The Canadian Society of Magazine Editors held another successful mixer on February 24th.
The Canadian Society of Magazine Editors hosted its first mixer of the year on Wednesday, February 24 at Bar Italia in Toronto. The panel of editors on hand to discuss the night’s topic – Multi-Media, One Brand – included Homemakers editor-in-chief Kathy Ullyott, Homemakers web editor Jennifer Melo, The Hockey News web editor Edward Fraser and Today’s Parent deputy editor Jackie Kovacs.
So how can editors juggle multiple platforms while maintaining one consistent brand? Start with a mission statement, said Kovacs. “Print it, frame it, know it, share it,” she said. A copy of her magazine’s mandate hangs above her desk.
She also suggested that magazines treat their websites like their Quebec: “It’s part of the same brand but it’s separate and distinct.”
Kovacs recommended creating custom content and topical news conversations to keep readers engaged on the site.
Ullyott agreed: “A website is not a slush pile for things that didn’t have a place in the magazine. We’re trying to develop content for our print application and our web application that meet both needs while still speaking to the Homemakers brand.”
It’s also a place where editors can cover time-sensitive news topics that can’t be addressed in a magazine with long lead times.
Partnerships are how The Hockey News builds brand awareness. It shares its content with ESPN, Fox News, Sporting News and Metro newspapers to grow its readership. “Instead of keeping everything in a silo, we decided to spread out as much as we could,” said Fraser.
What’s next in brand building? Customization is the key, said Fraser. “Readers want information that is pertinent to them.”
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