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Brenda White - Vice President, Director of Print investment, Starcom

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Preaching Liquid Content

BRENDA WHITE IS AN EXPERT on everything to do with print. And this year, when ad budgets are on the rise – "great news," says White, Starcom vice president and director of print investment – Starcom’s ACE program is more relevant than ever.

ACE stands for Accountability, Connection and Engagement, which sums up its approach. "Any time we do a magazine plan, we have accountability metrics so we can go back to the client and say ‘here’s what worked, here’s what we recommend doing differently," says White.

The agency buys a brand, not pages. "We preach the concept of liquid content," White says. "We partner with a magazine brand, whether it’s distributed by print, online, TV, radio, events, or sometimes merchandise.

"We start with what is the right brand and way to get the message to the consumer," she notes. "Just because we are the magazine group, doesn’t mean that’s all we do. Wherever the brand lives, that’s where we will go."

White’s group, the print activation experts, often provide the entry point. "If there’s an idea that includes TV and online as well as a local component, we spearhead the idea, get the online and TV experts in the room and make sure we are getting the best deal." Because her team knows its magazine partners and readers, they "are the ones that lead the negotiation, lead the idea-generation," says White.

The concept of liquid content operates based on how consumers use different contacts. They go online for information, but publishers "can’t just put a magazine up there, the way they did years ago," says White, who adds: "Magazines are really catching on. They provide service and value for consumers."

Liquidity of content leads to liquidity of thinking, ideally. "A great partnership...delivers on my objectives. I tell the publisher the objectives, whether we need to change brand perception or drive consumers to a Web site, and they come in with a program that is a natural part of their brand DNA. A great partnership takes the DNA of the client and matches it to the DNA of a magazine brand."

For example, Special K is about New Year’s resolutions and health, says White, and Starcom wanted to extend that partnership with a fitness magazine: Shape. Printed pieces combined with online exposure to spread the message that Special K wanted to help consumers become more fit, backed by custom content and a new spin on advertorials. Events and workout kits tied with a DVD about weight management and fitness programs, and a TV promotion incorporated trusted editors from the magazine.

Asked about the future of magazine brands, White says: "I’m bullish. If they continue to push for measurement, prove that print works, there’s no question there’s a future."

"I was a magazine junkie from an early age...I’m in my dream job. There’s no other job that I can really pour my heart and soul into."

— Brenda White

How to ACE the Plan

WHAT STARCOM and its clients seek in a program is simple: accountability, connectivity and research that proves the program is engaged with consumers. Publishers should know the objectives and be willing to take a risk. Also critical is brand essence. Most people know what a magazine brand stands for, and White says brand extensions should tie back to that. "It’s about really listening to your consumer and evolving with them," she says.

White’s career began in college, with a summer internship at Leo Burnett. But first, she switched her major six times. Getting a taste of the business helped narrow her focus. She worked her way around the agency, trying her hand in a number of departments, and changed her major for good: to communications. She got a job as assistant planner, and when Leo Burnett spawned Starcom in 1997 as its independent media division, she landed in the magazine investment group. "I put my passion for magazines into it, and developed a great group that does some very cool things," she says.

Says Andrew Swinand, president and chief client officer of Starcom Worldwide: "Brenda has been a dedicated print leader for most of her 15-plus-year career. She has done some breakthrough work discovering ways to make engagement-based planning a reality for print media. This led to the creation of a tool, C3, that allows Brenda’s team to accurately predict the result of a print placement across titles, categories, placements and clients. This tool has increased Starcom’s clients print investment by over 6%."

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