Economist is No. 1 on Adweek's Hot List

Lucia Moses of Adweek writes about why The Economist magazine is the No. 1 publication on Adweek’s annual Hot List.

Moses writes, “American culture’s loving embrace of The Economist coincides with its stunning business successes here in recent years. Racking up impressive ad and circulation numbers, the news and opinion title has blown past other newsweeklies and business magazines, many struggling to redefine their mission in the digital age. In recognition of the title’s remarkable performance, publisher Paul Rossi and editor [John] Micklethwait are AdweekMedia’s Executive Team of the Year. The magazine also earned the top spot on this year’s Magazine Hot List.

“The London-based Economist began publishing in 1843, but its becoming a force in the U.S. is a relatively recent development, the result of geopolitical events and the publisher’s own strategic moves. Before the ’80s, the brand had no U.S. ad sales presence. Then came 9/11. Three years later, parent The Economist Newspaper Ltd. identified the U.S., along with India and Asia, as growth markets for new readers and advertisers. In January 2005, the company tapped Rossi, a longtime Economist ad salesman who at the time served as publisher of its Web site, to be publisher of the North American print edition and its extensions. Last December, Rossi added the title of executive vp of The Economist Group North America.

“While certainly well-respected, The Economist suffered under the perception that it was difficult to read and was a pure business magazine. To change that, it launched marketing blitzes in major markets including Boston, Baltimore and Denver. Readers and advertisers responded in a big way.”

Read more here.