The Business of Magazines
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Lola701
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I think we have a very « now » vision of things. In the scales of CN or even the publishing world at this level, a black gay man who comes from middle class and who does not necessary fit the beauty standard of the fashion industry is already strong.
I love the idea of a Black Woman but being at Vogue is also a power play. And Edward has already the rules on lock. Vogue cannot afford to have a Glenda type of EIC. There are talented BW at Vogue but you needs more than talent to make it to the center stage.
2020 was a very divise year overall but I think those questions will be handled with a lot more ease than it has been this year.
CN couldn’t have fired Anna this year because it would have weakened them. Anna fired means that the institution of Vogue Is fragile and can be destroyed by the court of public opinion. Public Opinion can influence the decisions but making it the answer is dangerous but can also be more dangerous for Anna’s successor. Nobody wants to work for a company that does not « protect » at that level. Firing Anna for this controversy is like asking for a president to leave after strikes.
Anna knows the corporate world. She is clever. Everything people can criticize her for has everything to do with her job. She had no controversy linked to her morals that could impact her job.
You see Carine, the Balenciaga controversy, the constant accusations of conflict of interest and the Tom Ford issue made the link between her morals and the job and weakened her position.
And Anna is quick to react. See how in few months she reflected the times on her magazine. It may not be what excites us the most but nobody can blame her. People were almost embarrassed to say that they hated the Lizzo cover but she was photographed by a black photographer and styled by a black man.
caioherrero
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So now Anna is the boss, Edward answers to Anna and Alt to Edward?
Xone
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So basically Edward can ask/demand Alt and Farneti to change the direction of the magazine? The way of styling? The art direction? Everything? Im curious how much he can demand to them.
is it possible that german and spanish Vogue stays only with the current deputy editor and no EIC will be named?
about the friendship of Alt and Edward, let’s remember the “friendship” of Alt and Carine and how it ended. Fashion people can’t be trusted.
is it possible that german and spanish Vogue stays only with the current deputy editor and no EIC will be named?
about the friendship of Alt and Edward, let’s remember the “friendship” of Alt and Carine and how it ended. Fashion people can’t be trusted.
Benn98
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Does he have the power to fire Farneti? That would be first prize, lol.
Seriously, I can see VP getting more diverse under his guidance. She won't like that, but that's definitely going to be on the cards. As for VI, where would one start? Dunno if EE has the sway to persuade Meisel to shoot for them again because VI thriving is now his responsibility as well and it reflects on him. Anna is already doing that with Ethan, who shoot for Vogue, Vanity Fair and I think GQ occasionally.
Seriously, I can see VP getting more diverse under his guidance. She won't like that, but that's definitely going to be on the cards. As for VI, where would one start? Dunno if EE has the sway to persuade Meisel to shoot for them again because VI thriving is now his responsibility as well and it reflects on him. Anna is already doing that with Ethan, who shoot for Vogue, Vanity Fair and I think GQ occasionally.
Xone
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“The new global editors will set the “content strategy, vision and tone” for their publications across regions, in print, online and video, according to a statement from the publisher. Their strategies are expected to see more regional editors-in-chief exit or transition roles as the new structure rolls out in the coming months.”
from BOF
from BOF
MON
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If new positions will be created, I reckon there will be an Editorial Director for Vogue. If so, what a waste to let go of Angelica Cheung! Lord knows how the Asian editions are in dire need of guidance (ahem Vogue HK, India, Singapore, Thailand +++).
I'm assuming this is the case since Edward's appointment is regional based as compared to Amy and Will's global appointments.
I'm assuming this is the case since Edward's appointment is regional based as compared to Amy and Will's global appointments.
mikel
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So Christiane Arp and Eugenia de la Torriente didn’t want to work under Edward Enninful?
Benn98
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Which opens an entirely different conversation.
One of them will go rogue and sing like a canary. We won't have to wait too long, lol.
Flamingjune
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Article from BOF
What Anna Wintour’s Big Promotion Means for Condé Nast
7-9 minutes
Condé Nast is closing off a headline-grabbing year of cultural turmoil and financial crisis with an editorial overhaul, signalling a strategic consolidation kicked off by the merger of its US and international divisions last year is only just beginning.
Under the company’s new structure, its largest titles will be streamlined under a group of global editors, marking a break from its historic structure where local fiefdoms that battled it out for content and advertising spend.
