The Business of Magazines

[dodencebt]

Condé Nast CEO Bob Sauerberg Ousted


Condé Nast chief executive officer Bob Sauerberg is out after nearly 20 years with the publisher.

The company said it is looking outside the company for a ceo with “global experience” and that Jonathan Newhouse is also set to step down from his current role of ceo of Condé Nast International to become chairman. Both will continue in their current roles until a new ceo is found, according to an internal memo from the board, and Sauerberg will even continue to have a seat on the board of Reddit, which is owned by Condé parent Advance Media.

Wolfgang Blau, president of CNI, is also remaining in his position, and the company on the whole is planning, for now, to continue being headquartered in New York and London. The search for a new ceo to lead a newly combined company is expected to take three to six months, but its unclear is anyone has been approached yet. Sauerberg and Newhouse could not be reached for comment.

In the memo, Newhouse noted Sauerberg’s work over the years has included the launch of Conde Nast Entertainment, a digital production studio that just got a new president after a six month search, and said he “helped steer Condé Nast through a time of enormous transformation in his distinguished 18 year career at the company,” which included five Pulitzer Prize wins and

The moves come as a result of the two halves of Condé being combined officially into one entity, but also seem tied to Sauerberg’s inability to get Condé on steady ground over the last few years. Unfortunately for Sauerberg, his eight years as ceo coincided with an extreme period of change for traditional media as digital and social took over reader habits, but Condé was also slow on the uptake — choosing to drastically cut costs by eliminating staff and the operations of many magazines without a clear strategy for overhauling the company into a digital publisher, not the print one it’s been for a century.

wwd.com

 

[dodencebt]

My question is: How is Anna still not affected after all these changes? Everyone is either being fired or is stepping down!

 

[Benn98]

Over at Business of Fashion the headline read somewhat different - that CN is to be unified internationally. Meaning there will be more control over international editions.

I hope that Anna's name is not on any of these shortlists because I'm sorry, her track record as a consultant is awful. But I get the feeling that may well happen. Think of it, that way she can leave Vogue without ever really leaving Vogue. Or, flip the coin and the fact that Sauerberg and Newhouse, her two protectors, would be gone, maybe we'll see a type of renewal similar to what's happening with Emmanuelle Alt. Only, better. Of course.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

I don't think Jonathan has ever been her protector, lol, there been rumors galore he can't stand her, and would have her fired, years ago. But to me the real news here is the fact HE is stepping down from his role, wow.

 

[SLFC]

So much for affordable collecting. They've raised the prices of nearly everything on their store to ridiculous prices like 200 dollars. Some of which used to be just 25. What is going on?

 

[SLFC]

V Magazine did this FYI...

 

[vogue28]

Found this an interesting read on the Vogue Paris website, about how Alt handles each issue, certain castings and diversity... spoken at the Vogue Fashion Festival earlier this month:

On November 10, during the third Vogue Fashion Festival in collaboration with Swarovski, Emmanuelle Alt, editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, Olivier Lalanne, editor-in-chief of Vogue Hommes and deputy editor of Vogue Paris, and Aleksandra Woroniecka, Vogue Paris fashion editor, answered questions at the fashion journalism masterclass at the Hotel Potocki in Paris. Addressing the place of fashion in today’s society, a day in the life of a magazine editor, how to get a job at Vogue Paris and Kim Kardashian, here are the key points from the event.

• The inspiration for each issue of Vogue Paris
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “For each issue, we ask ourselves what we want to say. It could be spontaneous, inspired by a message or a fashion show or an image… It can get difficult to change it up each month, but we try to surprise people. We try to make it so that each issue looks different, if possible.”
  
  The editorial approach
  
  Olivier Lalanne: “Vogue Paris breaks the boundaries between cinema, art and fashion… It’s a sort of factory of cultural disciplines. Vogue plays with Vogue’s own rules. Vogue often mocks everything Vogue, money, the bourgeoisie, the notion of chic…There’s a lot of self-derision… For me, Vogue plays the role of an outsider. It doesn’t always follow trends. We have a magazine with a vision. We hold a special place and an incredible history of more than 100 years.”
  
