Carol Campbell Boggs is heading up a new initiative to develop proprietary events that earn their own revenue at Meredith Publishing Group, the second-largest magazine publisher in the country.
Carol Campbell Boggs
Meredith Publishing Group
Title: Director of Event and Sponsorship Sales
What She Does: Before Campbell Boggs was promoted in March, she was director of strategic alliances for More magazine. She was responsible for generating sponsorship revenue for the More Marathon and the More/Wilhelmina 40+ Model Search, which operated as business entities separate from the magazine. In her new role she is leading an effort to identify and develop events for Meredith's 20 magazines that can bring in significant sponsorship dollars.
Currently Working On: Ladies' Home Journal's wedding vow renewal event, American Baby's casting call, and the More
Staff: "Three full-time people—including me—plus several freelance salespeople on commission."events.
Career Path: Campbell Boggs graduated from Drew University with a BA in psychology, and began her career as an assistant media planner at Korey Kay & Partners. She was an account executive at Wells Rich Greene and an account supervisor at Grey Healthcare before moving to publishing. She worked at Condé Nast Publications and Hearst Magazines before joining Meredith as publisher of More magazine. After three years, she took on her strategic alliances position in 2004.
Age: 43
Where She Lives: Central Park South
Where She Grew Up: Plandome, New York
Biggest Job Challenge: "Most publishing companies' number-one goal is to generate ad pages. Sponsorship sales is different. It's about generating a separate revenue stream from clients who might or might not be placing paging schedules in the Meredith titles. It's an education process as to how we structure our target accounts—from those where we leverage big paging schedules, to those that are paging and sponsorship dollars, to those that are pure sponsorship dollars and might be off the paging radar totally."
Her Other News: In May, she married TV host Bill Boggs.
Favorite Hors d'oeuvre: Shrimp cocktail
Favorite Band: Depeche Mode
After your success at More, Meredith created this new position for you to build stand-alone events related to its different magazines. Why has the company made this such a big priority?
I think the company is really on the cutting edge. Many people are looking for new revenue streams, and this is something that proved quite successful at More. Most magazine events are traditionally used purely to leverage ad pages, and what's happening—what we did—is to look at these events as multimedia marketing opportunities. We broke them off at More and structured them to leverage substantial sponsorship dollars. We wanted to be sure the events included key multimedia elements.
Not only do they need to generate lots of PR and press, but [they also need to] put sponsors beyond just getting buzz, in that they get guaranteed exposure. So not only do we promote the events in the magazine, online, through direct mail, and via retail partnerships that we might have, but we also include network syndicated TV. We produce and syndicate a show that sponsors get guaranteed content in.
Are other publishing companies following your lead?
I don't know. This is something that in some ways is strangely simple. This is a slightly different sales process. You need to be calling on new people—PR directors, sponsorship directors, brand managers—as well as the traditional media decision makers that most ad sellers focus on. I don't see other people doing that as much.
You developed two stand-alone events related to More. What was the key to the success of those events?
With the More Marathon, it was making the decision that it was going to be broken off as a separate revenue stream, and that we didn't require that [sponsors] advertise in the magazine. Because we were tapping into [customers'] separate budgets—PR and different areas—it was also tapping into a new revenue stream. And many of the top-tier sponsors were not advertisers. But they felt this was a true multimedia opportunity for them to tap into an audience that was important to them. The model search was an event that had been around for a while, so we faced challenges in educating people that it was [becoming] bigger and better. We added a TV element where sponsors get guaranteed content. Bobbi Brown cosmetics came on board, as did Restylane.
The one big thing is, the events need to spring out of the specific magazine's DNA. It goes back to, "What do the editors know about the reader that's going to create an event?"
How much money are these events making?
I'm not able to talk specific revenue, although some of the events we are selling are making money—the shows to date are budgeted in individual magazine marketing budgets. Sponsorship revenue is above and beyond that.
How will you identify which events can make money on their own?
