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News

June 26, 2009 Vincent Heeringa

Doom defying behaviour
Investing in good ideas & people proves a win for HB Media & AUT Media

At a time when many companies are cutting back, one Kiwi outfit is proving that investing in ideas and talent is the best way to get results.

Magazine and web publisher HB Media and sister brand AUT Media (publisher of Idealog) won one-third of the categories at the 2009 MPA Magazine Awards—and took home half of the Supreme awards.

“We were thrilled to be nominated for 16 of the 37 categories in this year’s MPA awards,” says HB editorial director Vincent Heeringa. “But to take out 13 of them on the night was a huge result for us. We’ve worked hard on our titles, we’re very proud of their success and we really appreciate the recognition from our peers in the magazine industry.”

He’s toast
Heeringa says art director Adrian Clapperton is “the toast of his industry” today after winning the Supreme Designer of the Year and Supreme Cover of the Year for his work on Idealog and Good. Idealog also won the award for Best Use of Photography. “We make magazines that people want to read, and a big part of that is their top-notch design and illustration,” he says. “Adrian’s work means reading Good and Idealog is always a pleasure. He deserves his plaudits.”

Inspiring
Other highlights include Idealog’s wins for Magazine of the Year, Designer of the Year, Website of the Year and Cover of the Year in the Business category. In the ultra-competitive lifestyle section Good magazine took the plaudits for Designer of the Year. Inspire magazine took out three major wins in the custom category, with Sarah Heeringa winning Editor of the Year and Ben Gibb and Sarah Yetton winning Advertising Sales Achievement of the Year and the magazine itself winning the Custom Magazine of the Year.

Good launch
And there’s another sweet victory. “Launch of the Year was a very closely-watched category this year, where Good competed against two other great magazines—Mindfood and Oh Baby,” says HB business director Martin Bell. “To win it against such competition is fabulous—particularly as Idealog won the same category two years ago!”

Butt kicking
To round out the evening, HB Media sales manager Ben Gibb and former account manager Sarah Yetton won the only sales award, Advertising Sales Achievement, for their work on travel title Inspire. “It’s proof that we’re kicking butt in every part of our business,” says Bell. “Sales, editorial, design and circulation are all critical and we reckon we have the best in the business.”

HB’s success comes despite a record number of entrants and the recent consolidation of the MPA awards structure. “This year saw the widest range of publishers entering in the awards history—22 publishers compared with 20 last year—with 188 entries across 11 awards,” says Kath Hurley, MPA marketing and communications manager. “Forty-four different titles entered this year.”

In many cases, the consolidation of categories meant that entries were judged against a broader range of their peers. “Comparisons with past awards are difficult because of this year’s new structure,” says Heeringa, “but HB Media’s win quite possibly represents the biggest collective win of any one publishing company, in one year.”

Marketing et al
Next year HB will have another entrant in the awards—the relaunched NZ Marketing magazine, which it bought this month from former owner 3Media. Other HB innovations include the forthcoming Celsias.co.nz, a new climate change social network, and an effort to make all of HB Media’s business carbon-neutral, as Good magazine already is.

Record win
For the record, here’s the full list of the wins:

HB titles also received two Highly Commended mentions:

About HB Media & AUT Media
HB Media was founded by Vincent Heeringa and Martin Bell in 2005. It specialises in magazines, books, online and custom publishing. It also manages AUT Media, the university press for AUT.

AUT Media publishes Idealog magazine and also books including the bestselling children’s book Awesome Aotearoa, Margaret Mahy’s history of New Zealand.

For more information about HB Media contact:

Vincent Heeringa
09 966-0991 or 021 845 693

For more information about AUT Media contact:

Tiffany White
09 921-9241

 

June 23, 2009 Vincent Heeringa

NZ Marketing magazine to be relaunched

HB Media, the new owner of NZ Marketing magazine today reveals its plans for the relaunch of NZ Marketing, set for August 31.

The key changes being made at NZ Marketing are as follows:

HB Media is also proud to announce the appointment of Vernene Medcalf, formerly advertising manager for the AdMedia group of titles as advertising manager for NZ Marketing. “We’re excited at the prospects for NZ Marketing and particularly pleased to have Vernene join us as she brings a network of contacts and a strong track record of success as a sales person,” says editorial director Vincent Heeringa.

Official Magazine

HB Media last week agreed broad terms for a strategic relationship with the New Zealand Marketing Association (NZMA), the official organisation for the marketing industry and professional marketers in New Zealand. Under the agreement:

“The Marketing Association is a growing and dedicated organisation for professional marketers. We could never understand why a formal relationship between the NZMA and the magazine was never completed. Now it has, and we’re thrilled to be working so closely with chief executive Sue McCarty and her team,” says Heeringa.

