The Mr. Magazine™ interview: Men’s Health, a Hearst legacy brand with a “stronger, faster, better” focus
At 30 years of age, Men’s Health is speaking to more men across more platforms than ever before according to Ronan Gardiner, VP, publishing director and chief revenue officer, and Richard Dorment, editor-in-chief. With 12 million readers in print, eight million online, and 15 million across all social platforms, Men’s Health is a legacy brand that is still as vibrant and as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.
Now a Hearst publication, Men’s Health joins the brotherhood of men’s titles such as Esquire and Popular Mechanics which help to make Hearst the largest men’s publishing company in the country. And with a new home comes a brand new tagline for the brand, “Stronger, Faster, Better.” Richard has been editor-in-chief for almost five months and in that short period of time he has really wrapped his expertise as an editor (formerly at Wired and Esquire) around the evolvement of men in the 21st century. According to Rich, fitness, and health and wellness have never been more prevalent than in today’s changing male environment, hence the new tagline which epitomises the “new” Men’s Health, where vitality is the core of the brand.
And Men’s Health veteran, Ronan Gardiner, could not be more attuned to his brand partner, totally simpatico with Richard’s vision. The two men have put forth combined efforts and are seeing the positivity of their work reflected in the growing strength of the brand: 63 new advertisers year-to-date, since moving to Hearst, including Tudor Watches, Missoni Fragrance, Timberland, Subaru, Hornitos, Knob Creek and Marriott, and more. The Auto (+165 per cent), Footwear (+25 per cent) and Food & Beverage (+8per cent) categories are all up in advertising year-on-year. The November 30th Anniversary issue will be up in advertisingyear-on-year, and the total number of men reached by Hearst across all brands, print and digital, speaks to almost half (45 per cent) of American men.
All Mr. Magazine™ can say is Men’s Health seems to be A-Okay, no stress test needed. And with its cornerstone print product thriving, digital and social growing, the brand shows no signs of slowing down as it nears its 30th anniversary. And check newsstands as the October issue of the Stronger, Faster, Better Men’s Health hits today!
Kudos Men’s Health and enjoy your rosy cheeks and strong vitality as you ease gracefully toward your next milestone! And now the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Ronan Gardiner, VP/CRO/publisher and Richard Dorment, editor-in-chief.
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Richard Dorment
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Ronan Gardiner
But first the sound-bites
On any differences at Men’s Health with the brand now being a Hearst publication instead of being owned by Rodale (Ronan Gardiner): I don’t think we could have found a more perfect home than Hearst for many, many different reasons. Number one, obviously with the acquisition of Rodale, Hearst now has a very serious health and wellness footprint that it didn’t have before. Number two, Hearst now delivers more men than any other publishing company. Adding Men’s Health to a portfolio that included Esquire, Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver, Road & Track, and then of course with Bicycling and Runner’s World delivery against men, Hearst now reaches more men than any other publishing company.
On how Richard Dorment sees his role as editor-in-chief today versus when he was at Wired and Esquire: I see myself in the same role that I’ve always had, as an advocate for the reader. To ask the questions, and to anticipate the questions that they’re going to be asking. To look for the issues that are going to be most important for them, to try and track down the stories that will move and excite them and inspire them. And to work with the best and smartest people I know to give them the information they need to improve their lives and become better versions of themselves.
On changing the tagline from “Tons of Useful Stuff” to “Stronger, Faster, Better” (Richard Dorment): There was absolutely nothing wrong with “Tons of Useful Stuff,” but one of the things that I have been talking a lot about with my staff is a single word: vitality. And it’s not just a goal that I think all of my readers have in mind, which is that they all want to be more vital versions of themselves, they want to be stronger, smarter, more enthusiastic; they want to be better friends and partners, better employees. Vitality is really their watchword. And I want the magazine to embody that value as well. I want it to embody the best virtues of vitality.
