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Results in on The Prevention Challenge
Hefting free weights...hiking steep mountain trails...kickboxing...spinning...and blissing out with a little yoga. Forty Prevention staffers made time for fitness last fall, and now, the results are in: Prevention Challenge winners dropped pounds, boosted strength and flexibility, and improved crucial markers of good health. And, by the way, had fun!
The Challenge
Created and coordinated by Prevention Assistant Fitness Editor Sarah Robertson, "The Prevention Challenge" was a 12-week fitness and weight loss program that ran from early September until Thanksgiving. Every week, participants met at the Energy Center for an hour on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday to work out, lift weights, and try a variety of aerobic classes--from kickboxing, spinning, water aerobics, and FitTrek to yoga, tai chi, a group hike, and more.
Winners and Results
To measure progress, all participants had pre- and post-health testing conducted by the Energy Center staff. These measures included changes in body weight, composition, and inches; aerobic, strength, and flexibility capability; and blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, and bone mineral density (for select at-risk individuals).
Staci Sander, Prevention Contributing Editor and a new mom, won the top prize: a gift certificate for a day of pampering at the Technicolor Salon and Day Spa. How? She lost 14 pounds, dropped 2.5 percent body fat; and whittled four inches from her waist. Her blood sugar went down 12 points; total cholesterol dropped 13 points; "good" HDL cholesterol rose 13 points, while "bad guy" LDL cholesterol plummeted 42 points.
These staffers were runners-up, winning certificates for new workout shoes:
Marianne Bartos, Executive Assistant in the Women's Health Group, lost 13.5 pounds and dropped two percent body fat. Her total cholesterol decreased seven points and LDLs dropped 11 points. "Since the Challenge, I had foot surgery and must stay off my feet for eight weeks, so I can really appreciate the benefits of fitness in a new way. Working out boosted my energy and motivated me to eat healthy foods," Marianne said.
Prevention Alternative Medicine Editor Sara Altshul boosted strength and flexibility. Her blood sugar decreased 14 points, total cholesterol dropped 52 points, and triglycerides fell 86 points. "What The Prevention Challenge proved to me is how easy it is to get healthier," Sara noted. "I didn't diet, and I didn't kill myself. I was amazed to see how much difference a little exercise could make. The best thing was that I also increased my energy and stamina."
Other challenge participants who saw big benefits included:
Kim Mohr, Production Manager for Prevention Specials, lost six pounds and three percent body fat. "It was a nice thing to do, along with Weight Watchers, to help me lose weight. It was fun to work out along with my co-workers. I'm a walker, so I learned a lot of new ways to exercise."
Michele Stanten, Prevention's Fitness Editor and another new mom, lost six pounds and four percent body fat. She took two inches off her hips and thighs, improved flexibility, and dropped total cholesterol by 37 points. "With a six-month-old baby, it's really tough to find time to exercise," Michele said. "Having options and being able to break up my workouts makes it easier. And Jacob is a great substitute for dumbbells!"
Cindi Caciolo, Executive Editor for Prevention Specials, lost six pounds and dropped 1 percent body fat. "It was tough trying to fit scheduled workouts in, but once I got more consistent, the real motivator was the increase in energy I got," Cindi said. "My kids started to work out right beside me, which made the workouts much more fun, and gave me the opportunity to explain to them why fitness is so important."
So the verdict's in on The Challenge. It was beneficial and fun, and the results may be featured in an upcoming issue of Prevention.
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Company's practices are earth-friendly.
Rodale has been a leader in the environmental movement for more than 60 years. From J.I.'s pioneering work on organics (a term he coined) to our championing of an organic lifestyle via Organic Style magazine, the company has always "walked its talk."
One of the not-so-visible ways we celebrate the earth is in our everyday recycling practices. Not only do we separate trash, aluminum cans, plastic, Chinet plates and glass in the familiar dark green receptacles in every cafeteria and office building and recycle paper at our desks; we also incorporate good environmental practices in producing the books and magazines that are our lifeblood.
The accompanying chart shows how much material we recycled in 2001. These numbers include material recycled from the Distribution Center and all Lehigh Valley offices. (Counts are not available for aluminum cans, plastic, tin and glass.)
