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| Banikarim |
Ad Age named her one of 23 women to watch. Other executives include women working at Walmart, Heineken USA, and Home Depot.
Banikarim, a former NBC Universal marketing executive, says she's worst at "sitting still." She plans to grow the Gannett brand both by connecting people internally and by bringing in outside perspectives, Ad Age says. One of the first programs she has introduced since arriving at Gannett is a speaker series in which other marketing leaders talk about how they built their business.
She's also been busy going on field visits to meet employees and share communication. "People are surprised at how much you actually learn when you listen," she told the trade publication.
Chief Operating Officer Gracia Martore told Ad Age: "I think you're going to see some wonderful new things coming from Gannett, and they're going to have Maryam's handprint on them."
You may need a subscription to read this Advertising Age piece.
ReplyDeleteRoundup stories like this Ad Age piece are often lightly reported and edited. Ad Age manages to misspell Gannett's name in its headline, then quotes Banikarim's boss at NBC Universal, Jeff Zucker, without mentioning that Zucker got fired eight months ago as CEO of that media giant.
"AdAge, now brought to you by Yahoo! News."
ReplyDeleteor, to their standards...
"Adage bringed to you're computer by yahoo News!"
So Jim what's the point of your post? Not sure I understand your comments. Ad Age is a screwed up magazine?
ReplyDeleteThis is clearly a "ride it to the bottom, make the cash along the way" kind of job for Banikarim. She can't seriously expect to effect any kind of positive change on this company at this point.
ReplyDelete8:16 This story is one of a kind that many newspapers and magazines publish. They fill space cheaply, but are never designed to be deep.
ReplyDeleteThis woman may well be as talented as she is said to be and I wish her well. But she will face a strong headwind in achieving her stated goals in the form of Gannett's horrible internal culture, which is the most indifferent to employees of any company I have ever worked for (the total is about eight).
ReplyDeleteIf you're reading this blog, Ms. Banikarim, let me tell you this: Yes, there are occasional lapses into hyperbole at this website. And yes, there are angry people posting here whose vitriol may link to itra-site politics that are found inside any company. But you would mistaken if you think that there is not a central element of truth underlying it all. Other sites like this one, centered on other newspaper companies (MNI, LEE and others) have either died on the vine or suffer from tiny readerships. Gannett blog, on the other hand, has thrived. The reason is simple: this company enjoys a level of hatred from employees that is remarkable -- even for this day and age. It is not an accident.
That said, I hope Banikarim achieves her goals so that more people can stay employed -- and so my GCI stock value rises.
9:02 put it well. The fact that this blog seems to sustain should be a wake-up for the leaders of a company as important as Gannett. Another phrase to describe the culture is "tone deaf."
ReplyDelete@9:02 a.m. - Arguably though, this blog has thrived because GCI is the largest media company in the U.S. Blogs dedicated to other companies don't have the same central theme, really.
ReplyDeleteI see most of the same problems but none of the dysfunctional management at any other newspaper in this country. No, I take that back. Not any more dysfunctional management at any other company in this country. If this was a political structure, and these were our political leaders, there would be a revolution military coup.
ReplyDeleteSpeak of lemming trolls, just look at the huge number of managers walking lockstep and silent down a path of their own destruction.
Included in the 900 who drank the Kool Aid at Jonestown were those who mixed the cyanide in it.
ReplyDeleteThe reason this particular blog is still going strong is Jim. He reports, and he moderates. Gannettoid tried to fill his shoes while he was gone, but it just wasn't the same.
ReplyDeleteWhich sites has Maryam visited to date? I can't wait to meet her and I am hopeful that she can make the changes to build this company back to what it once was....respected.
ReplyDeleteMaryam's problem is not in the sites. I think she's finding out she can't do anything as long as Gracia and Craig are there. I think her recommendation will be a clean sweep and bringing in an outsider. It's the old "a new broom sweeps clean" routine. Persuading those two that the problem is them is the first and only possible solution. I also think Gracia and Craig see it now. (P.S. I don't think Maryam wants the job and is not making a powerplay. She will probably leave if she can do this one little thing, and she will probably leave sooner if she can't).