On whether Ronan plans on following the new tagline when it comes to attaining more ad revenue – stronger, faster, better (Ronan Gardiner): I certainly hope so. One thing that I can tell you is that in a very short amount of time Rich’s vision for the brand and the evolution of the brand, which you’re starting to see with the October issue, is being very positively received by the advertising community. Men’s Health needs very little introduction to most agencies and clients, but it’s really exciting to take a 30-year-old brand that is incredibly strong and incredibly vital and relevant and work with an editor in chief who believes that it can be even better; even more timely; even more useful; even more vital, back to that word vitality. This is a very exciting time. We’re kind of 30-years-young.
On what has been the most challenging moment Richard Dorment has had since coming onboard Men’s Health (Richard Dorment): Probably the biggest challenge is that it was sort of a trifecta, not only was I a first-time editor-in-chief at the brand, but I was a new editor at a publication that was also new to the company, so as I was trying to take stock of where we were as far as staffing and content, I was also trying to help ease and integrate Men’s Health into the broader Hearst ecosystem, which like every media company these days is constantly changing. I’ve been away from Hearst for two years and there’s a lot about it that’s changed since I’ve been here.
On his most pleasant moment (Richard Dorment): That’s a really good question. I’m really pleased with our October issue. I think many times there is a lot of pressure put on the “editor’s first issue,” which I think most people understand is defined loosely because most magazines change month to month. But with the October issue, it’s the first time that our new creative director, Jamie Prokell’s vision has been applied to the brand, thanks to the amazing work of my photo director, Jeanne Graves, my fitness director, Ebenezer Samuel, and my deputy editor, Ben Court, we have these great dynamic four shots of these amazing NFL players, which was very difficult logistically to pull off. We did it, and we did it brilliantly.
On which of the four NFL covers would be his favourite (Richard Dorment): Oh goodness. (Laughs) I do love them all and I love them all for different reasons. I think the Antonio Brown one with him diving to catch the ball is my favorite one, because one of the things that I really love in a magazine cover is movement and unexpected composition, and again, that sense of vitality; you want to feel like the person is alive and excited to be on the cover of Men’s Health. And I think that’s what you get with the Antonio Brown cover. It’s really arresting and beautiful and he was a great sport for jumping and diving across the sound stage like 15 times. (Laughs)
On whether these covers are a reflection of the “new Men’s Health” brand more than they are to sell copies on newsstands (Richard Dorment): One of the great things about Men’s Health, and I take very little credit for this because I am new to the gig, it is one of the few magazines that really does still have a strong newsstand game. We’re one of the top 10 sellers in the country on newsstands, I think we’re the only men’s book, the latest stats I saw, we’re the only men’s book that is in the top 10, so it’s important for us. It’s important for us from a revenue standpoint, that’s dollars out of people’s pockets and that’s real money for us, but also it is one of the gauges that I use to see how the brand is resonating, if only because again there is such strong engagement on the newsstand.
On whether they can envision a day when there is no printed edition of Men’s Health (Ronan Gardiner): I definitely do not. We just got the AAM (Alliance for Audited Media) report for the first six months of the year, I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of those reports; Men’s Health delivered against rate-base every month for the first six months of the year, our rate base is 1.8 million. MRI still puts us at 12 million readers in print. We are bringing new men, young men into our print subscriber family every day of the year. And while we’ve seen terrific growth online, which is really exciting, and we’ve seen terrific growth in social which is also really exciting, our print product remains incredibly vital, going back to that word again. And incredibly wanted and needed, and I think in many ways more relevant than ever.
On Hearst being the largest men’s magazine publishing company in the country (Ronan Gardiner): The total number of men reached by Hearst: across all brands, print and digital, Hearst now speaks to almost half (45 per cent) of American men. And the beauty of that is that the duplication is so low, which means we’re able from an advertising perspective to put packages together for our clients that includes Esquire, that includes Popular Mechanics. I was in a meeting recently with my colleagues at Car and Driver and Road & Track, with a luxury automobile advertiser that is focusing on the health and wellness-minded consumer.