  How the editorial teams select models
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “We choose the models that best fit the subject matter. It’s an instinct. It’s quite a capricious way of working. Valentina (who graced the cover of Vogue Paris’ March 2017 edition), for example. I found a photo of her in a swimsuit in Brazil, then we invited her to model for us… she had no experience. After we find models that we like, we find women and men that are societal phenomena, someone that people are infatuated with at the time. That was the case for Gigi Hadid. It was interesting to photograph her in the Vogue way.”
  
  
• Vogue Paris and diversity
  
  Olivier Lalanne: “In our current issue we have Ashley Graham representing women who aren’t a size zero. We photograph transgender people, very slim people, others still that are more curvaceous, girls, boys, and people of color. Everyone is represented in Vogue. There’s no censorship.”
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “We were the first to put a transgender model on the cover (in March 2017). It was a valid decision. It was another way of surprising people.”
  
  Femininity in today’s fashion
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “Androgyny is taking over. At the last Martin Margiela show, the girls were dressed as boys and the boys as girls. We’ve left Hollywood stereotypes behind. We need more than a man who is super virile or a woman who is very prim and proper. Hedi Slimane was a precursor of a unique sexuality on the runway. Alessandro Michele also treated gender and sex in another way.”
  
  Mature women and fashion
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “In 2012, we put Daria Werbowry, Stefanie Seymour and Lauren Hutton on the cover. They were all 20 years apart in age and it was a clear message: beauty is not defined by age.”
  
  Olivier Lalanne: “It was also a response to millennials. In fashion, more mature women are often liberated, they’ve had careers. They are the heroines of the youth and they have an interesting buying power for labels.”
  
  
• Vogue and taboos
  
  Olivier Lalanne: “There’s often a discord in what the magazine shows and what the reader perceives. In the 1970s, there was a huge wave of liberation. Some of the photos from then would be shocking now but you have to put them into context. Today, everything is getting more and more delicate. There’s a whole range of subjects that aren’t at all accessible: sexuality, children, death, and questions of race. Now we can’t touch them. We’ve returned to puritanism. We have to be very, very vigilant.”
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “The cursor has moved. Surprising people is good but shocking them isn’t the goal. That’s already been done so well in the past by Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. In the 1970s, every other photograph would have someone smoking in it. Alcohol was glorified in magazines. However, now there’s no problem with nudity and the game has changed. There are societal paradoxes.”
  
  The role of stylists at Vogue Paris
  
  Aleksandra Woroniecka: “The stylist chooses their subject. But above all [editorials] are about teamwork, with the journalist but also with the photographer. The seed of an idea often comes from the stylist, but after that they can’t do it all!”
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “There’s a little artistic direction in the job of a stylist today. It’s important to think of the subject in its totality, not only from a wardrobe point of view, but casting, the type of photo, the choice of photographer… It’s a complete story.”
  
  How to become a fashion journalist
  
  Olivier Lalanne: “Being generally well-educated with a classical formative background and after get into the field: Do internships! Hands-on experience is the best school.”
  
  What’s the best thing about being a Vogue Paris editor?
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “Everything is a surprise. Meeting new people, new castings, addressing topics in a new way. We’re in no way obliged to do the same thing twice and that makes us take risks.”
  
  Olivier Lalanne: “Meeting artists and incredible people. We learn systematically, we go to bed a little less stupid.”
  
  Could Kim Kardashian ever be on the cover of Vogue Paris?
  
  Emmanuelle Alt: “Kim Kardashian could pose for any Vogue cover. Does that make her legitimate? Not really for us up until now. I would never say never. There’s not a more divisive family around. We have to be impulsive with our decisions, if she suddenly makes an incredible film with Lars von Trier, for example, then why not.”

vogue.fr

 

[Srdjan]

^ How hypocritical is she when talking about diversity. Other answers are hilarious too, especially the one about Kim K.

 

[Benn98]

Bollocks! Stop patting yourselves on the back for giving Valentina a cover. They didn't launch her career or even start a conversation with that cover. It was a stunt which failed in more ways than one. Elle Brazil is the one launched and nurtured Valentina and they knew they had to do it systematically in order for the message to stick. That's what happens when you're invested in a cause instead of looking for cheap thrills.

