Conde Nast’s Pam Drucker Mann Ready to Double Down on Livestream Events
Vogue’s exclusive Met Gala red carpet livestream in September has set a template for parent company Conde Nast to repeat its success at future events, according to chief revenue officer Pam Drucker Mann.
On the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Drucker Mann touted the big numbers — 16.5 million views and 54 million minutes watched — as proof positive of what she’ll be selling for Conde Nast’s other blue-chip magazine brands, from a GQ Super Bowl party to Vanity Fair’s annual Oscar bash.
More from Variety
Steve Ballmer Builds a 'Basketball Mecca' as NBA Looks to Future for TV Rights
UTA Media Rights Chiefs Talk Pandemic Book Boom, Streaming's Adaptation Spree
Music Attorney Dina LaPolt Marks 20 Years in the Biz, and 20 Lessons She Learned Along the Way
“We had more viewers of the Met Gala red carpet than ABC had for the Oscars last year,” said Drucker Mann. “And so first of all, what that should be telling you, is that audiences want something different, right? And that also should tell you, is that we kind of hit the nail on the head.”
Listen to the podcast here:
The success of the Met Gala is validation of Conde Nast’s mandate to translate titles best known from their magazine days into full-fledged multimedia brands. The company currently produces content for 80 platforms worldwide, a reflection of a revenue mix for the company that Drucker Mann estimates is nearly three-quarters digital versus print.
2021 has turned out to be a surprisingly strong year for Conde Nast, according to Drucker Mann, who says the company has shaken off the impact COVID had on the publishing business the previous year on the strength of the economy’s rebound and consumers’ shift to e-commerce.
“I will say that we’ve been pleasantly surprised,” said Drucker Mann. “We’re experiencing double digit growth this year, which is not something we anticipated.”
“Strictly Business” is Variety’s weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. A new episode debuts each Wednesday and can be downloaded on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and SoundCloud.
Best of Variety
The Best Pop Culture Halloween Costumes for 2021: From 'Squid Game' to ' Lil Nas X
Best-Selling Celebrity Memoirs: Billy Porter Joins the Ranks
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
