Execution

– Program Plans– Initial Creative Review– Loops/Reviews

• Information Sharing– Reporting/Analysis– Post Mortem

Keys to Success

• Clearly defined roles & responsibilities

• Streamline Process

• Leverage expertise of each group

• Proactive communication

• Maintain touch points

• Sharing results

Role of Circulation

Direct Marketing Expertise

• Acquiring and retaining of customers without the use of intermediaries.

• Develop a relationship with customers

• Recording and analysis of data

• Use of analysis to develop marketing strategies

Role of Marketing

• Brand Stewards

• Provide Clear & Consistent Direction– Budget through Execution

• Maintain Communication– Editorial– Advertising– Circulation

• Leverage Expertise

Success in Direct

Requires the successful combination of:

• Message• People – Target Market/List• Price/Offer• Format

The effectiveness of direct efforts are improved through the inclusion of the Marketing – This in turn will extend the reach of the publication.

Marketing

Message• Product differentiation - a distinct identity

that is not represented by another brand• This can be the difference between

success and failure - helps break through the clutter by providing a clear, focused and consistent message

• Must be important and meaningful to consumers

Marketing Value Add

• Package– Message– Presentation (Package)

• List– Response or Compiled– Market Intelligence

• Offer– Product features and benefits– Pricing

• Format

Marketing

• Message– Does it effectively represent the product being offered?– Does it speak to the target audience?

• Market Intelligence– What lists make sense?– Partners, Affiliates, Contacts?

• Product/Brand Expertise– What makes your product unique?– What are the features and benefits that will sell?

Responsibilities

Marketing Circulation

Planning Shared Goal Setting

Direction Clear across departments

Consultative

Execution Brand

Message

Direct Marketing Expertise

Reporting & Analysis

Market Place Expertise

Campaign Analysis & Commentary

Advertising

Marketing as liaison to Advertising

• Looks for partnership opportunities between advertisers and Circulation

• Collaborates with circulation to develop promotional opportunities for advertisers including contests and premiums that benefit both advertisers and subscription sales

Examples

• Advertiser Partnerships– White Flower Farms & Fine Gardening– Sawyer Brook & Threads– Delta Porter/Cable & Fine Woodworking

• Contests– Single Board Build Off– Wood Turning Sweepstake

• Premiums

Building E-Mail File

• Currently 20-30% email coverage for active subscribers

• Contests

• Request on renewals and invoices

Editorial

Marketing as liaison to Edit

• Loops creative as necessary

• Work closely with magazine editorial on product positioning

• Provide edit with market analysis and insights

• Drives new product development

Expanding Product Offering

• Ongoing SIP program • Newsstand success• Direct sales to

existing subscribers• Reaching new

customers!• Provides entry point

to the Fine Cooking brand

Product Collaboration

• Digital product

• Capitalize on existing relationships

• Direct success

• Long tail

• Repurposing

Online

• Up selling print subscribers– Cover wraps– Inserts– Renewal inserts

• Use of direct channel to drive traffic

• Merchandising site to sell print subs

Summary

• Collaborate on goals

• Leverage expertise

• One project “owner”

• Maintain touch points

• Analysis

• Review results together

Marketing & CirculationWho’s driving this bus? – Marketing

Is circulation delivering the readers to match your market positioning? – Clear direction and communication - YES

Or are you forced to massage your numbers? – Nope How can you get these teams on the same page? - Absolutely, set the ground rules, empower each member of the team, and maintain your touch points.

Thank You