If you want to talk about what's different between society then and now, that would be an interesting angle. Not how puritanical people are nowadays, oh we can't show alcohol, cigarettes, and open legs anymore. That's so French and quite frankly I'm fed up with hearing it. Instead of weeping and wailing, look at ways to adapt yourself and your direction to the current state of affairs. The modern consumer are more concerned about how serious/invested a publication or brand are when they convey a message. It's the reason why magazines who follow a consistent diverse approach for instance are more popular than the ones who dont. Emmanuelle Alt is still from the same school of editors who treat causes like trends and that's why they 'have to be very, very vigilant.' The type who would run one Curvy issue, Black issue, China or Fake Fur issue and instantly revert back to the standard. Those kind of tricks are no longer welcome. Even Carine caught up with it and you can tell from her continued support and depiction of Halima Aden (not a topic I care for personally, nor is it executed perfectly, but her message is as clear as daylight.)

I do believe her when she says they often thrive on derision, and that she's always been a champion for mature women, but that each issue is thematic? I dunno. She'll need to spell it out to me in most cases because as the end consumer that much isn't evident.
VP November 2018 was the most strongest and collectable issue under Alt for me purely because of how cohesive and thematic it was. There are conversations to be had other than sex, drugs, and children.

 

[axiomatic]

nypost.com
Rumors of Anna Wintour’s exit from Condé Nast swirl again
By Alexandra Steigrad and Keith J. Kelly
4-5 minutes
November 27, 2018 | 7:15p

Signs sprouting from the latest Condé Nast shake-up are raising new questions about the future of era-defining mag legend Anna Wintour. NY Post Photo composite

A dramatic shakeup at the top of Condé Nast is reviving speculation that Anna Wintour, the company’s biggest star, could be headed for the exit.

The New York-based publishing giant revealed Tuesday it’s ousting Bob Sauerberg, its chief executive for the past eight years, as it merges its US and overseas operations. With a search now open to replace him with a global chief, Wintour’s position at the company looks more uncertain than ever, insiders said.

“The reality is that the company is at a crossroads,” a well-placed source told The Post. “Whether or not she plays a part in that is being decided now.”

Asked on Tuesday about 69-year-old Wintour, who serves as artistic director and editor-in-chief of Vogue, Steven Newhouse, the co-chairman and president of Advance digital operations, told The Post that it’s in the hands of the new CEO.

“As to any changes, we’re going to wait until a CEO is hired,” Newhouse said.

The company, which is internally referring to itself as the “new Condé Nast,” is melding its US operation that publishes Vanity Fair, the New Yorker and GQ with the London-based office, which supervises monthlies like British GQ and Paris Vogue.

Nevertheless, Wintour’s current position as artistic director of Condé Nast wasn’t extended to reach over international operations, Newhouse confirmed.

He did reaffirm the publishing empire’s commitment to Wintour, who is still widely considered as the most powerful and instantly recognizable editor in the business.

“I spoke with Anna and she feels very strongly this is the right move,” Newhouse said, referring to the company’s new direction. “Condé Nast wants her to remain and so far as I know she wants to remain.”

Through a rep, Wintour confirmed the conversation with Newhouse, affirming that she wants to stay at Conde Nast, and declining to comment further.

Rumors of Wintour’s exit have been circulating since the summer. At the time, Sauerberg sought to swiftly silence them, saying Wintour had “agreed to work with me indefinitely in her role as editor in chief, Vogue and artistic director of Condé Nast.”

But with Sauerberg gone, insiders note that Wintour now faces a possible power struggle with Condé Nast International CEO Jonathan Newhouse, who on Tuesday got elevated to global chairman.

”This should be the nudge [for Wintour to leave],” said a source, who characterized her relationship with Jonathan Newhouse as “not so great.”

The insider cited as an example past tussles over Condé’s fashion site Style.com, which Wintour scrapped because she thought it was stealing Vogue’s thunder. Her idea to replace it with a site called Vogue Runway flopped.