On what Richard and his wife thought when he got the job offer to be the new editor-in-chief of Men’s Health (Richard Dorment): I knew that it was, A: wonderful. (Laughs) It was a rather long process that transpired over the course of a few months. And it sort of went in multiple stages as these things tend to do, and because of that, my wife and I were able to have a lot of considered, deliberate conversation, as far as what our goals were in the family and what we wanted out of life and what we do with opportunities when they come up. We loved Colorado. If anybody has the opportunity to move there I cannot recommend it highly enough. We went skiing every weekend, we hiked, we rode bikes everywhere; it was awesome. We were all incredibly sad to leave, but this was such a great opportunity , particularly for a journalist who has spent most of his career in print.
On what Richard would hope to tell someone if they were having a conversation about Men’s Health a year from now (Richard Dorment): Well, I hope that I’ve contributed to the brand’s success, and have been an advocate for the readers. There’s obviously a lot of exciting changes happening here at Hearst, and however I can support our new leaders as they move the company forward; I’m just really happy to be here. And I’m really excited about the future of both Men’s Health and Hearst. As always, however I can help out and be of service, I’m there.
On whether there is any interaction between Men’s Health and Esquire and between Richard and Esquire’s editor-in-chief, Jay Fielden (Richard Dorment): Men’s Health and Esquire have this system in place at Hearst that we call hubbing. We share a copy and research department. And we share some fashion resources as well. So, because of that and because quite frankly we like each other a lot, I like Jay a whole lot, I’m speaking with he and his team constantly, and it’s a great pleasure to do that because they’re really smart, talented editors. A great benefit of being in a place like Hearst is you have those resources, both formerly and informally. And Jay is a great editor and he’s been nothing but supportive and helpful and a great asset to both me personally and to Men’s Health as a brand.
On anything they’d like to add (Richard Dorment): The only thing that I would say, and this is another reason that I was excited to join the brand, because of how much men’s lives have changed over the last five to ten years, particularly on the occasion of our 30th anniversary, there’s a lot of looking back. There’s a lot of looking at old issues, but there’s also a lot of looking back at the way we used to live and the way we used to think and talk about things like strength and fitness. That’s changing a lot.
On anything they’d like to add (Ronan Gardiner): I think that I would really just echo Richard’s sentiments. Health and wellness, wellbeing in general, is more of a focus for more people today than it ever has been. And Men’s Health’s mission is to give our readers the inspiration and the information they need to be the best men that they can be. And that’s an incredible proposition. And it’s a proposition that our clients are really excited about and want to be a part of.
On what someone would find him doing if they showed up unexpectedly one evening at his home (Richard Dorment): I would say either trying to put my kids to sleep or chasing them back to bed after they come out asking for a glass of water or one of the hundreds of things they typically ask for, or Peloton because it helps me unwind and relax when I get home.
On what someone would find him doing if they showed up unexpectedly one evening at his home (Ronan Gardiner): If you come to my home this evening I won’t be there because I will be running alongside the East River. Then I’ll go home and read a magazine.
On what he would have tattooed upon his brain that would be there forever and no one could ever forget about him (Richard Dorment): Vitality. I hope that I can aspire and embody that value. That for me physically, mentally and socially is the goal every day.
On what he would have tattooed upon his brain that would be there forever and no one could ever forget about him (Ronan Gardiner): Authenticity. Only because Rich took vitality. (Laughs)
On what keeps him up at night (Richard Dorment): To be totally honest, nothing professional. I think people who are in our business and have sort of ridden this rollercoaster over the last 5, 10, 15 years, if you weren’t comfortable being uncomfortable, you wouldn’t still be here. There’s obviously a lot of excitement, is one way to put it, in our line of work, and I made a conscious decision a long time ago that I was just going to focus on my work and not try to get hung up on what’s going to be happening in 18 or 24 months, because nobody knows. So, I worry about my kids and I worry about the state of the country and I worry about my 401K. But as far as work, I’ve hired some amazing people. There were some amazing people here before I started and it was a really strong brand. I just show up to work and do the best I can.
On what keeps him up at night (Ronan Gardiner): Today I live in the Union Square and so sirens and honking taxi cabs keep me up at night more than anything else. I sleep really well, Samir. (Laughs) Really well. Maybe because I work at the best magazine brand on the planet.