ReplyDeleteGracia Martore, we'd be seeing "wonderful new things coming from Gannett" if you and Dubow would step down and out.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who looks more closely at this has to realize the integrity of the structure has been breached and they have to somehow rebuild the walls. It doesn't work when you mix marketing with a news gathering operation: marketing is always going to have brilliant ideas and those in the news operation resent being told that means their news judgement is in question. Get the publishers back on the sales side. That is where they belong and they have a hell of a lot to do there because the business model isn't working, is it? The publisher could deal with the newsroom only through the editor, and the editor has the right not to take his/her call or speak to him. Give reporters beats and let them come up with the stories. If they can't, then they are out, and new reporters are hired. You can rewrite stories if editing doesn't work, but there's no reason some stories can't be published with only light editing. Reporters will read tea leaves.
ReplyDeleteOn the sales side, turn it over to the ADs. Thats why they are there. It doesn't do much good yelling and screaming at them: they know the figures better than anyone. Circulation is another specialty. It's slow and laborious to build circulation, done on weekly increments of ten or 20 papers. The circulation people understand the economics of this, from the labor involved the gasoline needed, etc. No more than two auditors at large papers, located in the newsroom and answerable to both the editor and publisher.
P.S. Dump the consultants. If it's true Payne has hired a consultant to straighten up the Pointroll mess, it doesn't surprise me. It's a typical bureaucratic move. He will accept the consultant's finding, and if it is an instant success, claim it was his insight to hire a consultant to look at this problem. If it's a failure, he can blame the consultant. But he was hired to come up with these solutions, and he should do it himself and accept the consequences. One positive that builds my faith in Maryam is that she has not turned to consultants that I know.
ReplyDelete11:59 Some wisdom there. The Washington Post was a great paper, but allowed the new publisher Weymouth to set up her office in the newsroom. Big mistake. It's a constant reminder to everyone gathering news of the business considerations. They have enough to think of, and don't need this reminder. Publishers should be seen only twice a day: when they come to work, and when they leave to go home.
ReplyDeleteI hope she does visit the sites so she sees who is capable of running this corporation and who still has a vested interest in it. These are the people who will succeed in making it profitable again. The people being promoted are Dickey's friends from Arizona. Just because you like someone doesn't mean they're the right person for the job. Time to put the company's interests first, not Corporate's.
ReplyDeleteHeh 11:59 1985 called and wants its business model back. Talk about living in the past. This worked before 24 hour cable And the web.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is the old model, but news operations cannot work unless there is a trust the reader has in the independence of a report they are reading. Posting Healthnet.Daily reports on new drug trials alongside original USA Today copy just raises questions from readers about what other agenda is working here. I have no idea what Healthnet.Daily is, but I am very suspicious because I recognize one of those involved in it.
ReplyDeleteIntegrity is vital. I don't think we could survive another Jack Kelley eruption, and someone is rolling the dice here.
ReplyDelete1:30 Idiot, do you mean Healthday? There's a story on Your Life today involving a study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine four days ago. No one else seems to have reported on this trial, so I guess Healthday got an exclusive.
ReplyDeleteMight I point out that the New England Journal of Medicine reported it 4 days ago. Not an exclusive.
ReplyDeleteThe more dynamic, powerful people we can get, the better. Unfortunately, they cannot change the existing culture, only the board of directors can. But they have forgotten who they work for: shareholders.
ReplyDeleteLooks exclusive to me. No one else had it but the New England Journal of Medicine.
ReplyDeleteSomeone is clearly sabotaging Heather's operatiion. She wants stories aimed at the young female demographics, and here we have a story about a prostate drug trial. Duh. Women don't have prostates, plus prostate problems are largely a problem of elderly men.
ReplyDelete5:03 Exclusive means it was never published or broadcast before. If anyone -- including a medical journal -- had it first, it's not an exclusive.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing to stop the board of directors from getting involved anytime they want. They could even have a phone conference meeting if they wanted to be assertive.
ReplyDeleteNobody is sabotaging Heather's operation. Just because there's a story about mens health issues? The only one who should be blamed for that site's failings are Heather and her AOL buddies. Can't focus on the big picture or the little picture. Oh well. Time for another promotion!