Sue McCarty says “This is a significant step forward for the marketing industry, specifically around knowledge management which is one of our key roles at the Association and a cornerstone for a vibrant and successful marketing community. I am delighted to now be working with HB Media, which shares our passion and vision for the industry. HB Media also brings critical publishing capabilities, as well as a commercial model that means it will be financially viable to develop improved knowledge management practices for the industry – starting with an improved industry publication!”

Increased circulation

The deal with the NZMA means NZ Marketing's existing circulation will be expanded to include all of NZMA’s corporate members as well as NZ Marketing's existing subscribers. In addition, the magazine will be offered at a special rate to existing Idealog subscribers, boosting the paid circulation numbers.

The relaunch edition, out August 31, will go to all 4500 individuals on the NZMA’s member database for a special, one-off circulation of over 8000 copies, the largest distribution that NZ Marketing has ever enjoyed.

Due to the current economic climate, HB Media has taken the prudent move to change the publishing frequency from 11 issues to six issues per annum. At the same time, the magazine will see an increase in pagination, up from the current 44 pages to 60+ pages per issue.

To serve marketers with more timely information HB and NZMA are working together to develop an online and email news and information service for marketers.

Annual awards expanded

HB Media and the New Zealand Marketing Association will also work together to continue to deliver the much respected annual TVNZ/NZ Marketing Awards, exploring ways in which to best recognise the individuals, partnerships and organisations leading the way in best practice, innovative marketing that has lead to business success.

The principal sponsors of the awards this year are TVNZ and category sponsors include Fairfax Media, Smartsource Marketing and NZ Post.

The awards ceremony will be held on October 30.

Magazine redesign

Multiple magazine award winners, editorial director Vincent Heeringa and art director Adrian Clapperton, are redesigning the magazine from cover to cover.

“In the last four years I’ve been responsible for four new magazine launches so it’s great to be working on a title with such longevity,” says Clapperton. “The brief is to respect the past and the profession, yet to find a contemporary expression. I’m calling it ‘classic contemporary’ and I hope the readers will like it!”

The magazine redesign will be backed by a format change to 275mm x 230mm, and will use a heavier weight FSC-certified stock. As a company, HB Media is committed to acting in an environmentally responsible manner, using sustainable business practices.

Vincent Heeringa says he wants to build on the history of the magazine. “I want to retain links with key contributors but I also think the magazine needs an injection of voom: more journalistic edge, tougher stances on issues and the performance of brands and people, more facts and figures about the business; and hopefully a bit of humour. The industry’s full of characters, we need to expose more of the good, the bad and ugly!”

Vernene Medcalf joins HB Media

The team at HB Media is particularly pleased to have secured Vernene Medcalf as NZ Marketing's advertising sales manager. Vernene will primarily represent NZ Marketing and Idealog but also be involved in special projects across the HB Media group.

“After six years working on the AdMedia group of titles, and prior to that three years working on NZ Marketing magazine, I’m extremely excited to be involved at the outset with HB Media’s vision for NZ Marketing's relaunch. I believe the marketing and communications industry will embrace all that the new magazine will offer them.”

Ben Gibb, HB Media sales director says “it’s fantastic to have someone of Vernene’s experience on board. She shares the same vision for where NZ Marketing can be taken and together with Idelaog we’re all looking forward to building up one of New Zealand’s most significant business publishing groups.”

 

June 16, 2009 Vincent Heeringa

The Lucky Company

New Zealand-owned publisher HB Media has outshone its big-time competitors to secure 13 finalists places in the upcoming 2009 NZ Magazine Awards. It’s also up for three more awards, yet to be announced.

That puts HB Media in second place behind publishing giants NZ Magazines—and ahead of Fairfax Magazines and Fairfax Business Media.

“We’re the little company that could!” says director Martin Bell. “Thanks to a dedicated and talented team, we’ve created a suite of premium magazines that reach an audience of forward-thinking and influential New Zealanders. It’s great to be acknowledged through these awards.”

HB Media recently expanded its portfolio by acquiring NZ Marketing magazine.

“We’re relaunching NZ Marketing in August this year so we look forward to entering it in next year’s awards too,” says HB Media director Vincent Heeringa.

For the record here’s the list of HB Media’s finalists places:

In three categories HB Media is a contender for a final place, though no finalists have been announced. These are: