Did COVID-19 Kill Middlebury Magazine?
No, but it delivered a hell of a jolt to the publication, sidelining it for three years, during which time, I and my colleagues took the opportunity to rethink—and potentially redefine—just what a magazine should be.
By Matt Jennings
If you’ve ever doubted the fallibility of human memory, I suggest you use the events of just the past three years to test your ability to accurately recall even broadly defined details of your lived experience.
When, exactly, did COVID-19 start to shut down everyday life in the United States? How long were we quarantined at home?
For how long did we sanitize our groceries with Clorox wipes?
When did we decide to pause publication of the magazine I’ve edited for the past several decades? And when did we think we’d return to circulation?
The Little Magazine That Could
With a full-time staff of one, this ad-free indie children’s magazine has defied all odds, winning the National Magazine Award for General Excellence and expanding its reach to readers in 53 countries around the world. Founder and Editor-in-Chief Erin Bried shares not only how she did it, but how she plans to keep going and growing.
We called it the “Room of Doom.” Everybody knew deep staffing cuts were coming—we’d been warned of them that morning—and now every editor, designer, factchecker, and copyeditor was just lulling about the 22nd floor of 1 World Trade, waiting for our phones to ring. We knew that on the other end of the line would be Human Resources, calling us down, one after the other after the other, to a windowless room somewhere below to deliver the news: “We need to cut your position. Thank you for your service. Do you have any questions about your severance package?”
This was 2015, and I got my call.
It’s the Look for Us
A small publisher in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains is changing the face of regional advertising. Territory’s lead writer shares their story.
By Ally Carlton
Since the release of our first issue in 2022, Territory has garnered attention for its unique style and nontraditional approach. The brainchild of our owner and editor-in-chief Emrie Jackson, the annual regional publication arose because she saw a void: a lack of local advertising done well—or at least, accurately representative of Brevard, North Carolina, the town we call home.
Brevard is nestled in the western corner of the state, tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although it has undergone significant growth in the last 20 years, it has retained its quiet charm and congeniality. It’s a sanctuary for outdoor enthusiasts, artists, travelers, and adventure-seekers. The culture is laid-back and inviting, with a reverent fondness for the region thrown in. With a population of less than 8,000, Brevard still has a small-town vibe.
Fall 2023/Winter 2024 Departments
The Power of Recommendation-Based Selling
By Ryan Dohrn
During my 30 years in the media business, I save seen sales strategies shift after every major financial crisis. It happened in 1991, 2001, 2007, and now, after the COVID-19 pandemic. As a sales and revenue strategy coach to over 50 media companies, I hear this common question in each shakeup: How can we evolve our sales strategies to meet the changing demands and preferences of advertisers? One strategy that has gained significant traction in 2023, post-pandemic, is recommendation-based selling. This approach involves sellers recommending products to potential advertisers based on what others have bought from the publisher in the past. It leverages the power of social proof and data analytics to guide purchasing decisions, ultimately fostering trust and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Spotlight: Scratch ’N Sniff!
By Michelle Russell
One magazine, multiple points of creative engagement.
Convene is the magazine produced by PCMA, a nonprofit professional organization for the organizers behind the millions of conferences, conventions, trade shows, and corporate events held around the globe each year that drive economic and social transformation. It’s the goal of our bimonthly magazine to showcase innovation in the way that events are designed and executed, and that emphasis on creativity is reflected in the look and feel of our publication. Not only is every cover an original illustration we commission in collaboration with our design firm Point Five Design, but we try to offer our advertisers—primarily destination marketing organizations and convention centers—unusual ways to capture our readers’ attention.
Takeaways
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A Gold Mine for
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for Inspiration
Expect a January
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