And now the lightly edited transcript of the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Richard Dorment, editor-in-chief, and Ronan Gardiner, VP/CRO/publisher, Men’s Health.
Ronan, five years ago we spoke about Men’s Health and all that was taking place with the magazine and the digital platforms. Today it’s a new era for Men’s Health. Today it’s a Hearst publication instead of a Rodale publication. Are there any differences at the brand?
I don’t think we could have found a more perfect home than Hearst for many, many different reasons. Number one, obviously with the acquisition of Rodale, Hearst now has a very serious health and wellness footprint that it didn’t have before.
Number two, Hearst now delivers more men than any other publishing company. Adding Men’s Health to a portfolio that included Esquire, Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver, Road & Track, and then of course with Bicycling and Runner’s World delivery against men, Hearst now reaches more men than any other publishing company. So, two unique transformations, if you like, for Hearst overall.
But I think for Men’s Health it’s just incredibly gratifying to have found a company that is so committed to this brand and continuing to grow this brand and continuing to see this brand prosper. Hence the arrival of editors like Rich Dorment, and I’ll allow him to speak to some of the incredible hires that he’s added to an already really strong editorial team.
How do you view your role as editor-in-chief of a magazine with over a million in circulation, with print and digital reach? Especially since you’ve been at Esquire before and at Wired; how are you using your skills as a storyteller? Is it any different with Men’s Health than Wired or Esquire? That moment you were offered the job; what did you think?
Just to give you a bit of background, part of the time that I was editing at Wired I lived in Denver and that was when I was interviewing for this job. The reason I was in Denver was because my wife and I and our three small children had decided to try a different way of life. So, I was sort of half out of the magazine world; I was still working at Wired, but I was really interested in exploring new opportunities when the Men’s Health gig came up and Hearst first approached me. And I can tell you that I certainly wouldn’t have moved back to New York and moved back full-body and full-steam into the magazine world if it had been another brand. I think Men’s health, just because of its reach and its credibility and its authority in this space, is without peer.
And given my particular background, both at Esquire and Wired, I think it makes a lot of sense, because at Esquire I spent 10 years reporting and writing and editing features on how manhood is changing and how our concepts, our perceptions and practices of masculinity are evolving and are becoming more elastic and expansive and how it’s a great thing for everybody.
When I was at Wired, my job was really to edit and write stories about change. My boss there at the time, Nick Thompson, used to say that Wired wasn’t a magazine about technology, it was a magazine about change, and he was absolutely right. It’s about how we look at change and embrace change and absorb change. So, I think when you combine those two things and you look at what’s happening in the world of men right now, Men’s Health is really the ideal place to explore those things and about the lives of men, and how we’re approaching things like fitness and wellness, health and strength and how that’s really changing.
The first question you asked, how I see my role; I see myself in the same role that I’ve always had, as an advocate for the reader. To ask the questions, and to anticipate the questions that they’re going to be asking. To look for the issues that are going to be most important for them, to try and track down the stories that will move and excite them and inspire them. And to work with the best and smartest people I know to give them the information they need to improve their lives and become better versions of themselves.
With the October issue, I noticed that you changed the tagline from “Tons of Useful Stuff” to “Stronger, Faster, Better.”
Richard Dorment: Correct. (Laughs) There was absolutely nothing wrong with “Tons of Useful Stuff,” but one of the things that I have been talking a lot about with my staff is a single word: vitality. And it’s not just a goal that I think all of my readers have in mind, which is that they all want to be more vital versions of themselves, they want to be stronger, smarter, more enthusiastic; they want to be better friends and partners, better employees. Vitality is really their watchword. And I want the magazine to embody that value as well. I want it to embody the best virtues of vitality.
So, when I say strong, faster, better, I don’t just mean that as far as goals for the reader, it’s really what the magazine is about. We’re hopefully a stronger brand; we’re faster at processing things and in delivering information and inspiration to our readers; and we’re just constantly trying to get better. We’re embodying the values of the brand, which is self-improvement.