The strategy is intended to strengthen the company’s access and advertising leverage globally, as it scrambles to compete in an increasingly challenging market and evolve past its glossy heyday of excess and elitism.
The priority is profitability, which global chief executive Roger Lynch told the Financial Times last month is a goal set for 2022. Condé Nast, like many media companies, faced deep financial challenges during the pandemic, exacerbating losses from previous years as it weans itself off print advertising, its primary and shrinking revenue source.
In recent years, the publisher has cut costs as it invests in digital and video, including from the top of its mastheads. Editors are now more likely to have multiple roles across titles, and most of the celebrity editors from Condé Nast’s glitziest era have left. The publications have also started to share more editorial content, which can be costly to produce and can, depending on the talent involved, have global appeal.
One constant is Anna Wintour. Under the new organisation, the American Vogue editor will become even more powerful overseeing all content at the company except The New Yorker. She will also set the strategy for Vogue as its global editorial director.
The appointment comes after a year of speculation over Wintour’s future after a very public cultural and racial reckoning at the company this year resurfaced long-standing rumours her job was on the line. Meanwhile, other longstanding editors and executives left the company this year.
But Wintour has consistently enjoyed the backing of the publisher’s leadership and is thought to hold onto advertising relationships that the company cannot afford to lose.
“Anna’s appointment represents a pivotal moment for Condé Nast as her ability to stay ahead in connecting with new audiences, while cultivating and mentoring some of today’s brightest talent in the industry, has made her one of media’s most distinguished executives,” said Lynch in the statement announcing her promotion and the new content strategy.
While Wintour is synonymous with Condé Nast’s past golden era, she also ushered in a new generation of editors in recent years. When she was appointed to lead content at the publisher’s US division in 2013, she installed a generation of new editors at Self, Teen Vogue and Glamour (which have since shut down their print editions), Lucky (which closed after a joint venture meant to turn it into an e-commerce business), Vanity Fair, GQ and Architectural Digest.
Other executives to score a promotion on Tuesday include British Vogue editor Edward Enninful, who was named European editorial director. He takes over the magazine’s editorial operations in its owned and operated regions — France, Germany, Spain and Italy — clarifying the future of the publication in those markets following the exit of the editors-in-chief for Germany and Spain last week.
Enninful, British Vogue’s first Black editor and a celebrity in his own right, is one of the most celebrated editors within the company for his work at the title since 2017, where he champions diversity and is shaking up the visual approach. He is also seen as Wintour’s most likely successor.
Elsewhere, GQ, Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveler have all been consolidated under one global head. Wintour’s right hand in the US, long-time Vogue director Christiane Mack, was named chief content operations officer.
Though Vogue, GQ, Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveler are the first Condé Nast publications to be unified under this new content structure, there is a similar plan for the rest of the magazines coming in 2021. Condé Nast owns and operates its publications in the US, France, Spain, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Latin America, Taiwan and UK, and operates its titles in China through a joint venture. (The rest of its international editions are operated as licenses with local publishers, and are not impacted by this new structure.)
Most but not all of the newly-elevated global leaders are based in the US, as the publisher cements more power in America following last year’s merger.
Wintour is still looking for a new editor for Vogue China, a key market for the publisher, following the exit of longstanding editor-in-chief Angelica Cheung in November.
But the US-centred shift raises questions about how the publisher plans to produce relevant coverage in local markets where trends and politics shift widely.
It’s a challenge for the publisher; creating content that resonates more with readers than advertisers is key to Condé Nast’s future. Lynch, who was hired after the merger to set a new path to profitability that did not rely on print advertising, has sought increased consumer revenue through subscriptions, events and other products. Lynch told The Wall Street Journalthat print ads now represent less than half of the publisher’s revenue.
The new global editors will set the “content strategy, vision and tone” for their publications across regions, in print, online and video, according to a statement from the publisher. Their strategies are expected to see more regional editors-in-chief exit or transition roles as the new structure rolls out in the coming months.
At Architectural Digest, American editor-in-chief Amy Astley got the global role. She has worked for Wintour since 1993, and launched and led Teen Vogue until 2016. Architectural Digest Germany’s editor-in-chief Oliver Jahn was named deputy global editor.
At GQ, American editor-in-chief Will Welch, who has shifted the idea of masculinity in the magazine’s coverage, is the global editorial director and Adam Baidawi, the editor of GQ Middle East, is the deputy.
At Condé Nast Traveler, the editor-in-chief in India since its launch in 2010, Divia Thani, was named to the global role. Jesse Ashlock, the editor of the American edition, will be her deputy.