It's a matter of talking to the editors and publishers at different titles, and determining which events currently exist, which have the potential to have viable TV specials, and then support the guaranteed TV element. When I first started, one event that really came out was Ladies' Home Journal's wedding vow renewal event, which is coming up in October in Jamaica. Ladies' Home Journal really owns weddings—they have a signature column called "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" And they want to break the world record of couples renewing vows at one time. Here was an event being used as added value, and the decision was made to add a nationally syndicated show, filmed at the event where we're talking to the couples. And within that piece of TV, we'll integrate appropriate sponsor content. NutriSystem is a confirmed sponsor, and now they're beginning to advertise, as well. It's complementary. There'll be a nationally syndicated show; it'll be featured in the magazine; Sandals in Jamaica is cross-promoting it. It's an integrated approach.
Do you think all events can be moneymakers?
No, I don't. Events have to have a certain scope, and certainly a multimedia element and a certain basic structure. Not every event is going to be leveraged for dollars; many should be leveraged to increase page sales.
How do you find appropriate sponsors?
With a magazine-driven event, which is unique, we look at who are the magazine's best advertisers? Right there you have someone predisposed to like the magazine, and so [we think] how can we structure a package for them? Also, who is sponsoring like events? They might not be advertisers, but they might be interested. And it all goes back to communication with magazine management and understanding the targeting process.
How do you deliver their return on investment?
We deliver complete follow-up reports. We guarantee specific things like the size of a logo, how often it appears, and custom activities to bring the sponsorship to life. It's, "Here's the skeleton of the program, and let's have a brainstorming meeting about what you're really looking for." We measure the total reach
and value of each program element to ensure that sponsorship dollars are easily translated to a total value that far exceeds the fee.
Do sponsors have realistic goals?
It's to our benefit to be as creative as we can be, and not just follow a template. In the case of the More Marathon, we had a lower-level sponsor, a fitness video company, and they got X-sized logo [placement] and signage. We suggested that they have celebrity fitness person come to a prerace expo and run exercise classes.
Meredith just purchased a handful of titles from Gruner & Jahr. How will they fit in with or change what you are already doing?
I don't know yet. Certainly there's huge upside potential. The key thing now is the reach of Meredith—the company will reach 135 million women across all age groups, and that's a big deal. That positioning is going to be a key sales point. It's a huge opportunity.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
Posted 07.13.05
Photo: Arlene Sandler/Lensgirl for BiZBash
This story originally appeared in the August/September 2005 issue of the BiZBash Event Style Reporter.
Carol Campbell Boggs
Meredith Publishing Group
Title: Director of Event and Sponsorship Sales
What She Does: Before Campbell Boggs was promoted in March, she was director of strategic alliances for More magazine. She was responsible for generating sponsorship revenue for the More Marathon and the More/Wilhelmina 40+ Model Search, which operated as business entities separate from the magazine. In her new role she is leading an effort to identify and develop events for Meredith's 20 magazines that can bring in significant sponsorship dollars.
Currently Working On: Ladies' Home Journal's wedding vow renewal event, American Baby's casting call, and the More
Staff: "Three full-time people—including me—plus several freelance salespeople on commission."events.
Career Path: Campbell Boggs graduated from Drew University with a BA in psychology, and began her career as an assistant media planner at Korey Kay & Partners. She was an account executive at Wells Rich Greene and an account supervisor at Grey Healthcare before moving to publishing. She worked at Condé Nast Publications and Hearst Magazines before joining Meredith as publisher of More magazine. After three years, she took on her strategic alliances position in 2004.
Age: 43
Where She Lives: Central Park South
Where She Grew Up: Plandome, New York
Biggest Job Challenge: "Most publishing companies' number-one goal is to generate ad pages. Sponsorship sales is different. It's about generating a separate revenue stream from clients who might or might not be placing paging schedules in the Meredith titles. It's an education process as to how we structure our target accounts—from those where we leverage big paging schedules, to those that are paging and sponsorship dollars, to those that are pure sponsorship dollars and might be off the paging radar totally."
Her Other News: In May, she married TV host Bill Boggs.
Favorite Hors d'oeuvre: Shrimp cocktail
Favorite Band: Depeche Mode
After your success at More, Meredith created this new position for you to build stand-alone events related to its different magazines. Why has the company made this such a big priority?
I think the company is really on the cutting edge. Many people are looking for new revenue streams, and this is something that proved quite successful at More. Most magazine events are traditionally used purely to leverage ad pages, and what's happening—what we did—is to look at these events as multimedia marketing opportunities. We broke them off at More and structured them to leverage substantial sponsorship dollars. We wanted to be sure the events included key multimedia elements.
