Hallmark
Carol Campbell-Boggs, publisher, Hallmark magazine:
1. What do you consider the single most important achievement your magazine has accomplished in today's marketplace?
Coming in over paging and revenue budgets in record time for our first issue and not giving away a single ad are significant achievements in today's marketplace! Every ad in the premiere issue was fully paid, in large part because Hallmark Magazine is able to sell not only pages in the magazine, but has the ability to be a true marketing partner outside the pages by using all of Hallmark's unique corporate assets such as the 129 million annual visitors to the Hallmark web site, 4,000 Hallmark Gold Crown Stores, the miles of aisles in 44,000 additional retail outlets, a corporate database of 31 million consumers, Hallmark Cards, Flowers and other assets for advertisers' benefit. You read constantly in the press that ad pages in women's magazines are down - not at Hallmark Magazine.
2. Looking back at your history, what was the most important hurdle you were able to overcome?
Breaking through the clutter by successfully communicating that Hallmark Magazine is not like any other women's lifestyle magazine. Hallmark is a brand known for storytelling and emotional connection and so Hallmark Magazine is a natural extension for the brand. Our editorial is "service with a story," not just service like other women's magazines.
3. What was the biggest pleasant surprise?
Our most delightful surprise has been consumer response to our direct marketing. Direct to publisher sold circulation is tracking over twice the industry average. Hallmark is a beloved brand with enormous consumer appeal and literally millions of brand enthusiasts. Subscribers are signing up for Hallmark Magazine in significant numbers.
4. What is the biggest challenge you are facing today?
Our biggest challenge is also our greatest opportunity -- the enormous growth potential for the magazine. Using a mix of traditional resources such as newsstand and direct mail, and our varied and growing Hallmark assets, such as the huge consumer database and Gold Crown Stores, we are poised to grow both revenue and circulation substantially.
5. Imagine you have a magic wand, and you can strike the magazine and make it a human being. Describe that human being.
Hallmark Magazine would be a woman in her 40s with a full and busy life. She works, has a partner and children, is involved in her community and she loves it all -- even the challenge of keeping all the balls in the air. She finds joy in the little things - family laughter, a phone call from a friend, waking up early when the world is still quiet. She knows that life's best moments can be those that happen everyday, and she lives for every one of them. She lives anywhere in America -- in major cities and in smaller towns.
6. The number of new magazine launches has been on a steady increase. What advice do you offer to someone wanting to start a new magazine?
Our advice would be to do a lot of research and testing before the magazine is developed. Assess what's in the marketplace and what's missing, take the pulse of consumers and find out what they really want to read, come up with a unique and compelling concept and a powerful marketing plan. Hallmark conducted extensive research and testing before it published this magazine. We asked women what they want - and don't want. We found that women were eager for a magazine that talks about more than perfect beauty, perfect homes and perfect parties. They want a magazine that values real feelings, real relationships and real life - and our circulation results confirm that.
7. Finish this sentence: In 2010, your magazine will be...
a huge success. By 2010, Hallmark Magazine will have a vastly larger circulation of loyal readers who embrace the publication and the Hallmark brand. We will have seen substantial increases in direct to publisher sold circulation, frequency of publication and advertising support. From an editorial standpoint, the magazine will continue to feature writing by award-winning authors, in-depth features about regular women who have made a difference in their communities and meaningful content that helps women appreciates life's best moments.
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