Vanity Fair, which has fewer global editions, was not given a head editor. Vanity Fair Italia’s Simone Marchetti, who has expanded the scope of the weekly magazine during the pandemic, has been appointed to oversee the European editions of the title in France and Spain as well as Italy. Vanity Fair’s American and British editions will remain under editor-in-chief Radhika Jones.
The editorial unification mirrors a similar strategy coming to fruition on the commercial side of the publisher, specifically in the European region where former Condé Nast Spain chief executive Natalia Gamero del Castillo was promoted to managing director of Europe in December. The news was followed by the exit of Fedele Usai, managing director of Italy.
Gamero del Castillo’s appointment came after the exit of Condé Nast’s chief operating officer Wolfgang Blau, its last remaining senior executive not based in the New York headquarters.
“As we look to the future of Condé Nast, we will use the unmatched combination of our global reach and local knowledge and identity of our titles to tell the most important, inclusive and inspiring stories of our time,” said Wintour in a statement.
What Anna Wintour’s Big Promotion Means for Condé Nast
7-9 minutes
Condé Nast is closing off a headline-grabbing year of cultural turmoil and financial crisis with an editorial overhaul, signalling a strategic consolidation kicked off by the merger of its US and international divisions last year is only just beginning.
Under the company’s new structure, its largest titles will be streamlined under a group of global editors, marking a break from its historic structure where local fiefdoms that battled it out for content and advertising spend.
The strategy is intended to strengthen the company’s access and advertising leverage globally, as it scrambles to compete in an increasingly challenging market and evolve past its glossy heyday of excess and elitism.
The priority is profitability, which global chief executive Roger Lynch told the Financial Times last month is a goal set for 2022. Condé Nast, like many media companies, faced deep financial challenges during the pandemic, exacerbating losses from previous years as it weans itself off print advertising, its primary and shrinking revenue source.
In recent years, the publisher has cut costs as it invests in digital and video, including from the top of its mastheads. Editors are now more likely to have multiple roles across titles, and most of the celebrity editors from Condé Nast’s glitziest era have left. The publications have also started to share more editorial content, which can be costly to produce and can, depending on the talent involved, have global appeal.
One constant is Anna Wintour. Under the new organisation, the American Vogue editor will become even more powerful overseeing all content at the company except The New Yorker. She will also set the strategy for Vogue as its global editorial director.
The appointment comes after a year of speculation over Wintour’s future after a very public cultural and racial reckoning at the company this year resurfaced long-standing rumours her job was on the line. Meanwhile, other longstanding editors and executives left the company this year.
But Wintour has consistently enjoyed the backing of the publisher’s leadership and is thought to hold onto advertising relationships that the company cannot afford to lose.
“Anna’s appointment represents a pivotal moment for Condé Nast as her ability to stay ahead in connecting with new audiences, while cultivating and mentoring some of today’s brightest talent in the industry, has made her one of media’s most distinguished executives,” said Lynch in the statement announcing her promotion and the new content strategy.
While Wintour is synonymous with Condé Nast’s past golden era, she also ushered in a new generation of editors in recent years. When she was appointed to lead content at the publisher’s US division in 2013, she installed a generation of new editors at Self, Teen Vogue and Glamour (which have since shut down their print editions), Lucky (which closed after a joint venture meant to turn it into an e-commerce business), Vanity Fair, GQ and Architectural Digest.
Other executives to score a promotion on Tuesday include British Vogue editor Edward Enninful, who was named European editorial director. He takes over the magazine’s editorial operations in its owned and operated regions — France, Germany, Spain and Italy — clarifying the future of the publication in those markets following the exit of the editors-in-chief for Germany and Spain last week.
Enninful, British Vogue’s first Black editor and a celebrity in his own right, is one of the most celebrated editors within the company for his work at the title since 2017, where he champions diversity and is shaking up the visual approach. He is also seen as Wintour’s most likely successor.
Elsewhere, GQ, Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveler have all been consolidated under one global head. Wintour’s right hand in the US, long-time Vogue director Christiane Mack, was named chief content operations officer.
Though Vogue, GQ, Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveler are the first Condé Nast publications to be unified under this new content structure, there is a similar plan for the rest of the magazines coming in 2021. Condé Nast owns and operates its publications in the US, France, Spain, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Latin America, Taiwan and UK, and operates its titles in China through a joint venture. (The rest of its international editions are operated as licenses with local publishers, and are not impacted by this new structure.)