ReplyDeleteYes, the board could get involved any time it wants. When the stock was down 50%. When it was down 90%. When Dubow double dipped on Gannett Foundation money and passed it off as his own. When USAT circulation fell 500,000 and Hunke's vaunted transformation fizzled. I guess they are waiting for the right opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI dissent. Disobeying Heather's power and prestigue shows a disrespect for USA Today's whole power structure. If she were in the military and did nothing about it, a letter of condemnation would be put in her file and she would be denied further promotions and so forced into retirement. Read the stories about how a mere whisper campaign just destroyed the hopes of Marine Corps. Gen. James Cartwright to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This is how power works:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/us/politics/25chief.html
One rumor of a transgression, immediately and sincerely denied, and whoosh you are out the door.
ReplyDeleteJim was right to point to the rather significant no vote on giving the dynamic duo another year. They pay attention to those things because gross disregard of business errors could be extremely costly and time-consuming for board of directors, most of whom have other real time-consuming jobs.
ReplyDeleteMaryam is no savior. Her first initiative is to have other marketers speak? Really? God help us. Her oversized ego won't be fed enough in this role. She'll move on quickly.
ReplyDeleteBTW, she also did not move to McLean. Just sayin....
8:30 you are so out of line. What ego? What has she done that supports that statement? And who cares where she lives? Gosh you and the other haters don't give an inch. Anyone that's got a title is worthless but you and your pals walk on water. Talk about egos.
ReplyDeleteShe'll be gone by year's end...just sayin'. Where's my beer?
ReplyDeleteWell, that's cool, but it sounds like taking a 20-piece order of Chicken McNuggets and "bringing all the pieces together" to create a live chicken.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just that easy to do this. You see what happens when some dimwit says why not just get the reporters to write what sells, and there's all hell to pay when they put it into play. Give her a chance and let's see what she comes up with and, more importantly, how it will be implemented.
ReplyDeleteYes, Heather needs to remember Marine generals have their own helicopters, a chauffeured car, and everyone weighing every word they say 7/24. Then the next day it's over and they contemplate driving an Arlington Red Top taxi to keep busy, invites to White House parties cease, and relatives start diagnosing early Alzheimers. It must really play games with their minds.
ReplyDeletecan anyone please to explain to me how all these changes and new hires are making one iota of difference with our core business -- newspapers?! We are in the biggest transformation period in the history of newspapers and we don't have a f****** clue how to proceed. We are losing subscriptions daily and advertisers at nearly the same rate. Yet we continue to GIVE THE PRODUCT AWAY online. And we wonder why people quit subscribing and advertising in the dead-tree version? Why don't we have paywalls? Why aren't we developing new and innovative ways to reach readers AND advertisers through our websites? Why aren't we beefing up our web content, giving readers what they want, something they will pay for, making paywalls a viable option? Why aren't we providing reporters and editors with the latest technology to do the cool things online that attract readers? And why in the world are we spending millions upon millions for these ill-fated, poorly staffed design hubs, which have been a fuster-cluck from the get-go and are not necessary? WTF are the leaders of this company doing to keep us relevant? Instead of cutting the content providers, they should be ADDING content providers and CUTTING over-paid vice-presidents who do absolutely nothing. Content providers can help keep us relevant by providing the content that readers want and give us a fighting chance to survive in the digital age. Without content, we are completely sunk, yet those at the top just don't seem to have a clue about that.
ReplyDeleteSorry Jim, 5:03 was intended to be sarcastic for the fellow yelling "idiot".
ReplyDeleteI forgot to apply the sarcasm font.
If I taught a university journalism class, I could do a whole seminar on that exchange.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend in the business who recently was offered $300 by Demand Media if he could come up with 50 original story ideas that had not seen print within two hours. He turned them down.
ReplyDeleteMarayim cannot instill common sense in leaders ar this company. She cannot be a morale builder, nor can she help them avoid bad decisions or ill thought promotions and hires. Other than that, I hope she does a great job bringing the band back together. Rock on, MB.
