We stepped into the world of major magazines with our last media visit. Hearst Italia publishes eight iconic brands – Elle, Marie Claire and Marie Claire Maison, Gioia!, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Décor and Gente. Many of the students on the trip would love to write, design, photograph and more for magazines, so this was a perfect “get” for Jan, although it took some stretching back to a contact of hers from the 1980s. Always a story!
One final trip on a packed Milan bus – public transportation gives new meaning to the term cheek to jowl, let’s say – and we were at their headquarters. Guilia GIacomuzzo, who works in advertising and later told us this was her first group tour, welcomed us warmly.
Eleonora De Franceschi, who works as an editor on the print and digital side, emphasized the two units. “We’re print based and digitally smart,” she said. The brands have 4.883 million readers and 12 million visitors to the various sites per month, as well as 3 million fans on all their social media. The magazines are, of course, one part of the business, Brand events brought in 150,000 participants in 2017.
The digital side is still evolving, and Hearst Italia just launched its Esquire website in the country.
Lisa Mancini (an Ohio native we found out later) is the fashion editor for Cosmo Italy, and she told us she looks for stories everywhere – on the street, films, restaurants, events. Once she develops the story idea, she then has to collect the clothes, pick the right models and photographer, find the right makeup artist and then shoot it. “The story has to have the Cosmopolitan mood,” Lisa said. The three pillars – female, fun and fearless. Sex still sells, but there also has to be a happy, glamorous feel to what graces the Cosmopolitan Italy cover.
Her major advice to students: “Don’t just browse Internet and Instagram. The more things you know, you will do a better job.” In other words – learn everything you can and get out of the office and your comfort zone. Look everywhere for story ideas.
The Hearst Italia deadlines mean about two months for each monthly magazine issue, except, it seemed for the major theme issues based around fashion weeks in particular.
Lisa’s already thinking about a “Soul Train” vibe with leisure wear for her fall issue. She likes what she called paparazzi shoots – having models walk out on the street with the photographer trailing them, capturing them in interesting situations. When they shot a story New York’s Times Square, for example, four sailors gawking at a model in a miniskirt became part of the story. “You just have to have an eye,” she said.
Elle editor Fabiola Ballarini is working on the 30th anniversary of Elle. She was there at its beginning and obviously is relishing this commemorative. What she likes about working for the Hearst company is that although it is an international company, “we’re totally independent, [and we} adapt to the local market.”
The fashion magazine includes beauty and lifestyle articles, too, but Fabiola says she and her staff like to tell stories about women in general. Right now they like Freda Kahlo, the Mexican artist, for her “artistic free soul.”
Antonio Mancinielli, a senior editor for Marie Claire, made us laugh when he entered the room and was gently pushed back by the others when he tried to jump ahead of them in the presentation. He’s used to it, one of four men among 18 women on the staff, he said.
The key to success in this industry, he said, is “The magazine must have a personality. Like a friend to you.”
What I didn’t know is that Marie Claire, which began in France, has been around since 1937. It has always mixed fashion and news. “It’s always been a bit political – the women’s rights movements, now the MeToo movement.”
The Italian version aims to be inclusive, Antonio said, explaining that the new issue – just released the day prior – features a 63-year-old model, her wife, and their family. “Fashion is a mirror of society,” he emphasized. “Women are at the center.”
That has meant content for an upcoming issue that will focus on models and celebrities wearing comfortable shoes, clogs even, and women working to preserve forests and protect animals.
The hardest thing, Antonio said, is to “be on the edge.” So the staff gets some ideas from readers, and the staffs of the various have lots of meetings and conversations with each other. “It’s kind of fluid,” he said. “It’s an organic magazine. We want it to be very close to the women.”
Brand extensions are important to the company as well. Elle publishes 10 in a year, including several bridal and food focused product. Internal sections specific to advertisers like Lancome are also becoming common to bring in revenue.
They all answered tons of questions from us before we headed on a tour of the building and the various sections and magazines. Incredibly open on all things, from how they all began in the business to working out gender and sexual stereotypes on these magazines. Much of the content they prepare appears in other Hearst publications. Video journalism for the websites is starting, but it has been a bit slow. But the print part of this business remain important and central.
One of the editors, who got her start in financial reporting – which comes in handy because fashion is a revenue-driven industry – reminded us that the European market is very classical. “Young people in Milan love paper,” she offered as example. They still read magazines and prefer books. “The [Hearst Italia} brands will change, but it will take time.”
The students picked up copies of the magazines we wanted, and after one last group photograph, the media visits ended. All the months of planning by Jan yielded great efforts again. (And Matteo and Serena both said many times that they are so organized compared to what other groups the lead do. You are amazing, Jan!)
We split up to find lunch (Jan and I found a great spot – Granaio Caffe and Cucina – as we needed salads and healthy food before indulging in a final gelato. We caught up with Robin amid some final shopping. A huge Benetton store had great children’s clothes she found for her daughter, but we didn’t have much luck there. I found a small leather goods shop, pricey but some great finds.
Back to the hotel to pack and listen to the students at our final group meeting. We love listening to what they take away at various stages of the trip, and this one didn’t disappoint. Then our final dinner – a great one at AUUM – with everything from an appetizer of Italian cheeses and meats to steak and those wonderful roasted potatoes. Emily Yurchison took center stage again and deservedly so as she had just turned 21 the day prior. We enjoyed cake and toasted her and all of us at the end of yet another great adventure.