Harvard Business Review overhaul pays off

Jeremy Peters of the New York Times writes Monday about the Harvard Business Review and the success of its recent changes.

Peters writes, “According to the Review’s figures, unit sales on the newsstand, where copies cost $16.95, are up 19 percent. New blogs and additional content on its Web site have pushed up visits. Page views in April grew to seven million, compared with 600,000 four years ago, the Review said.

“Among the features that are drawing attention are very un-Harvard Business Review-like items — especially features like a Q. and A. with the comedian Ricky Gervais, below. Mr. Ignatius proudly pointed to other reader feedback that landed in his in-box recently.

“‘Just want to compliment you on the quality of HBR. I have never seen it better,’ said one e-mail Mr. Ignatius shared that was signed ‘Jeff,’ as in Jeffrey R. Immelt, the chief executive of General Electric.

“The magazine has also signed several new advertisers this year, like Cartier, British Airways and Goldman Sachs. Circulation, after falling in 2008 and 2009, was essentially flat in 2010, at 237,000.”

Read more here.