Not only do they need to generate lots of PR and press, but [they also need to] put sponsors beyond just getting buzz, in that they get guaranteed exposure. So not only do we promote the events in the magazine, online, through direct mail, and via retail partnerships that we might have, but we also include network syndicated TV. We produce and syndicate a show that sponsors get guaranteed content in.
Are other publishing companies following your lead?
I don't know. This is something that in some ways is strangely simple. This is a slightly different sales process. You need to be calling on new people—PR directors, sponsorship directors, brand managers—as well as the traditional media decision makers that most ad sellers focus on. I don't see other people doing that as much.
You developed two stand-alone events related to More. What was the key to the success of those events?
With the More Marathon, it was making the decision that it was going to be broken off as a separate revenue stream, and that we didn't require that [sponsors] advertise in the magazine. Because we were tapping into [customers'] separate budgets—PR and different areas—it was also tapping into a new revenue stream. And many of the top-tier sponsors were not advertisers. But they felt this was a true multimedia opportunity for them to tap into an audience that was important to them. The model search was an event that had been around for a while, so we faced challenges in educating people that it was [becoming] bigger and better. We added a TV element where sponsors get guaranteed content. Bobbi Brown cosmetics came on board, as did Restylane.
The one big thing is, the events need to spring out of the specific magazine's DNA. It goes back to, "What do the editors know about the reader that's going to create an event?"
How much money are these events making?
I'm not able to talk specific revenue, although some of the events we are selling are making money—the shows to date are budgeted in individual magazine marketing budgets. Sponsorship revenue is above and beyond that.
How will you identify which events can make money on their own?
It's a matter of talking to the editors and publishers at different titles, and determining which events currently exist, which have the potential to have viable TV specials, and then support the guaranteed TV element. When I first started, one event that really came out was Ladies' Home Journal's wedding vow renewal event, which is coming up in October in Jamaica. Ladies' Home Journal really owns weddings—they have a signature column called "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" And they want to break the world record of couples renewing vows at one time. Here was an event being used as added value, and the decision was made to add a nationally syndicated show, filmed at the event where we're talking to the couples. And within that piece of TV, we'll integrate appropriate sponsor content. NutriSystem is a confirmed sponsor, and now they're beginning to advertise, as well. It's complementary. There'll be a nationally syndicated show; it'll be featured in the magazine; Sandals in Jamaica is cross-promoting it. It's an integrated approach.
Do you think all events can be moneymakers?
No, I don't. Events have to have a certain scope, and certainly a multimedia element and a certain basic structure. Not every event is going to be leveraged for dollars; many should be leveraged to increase page sales.
How do you find appropriate sponsors?
With a magazine-driven event, which is unique, we look at who are the magazine's best advertisers? Right there you have someone predisposed to like the magazine, and so [we think] how can we structure a package for them? Also, who is sponsoring like events? They might not be advertisers, but they might be interested. And it all goes back to communication with magazine management and understanding the targeting process.
How do you deliver their return on investment?
We deliver complete follow-up reports. We guarantee specific things like the size of a logo, how often it appears, and custom activities to bring the sponsorship to life. It's, "Here's the skeleton of the program, and let's have a brainstorming meeting about what you're really looking for." We measure the total reach
and value of each program element to ensure that sponsorship dollars are easily translated to a total value that far exceeds the fee.
Do sponsors have realistic goals?
It's to our benefit to be as creative as we can be, and not just follow a template. In the case of the More Marathon, we had a lower-level sponsor, a fitness video company, and they got X-sized logo [placement] and signage. We suggested that they have celebrity fitness person come to a prerace expo and run exercise classes.
Meredith just purchased a handful of titles from Gruner & Jahr. How will they fit in with or change what you are already doing?
I don't know yet. Certainly there's huge upside potential. The key thing now is the reach of Meredith—the company will reach 135 million women across all age groups, and that's a big deal. That positioning is going to be a key sales point. It's a huge opportunity.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
Posted 07.13.05
Photo: Arlene Sandler/Lensgirl for BiZBash
This story originally appeared in the August/September 2005 issue of the BiZBash Event Style Reporter.