Most but not all of the newly-elevated global leaders are based in the US, as the publisher cements more power in America following last year’s merger.
Wintour is still looking for a new editor for Vogue China, a key market for the publisher, following the exit of longstanding editor-in-chief Angelica Cheung in November.
But the US-centred shift raises questions about how the publisher plans to produce relevant coverage in local markets where trends and politics shift widely.
It’s a challenge for the publisher; creating content that resonates more with readers than advertisers is key to Condé Nast’s future. Lynch, who was hired after the merger to set a new path to profitability that did not rely on print advertising, has sought increased consumer revenue through subscriptions, events and other products. Lynch told The Wall Street Journalthat print ads now represent less than half of the publisher’s revenue.
The new global editors will set the “content strategy, vision and tone” for their publications across regions, in print, online and video, according to a statement from the publisher. Their strategies are expected to see more regional editors-in-chief exit or transition roles as the new structure rolls out in the coming months.
At Architectural Digest, American editor-in-chief Amy Astley got the global role. She has worked for Wintour since 1993, and launched and led Teen Vogue until 2016. Architectural Digest Germany’s editor-in-chief Oliver Jahn was named deputy global editor.
At GQ, American editor-in-chief Will Welch, who has shifted the idea of masculinity in the magazine’s coverage, is the global editorial director and Adam Baidawi, the editor of GQ Middle East, is the deputy.
At Condé Nast Traveler, the editor-in-chief in India since its launch in 2010, Divia Thani, was named to the global role. Jesse Ashlock, the editor of the American edition, will be her deputy.
Vanity Fair, which has fewer global editions, was not given a head editor. Vanity Fair Italia’s Simone Marchetti, who has expanded the scope of the weekly magazine during the pandemic, has been appointed to oversee the European editions of the title in France and Spain as well as Italy. Vanity Fair’s American and British editions will remain under editor-in-chief Radhika Jones.
The editorial unification mirrors a similar strategy coming to fruition on the commercial side of the publisher, specifically in the European region where former Condé Nast Spain chief executive Natalia Gamero del Castillo was promoted to managing director of Europe in December. The news was followed by the exit of Fedele Usai, managing director of Italy.
Gamero del Castillo’s appointment came after the exit of Condé Nast’s chief operating officer Wolfgang Blau, its last remaining senior executive not based in the New York headquarters.
“As we look to the future of Condé Nast, we will use the unmatched combination of our global reach and local knowledge and identity of our titles to tell the most important, inclusive and inspiring stories of our time,” said Wintour in a statement.
THD96
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Do you mind to go into details about the Carine situations? What happened? Thank you.
Is this the reason why Carine no longer relevant in the Paris fashion scene. I feel like after VP she lost her power of influence. No new designers or models have been success under her CRFB magazine.
Lola701
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^^
Carine was, as we know for a longtime the stylist for Tom Ford. Normally, those activities should stop once you are the EIC of a magazine. We can say that she did not always respected that guideline...
The whole VP team was banned by Balenciaga after rumors of Carine sending a sample piece to MaxMara (brands she consulted for despite being an EIC again) and the whole Tom Ford issue of VP was very controversial as a whole.
Carine is not « relevant » simply because she decided to distance herself from the Parisian scene when she left Vogue. But she is still a relevant figure in fashion and that’s what matters. We wouldn’t have the Gigi, Bella and the whole clique if it wasn’t for Carine believing in them and casting her in her big projects. The same for Joan or even Victoria Secrets Girls.
Her magazine is a mess but she still matter. Vogue is a powerhouse. It’s the pairing of two powerhouses that makes an explosive thing. It’s very difficult to have the same impact without the force that is Vogue...
Carine was, as we know for a longtime the stylist for Tom Ford. Normally, those activities should stop once you are the EIC of a magazine. We can say that she did not always respected that guideline...
The whole VP team was banned by Balenciaga after rumors of Carine sending a sample piece to MaxMara (brands she consulted for despite being an EIC again) and the whole Tom Ford issue of VP was very controversial as a whole.
Carine is not « relevant » simply because she decided to distance herself from the Parisian scene when she left Vogue. But she is still a relevant figure in fashion and that’s what matters. We wouldn’t have the Gigi, Bella and the whole clique if it wasn’t for Carine believing in them and casting her in her big projects. The same for Joan or even Victoria Secrets Girls.