Jonathan Newhouse then revived Style.com as an e-commerce platform, only to see that effort fizzle a few months later after spending $100 million. It was a black eye for Newhouse, who has since made a play to shift the balance of power for Vogue.com to his international division.

Wintour’s track record as artistic director has looked spotty, too. Most recently, she moved to scrap Glamour’s print edition — a longtime cash cow for Condé Nast — after she handpicked Samantha Barry — a social media guru from CNN — to be its new editor-in-chief.

Since Barry’s arrival, Glamour.com has lost 21 percent of its traffic, according to comScore.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Ooooh, pleasee let it be true!!!!!

 

[Benn98]

You can always trust Keith J Kelly for saying it like it is!

Two writers on a story always tells you that it's been researched from two different sides, so yet again I'll buy into this rumour. Yet while I do think she may leave Vogue, I really doubt she'd leave CN entirely. I can see her relishing a position where she's got control over Edward, Alt, Edwina, Angelica, the lot, including the US Vogue editor. It's what I meant when I said leaving Vogue without really leaving Vogue.

Note how they end off that Glamour lost 21% traffic, not print audience. Isn't Barry supposed to come with strong social media chops?

 

[Deleted member 45369]

Must we really post the drivel from the NYPost? “Her idea to scrap Style.com”? Everyone knows Vogue Runway was created in order to free up the Style.com domain for the e-commerce site.

 

[TZ001]

Condé Nast wants her to remain and so far as I know she wants to remain.

 

[Benn98]

Must we really post the drivel from the NYPost? “Her idea to scrap Style.com”? Everyone knows Vogue Runway was created in order to free up the Style.com domain for the e-commerce site.

It's not quite drivel. The last time they were the first ones to start her retirement rumours, which ended up to be true in the end. I'm sure an informant at CN is leaking all this information. Would be extremely far-fetched not to mention random to make up stories like this. I also think Keith and Alexandra are legitimate journalists. It's just a pity they're finding themselves employed by a tacky newspaper like NY Post/PageSix.

 

[MON]

Here we go again. Just like last time. People here and everywhere jumped on in and claimed to have “insider sources”. Spare me. Everytime someone leaves, her name is always dragged along with it. I’m bored.

Also, even if this be true, her detractors should not rejoice. That CEO position is up for grabs. She may leave Vogue, but her influence will be seen way beyond the American edition. She may have the last laugh in all of this.

Lastly, if this be true, I really hope her successor is an American. Its one of my issues with Anna tbh. There are a lot of times when I feel like there’s a disconnect with what real American glamour is. You need someone who gets it. Take for example Nina & Elle, Alt and VP.

 

[dodencebt]

Must we really post the drivel from the NYPost? “Her idea to scrap Style.com”? Everyone knows Vogue Runway was created in order to free up the Style.com domain for the e-commerce site.

Seriously, what a badly researched article. And Vogue Runway is not even a site in itself, it's literally part of vogue.com where they just continued chronicling shows and writing show-related articles.

 

[8eight]

GQ UK is down to 11 issues a year. Jan and Feb are now combined.

 

[octoberchild]

Since no one has bothered to post the Edward/Washington Post profile published this past Sunday, I'll do it. It's here.

It's a great (if over complimentary at times) read. The best parts are Robin Givhan's shade. When she mentions all the rumors about Anna leaving and the statement from Conde Nast saying Anna is there as long as she wants. And Given says 'still'. Hilarious.

And the shade with Givhan likening Anna to making Hollywood blockbusters - we all know the complaint about blockbusters over the past few years is that they're killing more adult fair and creativity in Hollywood. That comparison couldn't be more apt with how Anna is killing all the Conde Nast titles, one by one (and as such the magazine industry).

It's really a great read and has made me even more exciting for Edward's (impending) move across the pond to US Vogue.

 

[Benn98]

Well, I for one can't wait for him to be gone with his superficial updates to our edition and shared covers. As it is the only thing 'British' about the current British Vogue is the title in the O masthead. And the high level staff leaving after one year? No, not a good sign. Unless of course he gave Venetia and her gang a heads up.