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At People, Heidi Edelstein enjoys the enviable position of being the go-to person for each sales team in the People Group, which includes People magazine, People.com, People StyleWatch and People Country. As executive .jpg) director of integrated marketing, Edelstein oversees the development and execution of marketing solutions for the brand’s advertisers. Invoking an indispensable triad of essentials—creativity, a special knowledge of her client’s needs and close relationships with major entertainment industry heavyweights, such as studios, networks and record labels—Edelstein has been unbeatable in launching and marketing key People initiatives.
The Nonprofit Route
Her path to getting there has been unconventional. Following a stint working for the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Mike Dukakis, Edelstein headed into the field of nonprofit and fundraising to develop, sell, organize and execute cause-related events for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “For nearly eight years, each and every event was actually treated like an integrated marketing program,” she says.
There she learned extensively about branding, sales, public relations, marketing and events—everything that would put her in good stead in her subsequent professional life in magazine publishing. Prior to her current position at People, where she’s been for five years, Edelstein applied her expertise in crafting integrated marketing programs for various brands, including Ladies’ Home Journal, Seventeen and House & Garden.
Sales Initiatives, Edelstein Style:
• People Music Lounge: A showcase featuring both up-and-coming and established artists such as Robin Thicke, Jewel, Katy Perry and Jason Mraz. Sponsors have included Cover Girl and Max Factor.
• People Previews: A nationwide screening program that includes a Q&A with industry insiders. People has partnered with several movie studios on these screenings.
• People’s Annual Grammy Kick-Off Party: Held in conjunction with the Recording Academy, this event celebrates the Grammy Award nominees. Past featured talent has included Fergie, Jamie Foxx, Ne-Yo, Fall Out Boy, Taylor Swift and Timbaland. The event has generated significant PR for both the People brand and sponsors.
• Red Carpet Fun Run: Held at the Paramount Studio, this event dovetails with the Emmy Awards held in Los Angeles. Edelstein was responsible for securing sponsors such as Maybelline, Under Armour and Tylenol.
Balancing Act
As she represents myriad assets of the People Group while managing a large staff, Edelstein has encountered her lion’s share of challenges. But she has been able to easily overcome them by, as she says, “hiring top talent/marketers who love what they do and where they work, motivating and elevating staff with recognition and rewards and pushing them to be an A-list team and the best in the business.” Her output has been Herculean, particularly in the way she seamlessly balances her infinite responsibilities and marketing initiatives. For any other person, supervising and engineering this work volume may be akin to walking on a tightrope, but to the seasoned Edelstein, it’s a proverbial piece of cake.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Dani Berger, Creative Director, Scholastic Parents Media: Dani Berger has been creative director at Scholastic for the past seven years, and with her help, the company easily met its 2008 goals for print ($12.5 million), custom ($6.5 million) and online ($1.5 million). One of Berger’s many successes was with Procter & Gamble, which came to Scholastic looking to raise awareness of its Pampers products with parents of children entering preschool. Berger created a custom “Let’s Get Ready for Preschool” kit for preschool directors and parents. The program has been renewed and expanded.
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