Rapid-Round Congress Q&A: Bonnie Kintzer, President and CEO of Trusted Media Brands
How do you make a legacy brand with a library of over 100 years of high-quality content relevant to today’s audience? That’s one of the issues that Bonnie Kintzer, of Trusted Media Brands, Inc. owner of the Reader’s Digest brand has had to wrestle with since becoming President and CEO of the company in 2014.
Yet through a process of constant re-evaluation and transformation Reader’s Digest, along with other signature brands like Family Handyman and Taste of Home have continued to thrive and connect with new audiences,
As Bonnie Kintzer will explain at FIPP Congress 2023 the ongoing transformation means that “We are not the same Trusted Media Brands you knew even a year ago!”
In this interview Bonnie talks about:
- The development of the company’s highly successful FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) platforms
- The importance of diversifying revenue streams
- And why the strategy always needs to be focused on the consumer.
At FIPP World Media Congress in Cascais, Portugal, on 6-8 June, Bonnie will deliver a keynote presentation entitled Masters at Transformation: Learn from TMB’s Playbook to Achieve Ongoing Success.
For specially discounted tickets click here.
Here she responds to our rapid-round questions.
Who are you? And what is your role in the media/publishing?
I am the CEO of TMB (Trusted Media Brands). We are a community-driven entertainment company who reaches 250M+ consumers through our portfolio of brands that includes The Pet Collective, FailArmy, Taste of Home, Reader’s Digest and Family Handyman across FAST, social, digital, and print.
What have been the highlights of your career in media/publishing so far?
I’ve been CEO of TMB since 2014 and was with the company previously when it was Reader’s Digest Association, so I am incredibly proud of our evolution. We are not the same Trusted Media Brands you knew even a year ago but yet we have brands like Family Handyman that surpassed 70 years in print and is now on streaming with its own channel, At Home with Family Handyman. The loyalty of our audience is unmatched.
The acquisition of Jukin Media in 2021 was a pivotal moment for our company and I am proud to have led us through it. We surpassed 11bn minutes of watch time from our FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) portfolio last year. My personal awards include 2022 Top Women in Media by Cynopsis and 2022 AdMonsters Top Women in Media & Tech.
What do you see as the key trends in the media?
- Community-driven engagement and community sourced content/creator economy
- Diversified business strategies with multiple revenue streams
- The growth of FAST
- Cookie-less advertising
- Social engagement
Why are these trends important and how will they change media/publishing?
The way our audience consumes content is ever-evolving. It’s why our commitment is to meet them where they are – at every touchpoint we can throughout their day.
As publishers, as media companies- we need to understand what our audience wants more of and be ahead of the next iteration – creating the best content for the best platform is key. It can’t just be a repurposing of the same content on different platforms.
Diversified business strategies and revenue streams help sustain your business during times of uncertainty. We saw that firsthand during the pandemic. When one area of the business is down other areas of the business that are seeing growth or stability can help carry you through.
Anything else you’d like to tell Congress delegates?
Focusing on the consumer is the best way to build and grow a media business. We have not lost sight of that for over 100 years.
Explore Further
- Explore TMB here
- Follow Bonnie on LinkedIn
- See more Congress speakers
About Congress
The FIPP World Media Congress is a must-attend event for anyone in leadership positions in the media. Delegates can hear from an incredible range of media thought leaders and influencers while networking with their peers in the resort’s stunning venues and hotels.
For specially discounted tickets click here.