The Chinet plates used in Rodale Cafés are taken a step further than recycling. In conjunction with the Borough of Emmaus, they are ground up and used to make compost that is distributed free to residents.
Use of Recycled Paper Unprecedented
According to Corporate Purchasing Manager John Kipila, 70 percent of Rodale books are printed on recycled, acid-free paper that is 10 percent post-consumer waste. And the majority of our magazines also use recycled paper: Bicycling, Backpacker, Organic Gardening, Organic Style, Mountain Bike, and Rodale's Scuba Diving.
This use of recycled paper was recognized when Rodale received an EcoPaper Leadership Award from The PAPER (Printing Alternatives Promoting Environmental Responsibility) Project. The Project is a coalition of the nonprofits Co-op America, the Independent Press Association and Conservatree. Frances Moore Lappé, environmental activist and author of Diet For a Small Planet, made the presentation last January. Rodale earned the award for its use of "eco-papers" that have at least 10 percent postconsumer recycled content for coated papers and 30 percent postconsumer content for uncoated paper.
"At a time when conserving our nation's natural resources is more important than ever, these magazines are leading the way in demonstrating to the industry that high-quality publications need not destroy forests," said Susan Kinsella, a national expert on recycled paper and director of Conservatree. Kinsella also noted that Rodale is a standout in an industry where more than 95 percent of publications use no recycled paper at all.
Rodale's commitment to the environment has gone on decade after decade. Our editorial message is always environmentally conscious; our use of recycled paper is unprecedented in the publishing industry; and our emphasis on a healthy, earth-friendly lifestyle is our founding mantra. At Rodale, every day is Earth Day.
For Rodale's guidelines on recycling, see the Village Green.
| Materials | Pounds |
|---|---|
| Books | 1,170,067 |
| Cardboard | 559,115 |
| Magazines | 69,030 |
| Paper | 870,596 |
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Rodale's premiere magazine has flourished since it re-launched in September 2001.
The biggest question in everyone's mind last September when Rodale's oldest magazine, Organic Gardening, re-launched as OG was "How will readers respond?" Five issues later, the answer is clear.
As Lisa Bzibziak of North Collins, New York, wrote: "I just wanted to say that I love this magazine! It may be thin, but the information in it is huge. I made the mistake of subscribing to other gardening magazines. They are four times the size but are filled with fluff. In every issue of OG, I find many useful tidbits that I put to use in my own garden. Thank you!"
According to OG editor John Grogan, "With all the radical changes we made, we were prepared for some backlash. And we did get some negative responses--mostly over the smaller, more sustainable folio. My favorite was the reader who wrote to ask, 'Did you eat too much genetically engineered food and have a massive IQ drop?' But with each issue, the response has grown more positive." One of the reader comments John said the staff most enjoyed was "You've turned the magazine into a lean...mean...organic...information...machine," from June D., DeBary, Florida.
Read 'Em and Rejoice
The numbers bear out this positive reader reaction. More than 8,500 readers responded to an in-book survey in the September/October issue. The findings:
Perhaps the best measure of OG's success has been its strong circulation. "The 300,000 rate base is holding, with consistent bonus to our advertisers and minimal out-of-pocket expense for us," circulation director Tammy Walbert said.
Other indicators show a 17 percent increase in response to inserts in the September/October 2001 issue over the same issue in 2000, in spite of a 25 percent increase in subscription price. Readers are also paying up front--73 percent of the current expire group is renewing with cash and credit card orders, up from 56 percent for the same period last year. And for the 2001 total, subscriptions generated online were 85 percent above projections.
More good news. . . at a time when most Web sites are experiencing decreases in traffic and revenues, organicgardening.com boasts:
Ad Sales Good Despite Slow Market
"Not only have we maintained our ad page levels in a down market, we have increased our page counts in key, non-endemic categories such as automotive, home, and beauty," said publisher Bernadette Haley, "all the while preserving our 10 percent share-of-market in the gardening category." Increasing pages in non-endemic categories include growth of 163 percent in automotive, 149 percent in home, 7 percent in direct response, and 1 percent in beauty/toiletries. A sampling of non-endemic OG advertisers reveals some well-known names: Allergan, Archer Daniels Midland, Bayer AG Group, Clorox Company, Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., and Toyota Motor Corporation.
