Ms. Fiori was sort of my first boss out of college, when American Express ran D Magazine in 1990. I suckled at the AmEx teat of inspiration when she headed up a few editorial meetings with suggestions like “I just want to know where I can get a good pizza in this town.” So I feel like I’m qualified to respond to some of the things she said about the current state of media, according to SweetCharity:
Fiori on print vs. online: “So many women tell me how they like holding paper in their hands when they read.” Chatroulette.com has attracted 1.5 million users in four months, triple the circulation of Town & Country. What people like to hold in their hands doesn’t have much to do with how today’s multimedia consumer prefers to receive information.
On advertising: “Advertisers are so eager to think they can cut costs by advertising on the web. But a little ad online just cannot compare to a wonderfully produced ad in a magazine.” No, advertisers are tired of having no metrics by which they can measure the success of an ad campaign. Web, mobile, and social media campaigns enable them to do this, if only to help set strategy for larger, more expensive communication efforts (like magazine advertisements).
On social media trends: “We’re going through a period when people are flirting with things like Facebook.” Yes, 500 million people are “flirting with Facebook.”
On blogging: “Someone just recently told me about blogging and that it can be fun.” I really don’t have a response to that statement.
6 comments
She’d be perfect to work at any publication – provided she had a time machine to go back to the 1990s/early 2000’s, when I heard that from nearly every publisher and editor I met.
I was Eric’s intern at D Magazine about this time. I don’t recall ever seeing him suckle while at work. (After hours was a different story.) What I do recall was his flowing, flaxen locks. And his earring.
Hey fabulous March Newsletter from D Custom! Very useful content. I give it 5 stars out of 5!
I hope she’s right about women reading magazines — I fantasize that common sense and tradition survive in the 21st Century.
What’s wrong with lingering over an ad? Does every reader have to be in such a shallow friggin’ hurry?
And the traditional media wonders why they’re drowning or, at best, keeping their nose above some waves. They are completely disconnected and run by typical business sociopaths who are super greedy and aren’t in touch with the modern world.
The 1980s are over, lady!
Pamela Fiori helped drive a previous incarnation of D magazine (and AMEX publishing group, which at one time had 5 or 6 very decent city magazines), completely into the ground. As in defunct. I know. I was there along with Eric and Tim and a fine bunch of folks who had to file for unemployment thanks to her “leadership.” Awesome that she is still employed; a commentary on all that is wrong with publishing. And I stopped using AMEX.