Aging Tribune Wonder Ad Kid John T. O'Loughlin wrote an email just before the Sunday publication of the first edition of the new Los Angeles Times Magazine that laid bare the truth: the magazine is explicitly and exactly an ATM for the Tribune.
He announces the sudden and unceremonius departure of Publisher Valarie Anderson, who was only named as head of the new magazine in July.
Next, he says that ad reps are encouraged to share the magazine with advertisers to "get your feedback on any gaps or obstacles you see in closing business." He pleas for more material to fill pages before the next edition closes on Sept. 22. He ends the email with the admonition "Thanks for your help - and good selling."
Other comments and criticism of the vacuous new glossy at LA Observed.
Full email follows
From: O'Loughlin, John
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2008 9:59 AM
To: XXXX
Subject: Magazine debut and staffing change
First issue of LA will debut in our Sunday paper tomorrow. Once you
have had the opportunity to spend some time with it, I hope you agree
that it's a terrific, if not stunning, book and at 144 pages, a vibrant
mix of unique content and an inviting environment for/of advertising.
We are planning on 2 more issues in 2008, with the next one dropping on
Sunday October 5th. In addition we are planning on 13 issues for 2009,
and recognizing we are in the sweet spot for client planning
cycles/RFPs, will have the themed roster, dates, etc to you in the
coming days.
Organizationally, we are also making several changes that you need to
know:
- Valarie Anderson will be leaving to pursue other career opportunities,
effective immediately
- A new publisher will be named as soon as possible and that search is
now underway. In the interim, the Fashion and Magazine sales teams will
report to Lynne Segall until a replacement is named.
- Nora Gervais will take the sales lead for all things related to the
Magazine. I cannot say enough about Nora's leadership and salesmanship,
particularly of late. With her tenacity - and your help - the magazine
will grow and flourish.
Nora, Lynne, Anna, Jamie, Sara, and me will be contacting you directly
in the next few days to ensure you have copies to share with clients,
needed collateral, etc - and to get your feedback on any gaps or
obstacles you see in closing business. I firmly believe having issue in
hand will help the sales process immensely. Nothing succeeds like
success itself - and the first issue is a success.
The immediate challenge: the deadline for space is little more than a
week away, with material due on 9/22. I am appealing to your sense of
teamwork and commitment to winning to help pull out all the stops in
closing pages as we move through this start-up and publisher transition
period.
If you have questions, suggestions, thoughts - please send them to me.
Thanks for your help - and good selling. Best, JTO
Severance Negotiations Conclusion
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Severance Negotiations Conclusion
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8 comments:
Well I'm glad we have some product that is an "ATM for Tribune". God knows the Obama-fest main newspaper isn't drawing many advertisers. Who do you think pays for your salary, Eli Broad?
Ads pay the bills. Too bad the journalists don't care to grow readers which would the attract more ads. Much more fun to point fingers than to actually DO SOMETHING.
Anon 9:43--
journalists get paid to write good stories, not sell ads. In fact, occasionally, journalists have to write stories that knock the stuffing out of a big business that may advertise with a newspaper. if you're in advertising, it's your job to sell the ads.
moreso than ever, i'm guessing midlevel editors across tribune are being pushed to write stories driven by market-research demographics. (let's make as many readers and advertisers as possible "happy.") it's the same demographic/"format" approach that helped make FM radio the cesspool it is today.
If I didn't know better, I'd suspect Karl Rove of posting here.
Publisher Valarie Anderson probably turned in a expense slip for a cheese burger and John T. O'Loughlin being a true Tribune blue guy told her to cut out the cheese next time
I'm not sure why commenters here are blaming journalists for the current predicament, since people are reading our content more now then ever. The business side just can't figure out a way to monetize it.
That all said, I think the magazine is a great idea...these kinds of glossies have made lots of money for the NYT and FT...why not follow suit, as long as it's defendable journalistically? The early concerns about its provinance seem to have been dealt with, particularly since it looks like Russ has wrung it away from the business side of the paper and planted it in the relative safety of the alternate publications group.
We need new ways to generate income, and this may well be one of them. Is there really anything about this magazine to complain about any more? I say good luck to them...
For the record John O'Loughlin has never sold a dime of advertising for the Times or the Tribune. He is one of the most disliked people at the Tribune company...that's why they threw hi out of Chicago.
This is a brutal attempt to cover up his current failures: Hoy and Metromix. Too bad the first issue looked ad healthy and vibrant. O'loughlin wouldn't know an RFP from his own psychho babble.
Publisher Valarie Anderson had a smart idea, magazine experience and executed well, oh yeah that's probably why they drove her out! Anyone that can sell with no marketing or prototype an issue as big as September, obviously doesn't belong at the Times.
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