Conde Montrose Nast was one of THE great publishers.
He didn’t found Vogue, but he did make it successful, as he did Vanity Fair, Travel and other publications. You could say he originated the idea of the lifestyle magazine.
So, this is how the current boss “Chuck” Townsend writes to his staff
Subject: Business Update – Strategic Realignment
In July, we announced a strategic refocus of our Company and identified three clear priorities to ensure our future growth and success: a consumer-centric business model, a holistic brand management approach and the establishment of a multi-platform, integrated sales and marketing organization.
Today, we made a significant step toward accomplishing our goals by setting in motion a structural realignment of the organization, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share my thoughts on the importance of our mission.
Our commitment to consumer centricity is evident in the talent we have assembled in the short time since Bob Sauerberg became President. We have named Joe Simon as our new Chief Technology Officer – combining all of our technology capabilities under his leadership. We appointed Monica Ray, EVP, Consumer Marketing, to spearhead our consumer-driven strategies in both print and digital, and tapped Julie Michalowski, SVP, Consumer Business Development, to lead our efforts in licensing and the expansion of product offerings. As technology continues to facilitate greater connectivity with our consumers, Sarah Chubb and Debi Chirichella will be instrumental to this effort as we work to ensure that our digital capabilities are seamlessly integrated into all that we do. Sarah Chubb, President of Condé Nast Digital, will be responsible for developing and implementing the corporate digital growth strategy. She will continue to oversee content and operations for our emerging digital businesses, such as Wired.com, Brides.com, Epicurious, Concierge, Ars Technica, Reddit, Gourmet Live, and expand our portfolio via the acquisition or start-up of other digital businesses. Debi Chirichella, COO, Condé Nast Digital, assumes the lead for all digital finance and operations – handling P&L management for websites and digital products. This includes financial planning, investment approval to maximize ROI, and metrics-based tracking and measurement. (Debi also continues in her role as COO, Fairchild Fashion Group.)
· To optimize brand revenue growth, we will shift responsibility for single-site, digital sales and marketing to the brand level. Publishers can now fully leverage their offerings across all platforms. Next month, we will begin newly established brand management meetings where the publishers and editors jointly discuss the growth strategies for their brands.
· The Condé Nast Media Group, under the direction of Lou Cona, our Chief Marketing Officer, will become an integrated, multi-platform, multi-brand sales and marketing powerhouse. Our clients expect us to lead the way with a seamless, go-to-market strategy and we are fulfilling that promise. Drew Schutte is being named EVP, Chief Integration Officer of CNMG. In this newly created role, Drew will serve as the primary liaison between the CN brand publishers and the CNMG. He will oversee all pricing, planning and creative marketing in support of the integration of our print and digital, single-site brands. Josh Stinchcomb has been appointed VP, Digital Sales of CNMG. As we integrate digital sales, Josh will work in tandem with Tom Hartman to transform the group.
These changes are certain to stimulate higher levels of growth and encourage innovation in all that we do – but perhaps most importantly, they will ensure the brightest future for Condé Nast.
I look forward to working with all of you to realize our greatest potential.
Angels and Ministers of Grace Defend us!
How dare you inflict this on us.
My eyes were rolling half way through the first paragraph, yet you insisted on presenting the whole catastrophe.
You're a mean man.
Please have mercy on us in your next post.
Brain was turning to complete stupefied mush… and then spotted Ars Technica. Just about sums it up, really.
ho ho ho! what an Ars.
Roobish, innit? Still, as long as our competitors are this daft
there's hope for us.
Do I just think this is tripe because I still don't know what “integrated” means? Where do you find this stuff?
Hi, Bnonn and everyone:
Friends sometimes send me this dire shit (as was the case this time). But you only have to take a quick look at any business, especially marketing or HR-related, publication or speech to find it's pullulating with inane tripe. In a high proportion of cases this is produced by self-important twats who have arse-licked their way to the top or experts who are seen as such because nobody understands what they're talking about – so it is assumed they must be deep and clever. The worst cases are perhaps among politicians, especially those in local misgovernment.
Huh??