Celebrating Historic Origins
The first issue of Organic Farming & Gardening, as it was then called, debuted in May 1942. It was a 16-page newsletter that sold for 10 cents a copy. When J.I. Rodale created the magazine, he had a vision to create "a meeting place where...readers will exchange ideas as to their experience with this method of farming." Out of this humble beginning grew a catalyst for one of the most important moments in the 21st Century--the organic living movement.
"We brought OG full circle to a new magazine that embraced the great Rodale family legacy, while staying on the cutting edge of our subject area," John said.
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, OG plans a commemorative September/October issue that will be larger than usual. Highlights include:
Events centered on the anniversary include the Rodale Employee Picnic, which will be held at The Rodale Institute on June 19, a media "fam" trip to meet the OG staff at the Rodale headquarters, as well as extensive press and promotion surrounding the special anniversary issue.
But the celebration of this important anniversary isn't confined to the September/October issue. Since January 2002, each issue has included something special, such as articles written by J.I. and other visionaries of the past, testimonials from readers, and a contest on how reading OG has changed readers' lives.
"We all know about the power of magazines to improve people's lives and change the world around them," said Nancy Small, senior vice president and managing director of Rodale's Organic Living Group. "Over 50 years ago, Prevention was launched out of the pages of OG. Readers responded again last year, demanding that we create a separate publication to serve the organic lifestyle market and once again return OG to its gardening roots. We've had great success listening to OG readers, and I'm confident that will continue to. Out of one small magazine, three magazines now have the power to change our world."
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"We brought OG full circle to a new magazine that embraced the great Rodale family legacy, while staying on the cutting edge of our subject area." --John Grogan, OG editor
(caption) From Organic Farming & Gardening, a 16-page newsletter that sold for 10 cents a copy and debuted in May 1942, grew today's OG.
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While Trade is building on last year's success, Direct Response is rebounding from several years of less-than-stellar performance.
When the company's corporate priorities were announced in February, one of the most important initiatives was to "implement reinvention of our book-publishing program across all content groups." That reinvention has been happening rapidly with the result that book sales are well ahead of both budget and last year's sales.
Trade Books (which produces products sold mainly through book stores) did well last year and is building off a good base. Direct Response Books (which produces products marketed via direct mail) has been struggling to regain its footing. In the first half of 2002, both areas are humming and report very positive results.
Trade Books Benefit from Improved Products, Marketing Synergy
Describing the trend in Rodale's Trade book business, Senior Vice President/Managing Director of Books and Licensing Marc Jaffe said, "We are clearly strengthening and improving the business and growing year-to-year in terms of gross and net sales."
Marc also noted that the business is growing in all trade channels, e.g., chains such as Barnes & Noble, independent book stores, and a range of specialty distribution channels that include large craft store chains such as Jo-Ann's, and retailers such as Urban Outfitters. "We're opening up entirely new channels of distribution for Rodale books," Marc said.
Marc attributes the marked improvement in Trade book sales to:
Another factor contributing to increasing sales is that overused, but highly descriptive word, "synergy." In terms of marketing books, this means that not only are all the components of each content group being used to promote its books, but that synergy is also moving across groups. For example, a Women's Health book such as the upcoming Pilates for Every Body, by Denise Austin, will be advertised and excerpted in Prevention magazine, featured in a direct mail campaign, highlighted on prevention.com, featured on an "Ounce of Prevention" TV tip, and targeted for an e-mail push for online support.
Marc noted that this formula has worked exceptionally well for blockbusters such as Dr. Shapiro's books and can push smaller books to do better than expected. "We've seen this synergy drive unexpected success in a couple of Men's Health books, the latest being The Testosterone Advantage Plan, and in a Rodale General Books title called 8 Minutes in the Morning, by Jorge Cruise. We're able to bring more marketing activities than any of our competitors, and it's paying dividends," he said. As the poster child for synergy, 8 Minutes has hit The New York Times bestseller list and has been number 1 on Amazon.com and among the top 50 for the past 4 months. It has already beaten its annual projected forecast 20-fold.