Her magazine is a mess but she still matter. Vogue is a powerhouse. It’s the pairing of two powerhouses that makes an explosive thing. It’s very difficult to have the same impact without the force that is Vogue...
tigerrouge
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So major Vogues in Europe could end up being vehicles for the production of generic cover stories with the greater aim of gaining online traction, as opposed to creating a product with a nuanced understanding of its particular readership from first page to last.
At least I'll only need to buy one edition if that's the way it goes.
At least I'll only need to buy one edition if that's the way it goes.
Serend1pity
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We have Carine to blame for the entire growth of instamodels. She was really ahead of the curve
Fiercification
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Not being funny or anything, but I need to see receipts for this, given the size of your average US Vogue issue for the last two years. If anything this should be re-worded to:
'has not been able to hold onto advertising relationships that the company could not afford to lose'
Or perhaps US Vogue would be a mere 10 pages every month without these so-called "connections". It's heading that way.
I know they are two different markets, but comparing the boost of advertising Edward has given UK Vogue vs. Anna's current print legacy is actually embarrassing. How the tides have turned over the years!
Starry
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This new structure will definitely cause more personnel changes in the company for sure. Like the BoF article states, maybe more regional editors will leave soon.
On another note, I can see more sharing content/reprint coming next year. Something Bazaar or Elle have been doing for years. Well, Edward has already been practicing this strategy ahead of the company strategy, lol
On another note, I can see more sharing content/reprint coming next year. Something Bazaar or Elle have been doing for years. Well, Edward has already been practicing this strategy ahead of the company strategy, lol
KoV
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I mean, I got my new issue of UK Vogue in the mail today and it's what, 200 pages? Undeniably that's more thicc than all but the March and September issues of US Vogue these days, but it's hardly a tome. Pages and pages of cheapo adverts in the back. And the issue itself is discounted with a sticker on the cover advertising that it's £2. They're basically giving them away, whereas US Vogue, though slim, still commands $8 or $10 on the newsstand and is never discounted. So right away I'd say CN is taking a substantial hit on those issues of UK Vogue because they're desperate to sell as many as possible, because they're relying more or less entirely on the print advertising.
US Vogue still has more print advertising than most American magazines. GQ, Esquire, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, etc. etc. all these magazines I get are regularly hovering around 100 pages (often less) per month. So yeah, 125-150 pages for US Vogue isn't good, but it actually is notably thicker than many other American magazines. Meanwhile, I log onto Instagram, YouTube, or even Tiktok and I'm seeing US Vogue content with super high engagement, sometimes tens of millions of views, digital advertising exclusives with brands like Gucci and Burberry. Brands are still working with US Vogue, it's just increasingly digital. And that seems to be the direction most will be forced, and one that seems more sustainable for the immediate future. Take US Vogue's youtube channel as an example. Close to 9 million subscribers, a couple BILLION views on their videos, tens of millions per month. Not even counting specific brand sponsorships, I'd say they probably make 3 million just off their cut of the youtube-placed ads. Then you get into their sponsored content, website ads, instagram ads, etc. I'm not an expert, but US Vogue is definitely pulling in millions and millions in online advertising, and probably still command top dollar (more than UK Vogue) for print ads, too. UK Vogue probably makes in a month what US Vogue does in a day, in terms of online revenue. That's increasingly where advertisers are putting their budgets.
I love print magazines, and I will be upset if/when they stop printing magazines, at least on a monthly basis. However, I cannot pretend, looking forward to 2021 and beyond, that focusing on print ads (and then having to greatly discount your magazine to move them so you can maintain your numbers to keep the print advertisers coming back) is best business practice.
caioherrero
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An advertising page in American vogue is much more expensive than in English
Benn98
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Trust me, I was just as baffled at when someone posted an article sometime this year stating that of all CN's global markets, the US is still their top earner. My guess is that the chunk of UK Vogue's revenue still comes from the magazine. They've only recently focused on pushing more Youtube content, but even their Instagram was never really an area where they did much advertising. The biggest mindfck for me is China, who at some stage used to publish 1 to 2 supplements per month and as we speak they don't print issues less than 250 pages. Pandemic or not. Add to that the digital reach through platforms such as Weibo etc, the brand events, the special editions. You could say it's the currency exchange, but still, something is desperately wrong here.
I will say that when it comes to Vanity Fair, the US edition would probably not be alive right now if it weren't for the UK edition. No two ways about that.