ReplyDeleteDucolax tablets would help. I was reading my New England Journal of Medicine last week, and ....
ReplyDeleteGannett, in its devine wisdom, hires a sparkling new CMO AFTER launching a sparkling new branding campaign. Only at Gannett.
ReplyDeleteThe exchange on the NE Journal of Medicine being an "exclusive" was scary. As Jim said, if it appeared somewhere else...it CAN'T BE EXCLUSIVE! Journalism 101, folks. Hell, English 101!
ReplyDeleteWe have posters on this blog who have no background in how journalism works. Hell, now we have supervisors in the operating center who have no background or understanding of this business at all.
ReplyDeleteso 9:24 how does Journalism work in 2011? Do you cling to the principles of 1954 and watch every legacy media company go out of busienss or do you change with the times and try and set up new guidelines? No philosophy please. COnsumer buying habits have changed. Only folks over 50 are truly interested in print so tell us how journalism works in 2011.
ReplyDelete11:34 I see media businesses in extreme pain, and I've seen some surrender in panic. But look around and you see quality publications like the WSJ and NYT and perhaps even the LAT, although it is a little spotty and heeling, doing good things. My view is good work are rewarded. Bad work certainly is not.
ReplyDelete11:54 If I had the magic formula, I would be out there as a newspaper consultant and rolling in the big bucks. I don't have any answer for this, except something worked for about a century. It employed a lot of people, and some have been lionized by other media. We ain't dead yet.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm, let's see if this makes sense:
ReplyDelete1) Gannett launches new branding campaign
then....
2) Gannett hires new Chief Marketing Officer
OK, I think I got it.
11:54 WSJ has the best niche in America hands down. NYT is bleeding money and LAT is close to losing the franchise. Next
ReplyDeleteThe NYT seems to be getting along on donations from kindly investors like Carlos Slim. Now I really believe Slim when he says the NYT has a great future so its a great investment. Put that all aside and ask yourself one question: how many donors does USA Today have?
ReplyDeleteMurdoch has spent a fortune investing in the WSJ... multi-million dollar ad campaigns, expensive subscription campaigns, edit, new editions, etc. He's got the money and he is spending it.
ReplyDelete1:19 Meantime, we threw all this money into Pointroll, and we wonder why it isn't performing the way we expected. Did anyone in corporate understand what they were going to do with all this information they are collecting. A lot of worthless knowledge as far as I can see. Murdoch buys things he understands like newspapers and other media properties.
ReplyDelete1:12: Amen.
ReplyDelete1:34 Murdoch isn't infallible, however. He overpaid for Dow Jones & Co. when he couldn't resist owning The Wall Street Journal. And his $500 million-plus investment in MySpace (remember that site?) is now circling the drain.
ReplyDeleteMaryam Banikarim is bringing all the pieces together by 1) hiring high priced consultants to review and push out Robin Pence over Craig Dubow protest 2) hiring high priced consultants to review the absurd marketing restructure and power play created by Jeffrey Wilkes and 3) be an important spy and mole on the bad behaviour of David L. Hunke, Lee Jones, Heather Frank and Ruddman Davis.
ReplyDeleteGive Jones a break! He's doing the best he can with the mess he was handed. He's brought some much-needed energy to this place.
ReplyDelete2:18 Yes, you are right. That has always been the criticism of Murdoch and why I won't follow his way of doing business. Yet, somehow, he comes out of all this smelling roses. How does he do it? Is it all a hall of mirrors like Conrad Black's empire or that of Robert Maxwell, who appearently drowned himself. Interesting for our discussion here is that both Black's Chicago Sun-Times and Maxwell's London Mirror are still publishing (somehow), in spite of those seemingly insurmountable financial hurdles caused by the collapse of Black's empire and Maxwell's death. I could provide other examples just like this.
ReplyDeleteJim, you are very right. These Ad Age magazine advertorials are light weight and designed only to sell advertising and tickets the gala. How much did that juvenile looking Gannett ad about Banikarim cost on page 25 and how many $2000 tables will Gannett buy for the 8/10 party at the Waldorf Astoria?