And Ronan, are you going to use that new tagline “Stronger, Faster, Better” to get stronger ad revenue, faster ad revenue, and better ad revenue?
(Laughs) I certainly hope so. One thing that I can tell you is that in a very short amount of time Rich’s vision for the brand and the evolution of the brand, which you’re starting to see with the October issue, is being very positively received by the advertising community. Men’s Health needs very little introduction to most agencies and clients, but it’s really exciting to take a 30-year-old brand that is incredibly strong and incredibly vital and relevant and work with an editor in chief who believes that it can be even better; even more timely; even more useful; even more vital, back to that word vitality. This is a very exciting time. We’re kind of 30-years-young.
Rich, you’ve only been on the job since April 15, so in those few months what has been the most challenging moment you’ve had and how did you overcome it?
Probably the biggest challenge is that it was sort of a trifecta, not only was I a first-time editor in chief at the brand, but I was a new editor at a publication that was also new to the company, so as I was trying to take stock of where we were as far as staffing and content, I was also trying to help ease and integrate Men’s Health into the broader Hearst ecosystem, which like every media company these days is constantly changing. I’ve been away from Hearst for two years and there’s a lot about it that’s changed since I’ve been here.
So, I think managing those two things simultaneously and really trying to make sure that Hearst and Men’s Health were working together as closely and effectively as possible, that was my main goal. And I believe most of that is behind us, we’re pretty much moved in. And we have most everything figured out.
And what has been the most pleasant moment?
Richard Dorment: That’s a really good question. I’m really pleased with our October issue. I think many times there is a lot of pressure put on the “editor’s first issue,” which I think most people understand is defined loosely because most magazines change month to month.
But with the October issue, it’s the first time that our new creative director, Jamie Prokell’s vision has been applied to the brand, thanks to the amazing work of my photo director, Jeanne Graves, my fitness director, Ebenezer Samuel, and my deputy editor, Ben Court, we have these great dynamic four shots of these amazing NFL players, which was very difficult logistically to pull off. We did it, and we did it brilliantly. And given the resources that we got from our circulation department, as far as geo-targeting our distribution with newsstands, I think it’s really going to help, not only drive newsstand sales, but also to just reinforce this strong and vibrant brand.
So that for me, the first time I really saw those covers come to life, it was like in that moment I thought, this could work, this could be what I had always thought it could be.
And if I put you on the spot and ask which of the four covers would be your choice if you spotted all four on the newsstand, which would you pick?
Richard Dorment: Oh goodness. (Laughs) I do love them all and I love them all for different reasons. I think the Antonio Brown one with him diving to catch the ball is my favorite one, because one of the things that I really love in a magazine cover is movement and unexpected composition, and again, that sense of vitality; you want to feel like the person is alive and excited to be on the cover of Men’s Health. And I think that’s what you get with the Antonio Brown cover. It’s really arresting and beautiful and he was a great sport for jumping and diving across the sound stage like 15 times. (Laughs)
Last time that I interviewed Adam Moss at New York Magazine, he told me that his idea when it comes to the cover is to no longer sell newsstand copies, but rather to reflect the brand. Do you see those covers as a reflection of the “new brand of Men’s Health?”
Richard Dorment: One of the great things about Men’s Health, and I take very little credit for this because I am new to the gig, it is one of the few magazines that really does still have a strong newsstand game. We’re one of the top 10 sellers in the country on newsstands, I think we’re the only men’s book, the latest stats I saw, we’re the only men’s book that is in the top 10, so it’s important for us. It’s important for us from a revenue standpoint, that’s dollars out of people’s pockets and that’s real money for us, but also it is one of the gauges that I use to see how the brand is resonating, if only because again there is such strong engagement on the newsstand.
Obviously, we face the same distribution challenges that everybody else does in the print market, but we’re still very much in the game. I think if we, like some of our competitors, were not selling nearly as much, I think we would put more thought into the “brand promotion” approach to covers, but we’re still trying to move units, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. It’s a part of the job that I really enjoy and I think when you get the right person who really embodies our values, I think it’s really rewarding for everybody.
