Starcom MediaVest Group buys magazine advertising space for major advertisers including Starbucks and Proctor & Gamble. Their CEO, Renetta McCann, spoke at the International Federation of Periodical and Press (FIPP) World Magazine Congress on what magazines have to do to survive.

"I believe the success of magazines can and will be achieved. But it will pivot on three deliverables: engagement; connectivity, which moves you toward addressability; and accountability." Ms. McCann said her firm’s own survey showed the extent to which consumers were already engaged with magazines. In one study, 36 women and teens flipped through magazines and were told to pull out what was most valuable to them. One third of the pages were advertisements. Ms. McCann said she wants the magazine industry to delve even deeper to provide information about recall, brand association and readership.

Not blurring editorial lines
The aim at Starcom MediaVest Group is to marry advertising clients with magazine projects that speak in the voice of the magazine delivering it, she said. "Let me be clear here. We are not interested in making ads that blur the lines of editorial. Instead we seek a voice and tone that will resonate and be consistent to the reader." The aim, Ms. McCann said, is to make content more personal and individual. "That means, in the long term, you’re going to have to figure out how to give magazines more of a screen-based entry point for consumers."