ReplyDeleteIs Banikarim the CMO of Gannett or the CMO of USA Today? I thought she replaced Wilkes or is she just having to do two jobs at once like all the rest of us.
ReplyDelete5:13 She is CMO only of Gannett, although she certainly would have some influence over USA Today marketing.
ReplyDelete4:58 wow. Gannett paid for an ad to support one of their own executives receiving a lame listing? geez. Get me the hell out of this nightmare. Great move Maryam! People are getting laid off and you're already jumping on the executive spend wagon.
ReplyDelete3:46 Lee Jones does not have the respect of the USAT sales staff....so not sure why you say he's brought energy. You clearly are either Jones himself or seriously out of touch.
ReplyDeleteThe next time an executive thinks about spending money, realize these are real people's lives who are being affected. I'm cutting and pasting the below post because it struck me in the heart. Yes, we all know layoffs are necessary in the newspaper business today. BUT at least act like you care about the many lives affected.
ReplyDeleteCraig Sevier said...
I was a loyal employee at my site for 25 years. I worked nights. I worked days. I worked holidays and lots of overtime. Skipped breaks. Skipped lunches. Came in early. Stayed late.
All this time, my work was well-known for its consistent accuracy, design and literate copy editing, both within and outside the building. Until, that is, they brought in new upper management who didn't even bother to ask any questions.
I was introduced as "Chris," not Craig, my nameplate right there on my desk, by an exec who had no clue as to what I did and for so long a time.
He told the person I was being introduced to that I did legal notices, when I was a design artist. Well known to others -- but not to the new, disconnected upper management who could not presume to dirty their manicured nails.
Moreover, on my final day, for all my time spent, all that work being valued, all I got was a mid-level manager sent to send me off, coming up to me, who shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well? I guess that's it." Twenty-five years almost to the day. In my 50's, I even walked to work in the snow when others stayed home. "That's it."
I mentioned this before on this blog, and I thought it needs repeating. Dignity? Gannett doesn't know the meaning.
Caveat: one director did stop me in the foyer just as I was leaving, my head spinning. I was surprised because the executives I ultimately answered to could only be bothered to send an underling, a good-hearted woman who couldn't find the words and obviously felt awful being put in that position.
The director in the foyer, who oversaw a completely different function than the others I directly answered to, he had the character, the decency and the sincerity to shake my hand and say "Thanks for all you've done."
Still, it was a surreal experience, 25 years a milestone (and they weren't spent skating), and for that no letters of recommendation, not even a rubberstamped pre-signed card from my own execs.
5/27/2011 3:02 PM
Looking up the Advertising Age advertising rates and the full page for Banikarim cost the Gannett employees $29,125.
ReplyDeleteJim your 5:16 comment shows how out of touch you are. The days of USAT not being part of Gannett stopped long ago. Yes MB is responsible for Gannett Marketing which I know how much this hurts to hear includes USAT, Welcome to 2011
ReplyDeleteWhere is Cathie Black?
ReplyDelete8:48 Jim is correct under the traditional structure, but you seem to indicate there is some new structure operating. If the business has changed, why has not GCI announced this publicly, since this is a general business decision stockholders need to know, and are required to be told. I suspect what you are saying was correct at once point, but it has stopped in mid-stream because I think the powers that be see the adverse consequences that would result. One simple example of the problem: if they tell the employees of USA TOday that they are no longer a newspaper, I think there would be a flood of younger people out of the paper because they would realize working for a shopper would affect their careers adversely.
ReplyDeleteHey @11:34 am...Here's how journalism works in 2011. Cut to the newsro...er, information center. The camera zooms in on "The Hotline" (every information center has to have a hotline). It rings. It rings again. A hard-nosed reporter (there I go again- they're all gone), I mean, an over paid columnist looks at his watch and wishes whoever had chinese food delivered would pick up the phone. It rings again. Finally, an administrative assistant to the VP of something-or-other answers it on her way back from adding a fresh coat of nail polish to her texting finger. What's that? she asked loudly. News is happening??? Hey she yells, news is happening!!! The overpaid columnist looks up briefly then goes back to updating his facebook page. Just then, the Sr ME, the ME, the Deputy ME, a couple of Assistant ME's and the director of photography exit their third meeting of the day. News is Happening??? they all ask. Now comes the fun part. Cue the Yakety Sax music (aka the Benny Hill Chase music) and watch 'em go! Welcome to journalism Gannett-style in 2011.
