Late last month, less than four days into my role as Marketing’s editor-in-chief, I found myself centre stage at the 2007 Marketing Awards, presenting the evening’s most coveted prize, Best of Show. As everyone in the marketing, advertising and media communities surely knows by now, that prize was deservedly won by the O&M creative team responsible for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund’s landmark “Evolution” spot.
That 30-second gem speaks silently but eloquently of our perception, and misperception, of beauty. It also, of course, evokes the power of change. So, the irony wasn’t lost on me that, as I was chosen to honour one “Evolution,” I’d concurrently been handed the reins of another. The transformation of Marketing into the magazine you’re currently holding has been in the works for months. The mandate, as our pre-evolution campaign decreed, was to “rethink everything.” And, yes, everything was rethought. But not everything changed. Marketing has been ably serving its constituency for 99 years, steadily keeping pace with the ever-shifting marketplace. Obviously, given a near-century of excellence, we’re doing a lot of things right.
But there’s always room for improvement. What, specifically, is new and different? As is most immediately apparent, the size. Since the majority of our readers aren’t the type to remain contentedly deskbound, we figured it made sense to reduce our page size and create a Marketing that could be more easily digested while in transit, or at the gym or during an intercontinental flight. Also, since we report on industries that specialize in sophisticated imagery, we felt it logical to add more photos, illustrations and original artwork. In terms of the content, we’ve added some new columns, re-imagined most of the departments and refocused our features around our three editorial pillars-marketer, agency and media.
But the key message, one our change in size should help reinforce, is that Marketing is a magazine, not a newspaper. Our award-winning website, marketingmag.ca, delivers the news; Marketing magazine provides the interpretation. To do so, we need strong voices internally-our sterling staff writers and editors, plus our string of correspondents across the country-and externally. That’s where you come in. Marketing is in an enviable position. Our core audience-readers like you-represents many of the best and brightest minds in the country; the trendsetters who tell Canadians from coast to coast what to buy, eat, wear, do and ofttimes even think. So, you’re vital to what we at Marketing do, and we want to hear from you. Not just your letters (though we’re happy to publish those), but also your ideas for stories that need to be told (and, if you’re game, are written by you), topics that should be covered and themes worth exploring. So, like the good marketers we are, we’re putting forth a simple call to action. E-mail me at christopher.loudon@marketingmag.rogers.com. Or call me at 416-764-1603. Or, better yet, invite us over. Wherever you are, we’ll be there. Keep the dialogue open. Keep the ideas flowing. And we, in turn, will continue to adapt and fine-tune. Remember, it’s not a revolution. It’s evolution.
