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BEST SELLERS
Sales Executive Hall of Fame: Michael Clinton, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Publishing Director, Hearst Magazines Even when he was a kid, Michael Clinton always knew he wanted to be in publishing. Serving as editor of his high school newspaper and later publisher of his college newspaper, the Pittsburgh native had dreams of being in the  industry following his graduation from the University of Pittsburgh. There was only one problem, which draws an eerie parallel to the current troubled times: It was the 1970s, and he could not find a job in New York City because, as he recalls, “there was a deep recession.” Taking a break from his chosen career path, Clinton used a family connection and scored a summer gig as a roadie for the R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire. “I had an absolute blast,” he recalls. “By the time I came back, the marketplace had changed.”Clinton’s first publishing job was in editorial at Fairchild Publications’ DNR (which folded in late 2008). Observing how the advertising salespeople “always seemed to have fun,” Clinton, who is the author of four books, among them Wanderlust: 100 Countries, A Personal Journey, soon shifted to sales, joining the staff of sister publication Sportstyle (now defunct). The switch was fortuitous. “At the age of 24, my territory was Western Europe and New England. I got to go to Europe several times a year. I felt like I died and went to heaven.” One of his first big sales was for client Adidas, which only reinforced his belief that he made the right move. “I was in Germany calling on them and I came back with 24 pages,” he recounts. “I said, ‘This is really good.’” Celebrity Luster After cutting his teeth at Fairchild, Clinton moved onto Condé Nast where he worked at GQ for a decade, seven years of which he served as publisher (the youngest in the company’s history). There he spearheaded the “celebrity sections” that have become an advertising mainstay in the publication. For one issue, the GQ sales team managed to persuade the entire cast of the then hugely popular NBC sitcom Family Ties, starring TV icon Michael J. Fox, to pose for a clothing manufacturer in an advertising section. “At the time, that was innovative stuff,” notes Clinton. In October 1997, Clinton reached a professional turning point: He joined Hearst as SVP, chief marketing officer, and was later group publisher of five titles, including Esquire and House Beautiful. In January 2001, Clinton added another role to his professional shingle: publishing director of Hearst Magazines. Clinton’s Life Lessons Dealing with challenges: “I think one of the things I’ve learned is always align yourself with a great mentor. I’ve had two great mentors: [former Hachette Filipacchi U.S. CEO] Jack Kliger, for the first part of my career, and [Hearst Magazines president] Cathie Black, for the second part of my career. Mentors keep you focused, [help you overcome] challenges and always make sure you’re stretching beyond your own boundaries.” Learning from the current recession: “You have to always keep it in perspective that it’s a moment in time—things do get better. You have to make the tough decisions, but you have to make sure you’re not damaging your business. There is money to be spent—it’s just tighter.” Career highlights: “Being a part of the team of the Oprah magazine O launch—that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was and still is such a phenomenon. Also, we have a new magazine—Food Network Magazine—that’s coming out [with the June/July issue]. Being part of that launch is exciting. We’re at a 900,000 rate base.” Traditional media vs. nontraditional: “I call [print magazines] liquid content. I think the magazine becomes the content expert and the content lives in different places. But there is something about holding a physical magazine that consumers cherish and I don’t think that will go away.” Back to Best Sellers page COMMENTS
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