ReplyDeleteIf they are dissolving one of the divisions of GCI, they have to announce it, even if it is just merging USA Today into Gannett. Otherwise, they can expect a huge lawsuit from disgruntled stockholders who were not told that something that makes up a huge part of this company's fortunes is being dissolved.
ReplyDeleteWhat they want to do is take USA Today and jump to the Internet. But they see a phase-in period will be needed where the newspaper lives on in some form. The greedy b's don't want to forgo the advertising revenue they are getting from the print product of USA Today while they build the Web site even more to be a broader site. They are salvating at the savings they will make by scrapping the print product, but they don't see but a fraction of that money made from the Web.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very interesting period, and you see the closed-door meetings all over the place.
Meanwhile the paper really sucks these days. They are leaving stories up on the Web for three or four days. The managers aren't coming up with the story ideas as they used to because everyone is distracted.
ReplyDeleteHeather needs to be asked for her opinion. She is afterall a powerful and dynamic leader.
ReplyDeleteLocal market site visits for Maryam and Payne have included about a dozen locations including Indy, Cincy, DesMoines, Twin Cities, Rochester. Nashville. No additional local sites are on the agenda as part of the introductory tour.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding everyone is distracted at USA Today. Who wouldn't be with a slow-motion train wreck going on around you?
ReplyDeleteHunke's so-called Transformation has almost completely disrupted a working newsroom. Then someone had the bright idea of turning these hobbled newsrooms into beta-testers for NewsGate. Panic and despair has taken the place of confidence and enthusiasm. I dread going in to work each day.
As for Maryam, I wish her the best, but it's not going to be easy marketing a company whose top executives act like feudal lords. And it's really not going to be easy with this blog here to remind everyone who can do a Google search for Gannett that these multimillion dollar raises and bonuses were given for gutting operations, weakening the product beyond repair and ruining lives.
Maryam, do you care about employee morale? Show us some love.
ReplyDeleteWe need some decent leadership.
Management hates this blog and there are a lot of ugly bitter posts. But under it all, there is a truth nobody can deny: employees feel isolated and unheard.
There are some amazing people at Gannett who wish someone would step up and be a real leader.
@5:56 a.m., What? They didn't visit the Mother Ship in Wisconsin? What a slap.
ReplyDelete11:13AM: The sites that were visited, aren't those the sites where most of Dickey's AZ people reside at now?
ReplyDeleteHunke has a new plan to boost morale: make EVERYONE a vice president.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean Heather Frank gets a special title and more power so not to feel slighted? Appearances over substance are paramount on her team, after all.
ReplyDelete10:19am said it best, "There are some amazing people at Gannett who wish someone would step up and be a real leader."
ReplyDeleteAs for morale, Gannett is long overdue for an anonymous employee survey covering everything from product to people. Why not ask what's working, solicit ideas and opinions on how to improve content and grow the business. Many employees believe Gannett leadership has forgotten we're in the content business. As content goes, so goes readers, eyeballs and advertisers on whatever platform. Leaving online stories up for several days is just plain stupid, lazy or both. Turning dailies into unglorified newsletters is the reason why advertisers are deserting the medium. Moving on-air broadcast personalities in and out of anchor chairs doesn't give viewers the chance to grow comfortable or attached to the talent or the show.
That's what Maryam needs to recommend. Like 10:19am said, there are some amazing people at Gannett, seek and ye shall find.
"One of the first programs she has introduced since arriving at Gannett is a speaker series in which other marketing leaders talk about how they built their business".
ReplyDeleteIs that so Martore, Dumbo and other Gannett executives can finally learn what MARKETING is?
Jim,
ReplyDeleteShe's collecting a paycheck from "morons" until the better opportunity comes. GCI has ZERO story. Maybe she'll turn Momlikeme into Ivillage...good luck