|
|
As health market director for SELF, Elisabeth Hatab Schaefer had a seemingly impossible task last year: boosting market share and ad pages in the pharmaceutical category in a difficult economy. Adding to her professional  tribulations was a personal ordeal—the terminal illness and subsequent passing of her father. Schaefer, a trouper to the core, met her challenges consummate grace, becoming a true role model of inspiration.
In 2008, Schaefer increased ad pages by 27% and revenue by 28%; she also added 13 new accounts, which totaled 56 pages of new business. In any year, this would be a terrific achievement, but it’s even more so during a recession. Her most notable client wins were Seasonique, Abilify, Lyrica and Johnson & Johnson. The latter advertiser signed up for 28 ad pages, which grew SELF’s market share for the brand.
Newshound Instincts
By keeping herself constantly apprised of client news and FDA approval status, Schaefer knows what is top of mind for her advertisers when they decide to launch campaigns. “She possesses an extensive knowledge of her clientele and has impeccable interpersonal skills,” says Peter Zuckerman, CEO of the Miami-based Z-Media, which provides sales and marketing to national media, focusing on magazines and event sponsorship. “By aligning herself with SELF’s commitment to women’s health, Elisabeth has soared above the norm to relate to what’s happening at SELF and created significant business opportunities for my company.”
Seeds of Success
Schaefer scored a major coup with her multi-platform “Garden of Promise” program for Gardasil, Merck’s cervical cancer vaccine. The initiative enabled consumers to educate themselves about cervical cancer prevention, while designing their own virtual “promise flower” on Self.com. The campaign resonated with consumers—the virtual garden at Self.com now has 2,663 flowers and is still growing. The effort also yielded 13 pages of business for SELF, plus a significant revenue boost for Condé Nast Digital.
Mastering the complicated nuances of the client relationship, Schaefer is a key adviser and resource for all of her marketing partners. One relationship she has carefully cultivated is with GlaxoSmithKline, a regular sponsor of SELF’s annual editorial feature, “America’s Healthiest Cities.” This special alliance between SELF and GSK continues through 2009.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Laura Cosenza, New York Manager/Executive Beauty & Fashion Director, Shape Magazine: Since her start at Shape in 2006, Cosenza has helped changed advertisers’ perception of the magazine from a place for health and wellness to further encompass beauty and fashion. The proof is the magazine’s top advertising category: beauty. Cosenza’s dedication helped Shape double its business with L’Oréal USA in her first year working for the magazine. In 2008, while most other books were down, Shape was able to maintain flat paging.
Bethany Gale, Midwest Sales Director, Every Day with Rachel Ray: Leading the magazine’s advertising across 13 Midwest states, Gale has helped advertisers view Every Day with Rachael Ray as not only a site for food ads, but for lifestyle advertising as well. Her hard work paid off when Target went from advertising only its Archer Farms private food label to adding Target Style, Target Home and Target Health in 2008. As a result of Gale’s leadership in securing both epicurean and lifestyle advertising, the Target account grew 72%.
Meredith Homet, Fashion Sales Development Director, W Magazine: During 2008, when fashion magazines were down a total of 1,395 pages, W only lost eight pages, thanks in part to Homet’s dedication. She helped secure advertising from new high-end clients like Diane Von Furstenberg, Bloomingdales and Burberry Fragrance. One of her biggest successes was with Gucci, with which she worked to conceptualize and sell the magazine’s first-ever single-sponsored “flip issue.” The unit cost $1.3 million and increased Gucci’s year-over-year revenue with W by 46%.
Ed Koehler, Advertising Director, Advertising Specialty Institute: In his six years with Advertising Specialty Institute, Koehler has proven he is a great team player with clients and coworkers. Koehler has worked with and brought into Advertising Specialty Institute clients like Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Nike, bringing his company up 30.36% in revenue. In addition to his sales skills, Koehler can often be found traveling with other sales reps, guiding them with his 25 years of publishing experience.
Deborah Knudsen, Fashion Director/Advertising, Cookie: During her year and a half at Cookie, Deborah Knudsen has worked under the premise that every brand on her list should be in Cookie’s pages. In 2008 Knudsen brought 39 pages of business to Cookie; a third of those pages were from new advertisers. This resulted in a 71% increase in paging and a 140% increase in revenue over 2007. New advertisers include Calvin Klein Performance, Visa, Cole Haan and Seiko.
Helen McGinley, Executive Director, Luxury Product, GQ: It’s clear that clients appreciate McGinley’s hard work, as she has won the New York State Jeweler Association Award for Favorite Advertising Sales Representative for the past two years. New clients include Movado, Jacob & Co., Rado and Omega. For Omega she helped put together a GQ-designed and -executed special section that featured the Omega Black Bond Timepiece as the “hero” and showcased scenes from the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, timed with its release.
Abbe Simmons, Account Manager, Scholastic Corp.: Having spent nine years as a first- and second-grade teacher, computer teacher, site coordinator and curriculum developer, Simmons has a personal investment in education and what Scholastic Parent & Child does. And it shows in her work: Simmons has seen a 200% growth in her business from 2007-2008. A notable client is Johnson & Johnson, with whom she helped create a custom storybook for young children and their parents about the importance of establishing a bedtime routine. Because of its success, Johnson & Johnson will move forward with another program in 2009-2010.
Frank Wall, Los Angeles Advertising Manager, Time: Having started with Time magazine in 2002, Wall moved into his new position in July of 2007 and began to oversee all of Time’s ad clients in the Southern California region. One of his many successes includes a partnership with LensCrafters, which was the first single-issue sponsor for Time’s Style & Design, a brand extension mailed to affluent subscribers several times a year. As part of Time Inc.’s management restructuring in late 2008, Wall now helps oversee L.A.-based advertising for Fortune, Money and Fortune Small Business, and has been a crucial part of the transition.
Back to Best Sellers page
Best Sellers Archives
|
|