Ronan, one of the things that you told me five years ago when I asked you whether you could envision a day when there would be not be a Men’s Health in print, everything would be digital, and with the changes that are taking place at Hearst, I’m going to ask you the same question today, can you envision a time when there is no print edition of Men’s Health and everything is only digital?
I definitely do not. We just got the AAM (Alliance for Audited Media) report for the first six months of the year, I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of those reports; Men’s Health delivered against rate-base every month for the first six months of the year, our rate base is 1.8 million. MRI still puts us at 12 million readers in print. We are bringing new men, young men into our print subscriber family every day of the year. And while we’ve seen terrific growth online, which is really exciting, and we’ve seen terrific growth in social which is also really exciting, our print product remains incredibly vital, going back to that word again. And incredibly wanted and needed, and I think in many ways more relevant than ever.
Samir, you named Men’s Health, I believe, the most important launch of a quarter century. Right? After 25 years, you named us the most important launch of that 25 years.
Yes.
And today as we speak, five years since we did that interview and many years since the first time we spoke, Men’s Health I believe is truly more relevant, more wanted and more needed today than it has ever been. There’s absolutely no question in my mind whatsoever.
And you mentioned a point that I didn’t read a lot about, now Hearst, and I didn’t even think about it, but it’s the largest men’s magazine publishing company in the country.
Ronan Gardiner: By far. The total number of men reached by Hearst: across all brands, print and digital, Hearst now speaks to almost half (45 per cent) of American men. And the beauty of that is that the duplication is so low, which means we’re able from an advertising perspective to put packages together for our clients that includes Esquire, that includes Popular Mechanics. I was in a meeting recently with my colleagues at Car and Driver and Road & Track, with a luxury automobile advertiser that is focusing on the health and wellness-minded consumer. So, the beauty of us being acquired by Hearst is the fact that there is such small duplication across the titles.
Rich, you mentioned that you moved to Denver and that you are back in New York City because of the brand specifically, no other magazine would have brought you back. You said that you have three small children and your wife; what did you think when you received that phone call that you were the new editor in chief of Men’s Health?
I knew that it was, A: wonderful. (Laughs) It was a rather long process that transpired over the course of a few months. And it sort of went in multiple stages as these things tend to do, and because of that, my wife and I were able to have a lot of considered, deliberate conversation, as far as what our goals were in the family and what we wanted out of life and what we do with opportunities when they come up.
We loved Colorado. If anybody has the opportunity to move there I cannot recommend it highly enough. We went skiing every weekend, we hiked, we rode bikes everywhere; it was awesome. We were all incredibly sad to leave, but this was such a great opportunity , particularly for a journalist who has spent most of his career in print. A lot of my background is integrated; I worked for a while in digital only, but I’ve worked primarily in print. And there just aren’t a ton of these opportunities anymore. So, to be faced with one, particularly after I had sort of thought I had closed the door; I don’t necessarily believe in the universe telling you something, but it felt a little like that.
Again, we were sad to leave, but there was never a moment where we asked: are we going to take it? No, of course, I was going to take it.
If we’re having this same conversation a year from now, after you’ve left your mark on Men’s Health; you’ve reinvented the brand, you’ve hired a group of talented folks to work with you, and you’ve created this stronger, faster, and better publication; where are you a year from now?
Richard Dorment: Well, I hope that I’ve contributed to the brand’s success, and have been an advocate for the readers. There’s obviously a lot of exciting changes happening here at Hearst, and however I can support our new leaders as they move the company forward; I’m just really happy to be here. And I’m really excited about the future of both Men’s Health and Hearst. As always, however I can help out and be of service, I’m there.
And how’s the work going with you and Jay (Fielden), has there been any interaction taking place between Men’s Health and Esquire with Jay now being the editorial director?