Reorganization Equals Synergy
How did this increase in marketing synergy come about? "First and foremost, [President and CEO] Steve Murphy deserves a great deal of credit for having the foresight to reorganize the company in a way that created five editorial groups integrated along subject matter, regardless of format and media," Marc explained. For instance, in the Women's Health Group, Prevention magazine, books, online activities, and direct marketing activities are all aligned. This alignment allows all vehicles within each group to support each other.
"On top of that, there are certain of us who wear corporate hats all across the groups," Marc said, "So we drive that synergy." He explained that a year ago at an executive retreat, one of the priorities was corporate synergy. The group identified several projects they wanted to work on, and 8 Minutes in the Morning was one of them. Each content group brought suggestions and commitments on how they were going to support marketing the title. Making this formal effort set the stage for ongoing efforts, Marc said. "We now have the infrastructure in place to continue in this manner." Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tom Harbeck leads the Franchise Management Committee, which is made up of representatives from each group and is charged with generating marketing synergy. Each group brings suggestions on what product should be the subject of a concerted synergy effort. When the product is a Trade book, Associate Publisher Cindy Ratzlaff, who heads Trade marketing and public relations, is charged with taking the title and working across the company to ensure support for it.
Another factor driving book sales is ongoing communication between the Direct Response and Trade groups and Rodale's third-party sales distributor, St. Martin's Press. The groups closely coordinate their marketing efforts with St. Martin's, putting them on notice whenever a mailing for a particular title is scheduled. St. Martin's, in turn, includes these mailings as part of their consumer promotions and advertising material.
"We have orchestrated this synergistic focus on a variety of levels both internally and externally," said Marc. "It's really working, and it's very exciting."
Direct Response Better Than Budget
Direct Response Books has done exceedingly well in the first 4 months of the year, according to Vice President and Publisher of Direct Response Books Gregg Michaelson. "We are doing better than budget, seeing higher response rates for our promotions, and higher payment rates, which obviously means more revenue and more profit, so we're thrilled about that," he said.
These positives are seen in books from all the editorial content groups, but Women's Health is especially strong, with increased sales of backlist titles such as Prevention-branded books, cookbooks, and hint books. Titles such as Joey Green's Magic Brands (selling much higher than budget); The Immune Advantage; Lose Weight the Smart Low-Carb Way; and Get Thin, Get Young have all shown excellent direct response results. In online sales, the Men's Health group is leading the way. For instance, through April more than 13,000 copies of The Testosterone Advantage Plan were sold online, most coming from menshealth.com. "These sales are much higher than we anticipated," Gregg said.
Two more reasons direct response is showing positive results are a significant decrease in the cost to mail book offers, due to better material pricing, and payment rates that are on an upward trend. "Payment has been improving due to initiatives that occurred prior to my coming here," said Gregg, who credits the work of Vice President of Women's Health Circulation Jim Woods and Director of Product Marketing Janine Slaughter in increasing pay-ups.
New Media, New Sources
Looking ahead, Gregg noted that the group's key initiative this year is to increase response by becoming more customer-driven. To do that, they're working on a strategy based on the Customer Lifetime Value Study (See March 2002 WGOH). The group should have a test plan by the end of June, be ready to do a trial mailing in the fourth quarter, and roll out a complete program next year.
Another tactic the group is looking into is direct rights acquisition, which would result in Rodale marketing other publishers' books to its own customers. "In general, it takes 2 years to develop a book concept and roll it out," Gregg said. "We want to reduce that time from 24 months to 7 months by acquiring the rights to other publishers' titles, then marketing them through mailings to our own customer database." The advantage to outside publishers is that books that may have been in stores for a year or two will reach a new audience, as many publishers don't have the leverage in direct response that Rodale has with its large customer database. "We'll try to acquire rights to titles in our core categories and in new categories like history, self help, finance, and spirituality," Gregg explained.
In another move to increase sales, the Direct Response group is moving into a new medium by developing a TV ad for Joey Green's Magic Brands that will air in June.
Gregg said of the group's focus, "We're working together with Trade to maximize the health and profits of the company. In addition to promoting books developed just for Direct Response, we're finding opportunities with books that we previously only looked at for Trade. In the end, if we can build brand equity by putting a lot of promotions in the mail and that helps drive sales in the bookstore, it helps Rodale."
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