Richard Dorment: Men’s Health and Esquire have this system in place at Hearst that we call hubbing. We share a copy and research department. And we share some fashion resources as well. So, because of that and because quite frankly we like each other a lot, I like Jay a whole lot, I’m speaking with he and his team constantly, and it’s a great pleasure to do that because they’re really smart, talented editors. A great benefit of being in a place like Hearst is you have those resources, both formerly and informally. And Jay is a great editor and he’s been nothing but supportive and helpful and a great asset to both me personally and to Men’s Health as a brand.
Is there anything that either of you would like to add?
Richard Dorment: The only thing that I would say, and this is another reason that I was excited to join the brand, because of how much men’s lives have changed over the last five to ten years, particularly on the occasion of our 30th anniversary, there’s a lot of looking back. There’s a lot of looking at old issues, but there’s also a lot of looking back at the way we used to live and the way we used to think and talk about things like strength and fitness. That’s changing a lot.
I think women and women’s service publications are sort of out front, in typical fashion they’re ahead of us, but I think men are really catching up, as far as not only investing their time, but their resources and their energy into living better lives. They’re taking better care of themselves, they’re investing in their bodies and their wardrobes and their futures and careers. So, because of those changes happening on a society-wide level, I think Men’s Health is really optimised to take advantage of that. And it’s not like it’s a trend; it’s not like we just happened to do this one thing and it’s really in season now, but next season we’re going to be screwed. This train has left the station and we’re in charge.
And I think the more that we can reinforce our integrity and our authority in this space, and we can capitalise on those 30 years of trust that we’ve built with our readers, The better position will be to continue to take advantage of its growth and its interest in self-improvement and in living stronger, better and faster lives.
Ronan, would you like to add anything?
I think that I would really just echo Richard’s sentiments. Health and wellness, wellbeing in general, is more of a focus for more people today than it ever has been. And Men’s Health’s mission is to give our readers the inspiration and the information they need to be the best men that they can be. And that’s an incredible proposition. And it’s a proposition that our clients are really excited about and want to be a part of.
When I started at Men’s Health 14 years ago, we would have to explain to a lot of advertisers why a health-minded audience mattered. Why a health-minded or focused audience could be their best consumers. We don’t need to do that today. I had a recent meeting with a luxury automobile advertiser; I had another recent lunch meeting with a luxury grooming advertiser; I ended that day with an upscale fashion advertiser. Every single one of whom wants to speak to this new generation of health-focused consumers because they truly are their best consumer. And Men’s Health delivers more of them than anybody else.
If I showed up unexpectedly at your home one evening after work, what would I find you doing? Having a glass of wine; reading a magazine; cooking; watching TV; or something else? How do you unwind?
Richard Dorment: I would say either trying to put my kids to sleep or chasing them back to bed after they come out asking for a glass of water or one of the hundreds of things they typically ask for, or Peloton because it helps me unwind and relax when I get home.
Ronan Gardiner: If you come to my home this evening I won’t be there because I will be running alongside the East River. Then I’ll go home and read a magazine.
If you could have one thing tattooed upon your brain that no one would ever forget about you, what would it be?
Richard Dorment: Vitality. I hope that I can aspire and embody that value. That for me physically, mentally and socially is the goal every day.
Ronan Gardiner: Authenticity. Only because Rich took vitality. (Laughs)
My typical last question; what keeps you up at night?
Richard Dorment: To be totally honest, nothing professional. I think people who are in our business and have sort of ridden this rollercoaster over the last 5, 10, 15 years, if you weren’t comfortable being uncomfortable, you wouldn’t still be here. There’s obviously a lot of excitement, is one way to put it, in our line of work, and I made a conscious decision a long time ago that I was just going to focus on my work and not try to get hung up on what’s going to be happening in 18 or 24 months, because nobody knows.
So, I worry about my kids and I worry about the state of the country and I worry about my 401K. But as far as work, I’ve hired some amazing people. There were some amazing people here before I started and it was a really strong brand. I just show up to work and do the best I can.
Ronan Gardiner: Today I live in the Union Square and so sirens and honking taxi cabs keep me up at night more than anything else. I sleep really well, Samir. (Laughs) Really well. Maybe because I work at the best magazine brand on the planet.
Thank you both.
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