The hottest July and August on record. The sorrow of Orlando. The trials of business in the summer time. The fight with Zika virus mosquitos. Summer 2016 almost is over. We’ve extinguished the Olympic torch. We are ready to prep for Florida’s high season. It’s time to enjoy all that is unique to South Florida. Time to make things happen. Time to try new things, invent new steps and dust off tried and true remedies. We are better for the experience and inspired by our community with its resilience. Hello September! We’ve been waiting for you!
Here at Agenda, we are full of exciting news for our audience and business partners. With growth comes challenges, change and adapting. As I said in June, I am so proud of our team. The writers, art directors and our Editor Richard Hack push each week to make the next week better than the last. Richard carefully considers what is important to you and searches for the stories that you want, need and rely on us to tell. The success of our Pet Issue in July further reinforces that you enjoy, share and respond to themes that are unique to our lives and are presented in fun and informative ways. The coverage of Rio 2016, the gayest Olympics ever by our Creative Director Kevin Broady was groundbreaking, stunningly comprehensive. I know people referred to the LGBT Team guide as the games progressed. I don’t want to push my luck, but fingers crossed that this weekend’s impending storm will pass and we won’t have to pull out the Agenda Hurricane Guide (June 2) and figure out its gay hurricane name.
A couple of weeks ago, we received our custom research report on the Agenda from Community Marketing & Insights. Community Marketing & Insights has been providing research on LGBT audiences to corporations, non-profits, universities and government agencies since 1992. You might remember advertisements this April and May asking you to participate in the LGBT survey. Thank you! So many of you completed the survey that we have a much better handle on who you are, what you want, how you feel and what you are interested in. Again, the power of the vote shines through.
Your input combined with audiences in the top LGBT markets provides our team with not only content focus but also equips our Media Sales Consultants with facts on LGBT buying power and buying behavior. Many times new clients ask us to advise them on the best methods and language to marketing to LGBT. They want to know how to ask for your business. That’s right to ask for your business or even better to invite you to do business with them. Invitation is stronger than permission. When the LGBT consumer is invited to business, we respond and we tell our friends.
Speaking of invitations, I invite you to join me in welcoming the newest member of the Agenda team, Sue Hortujec. Sue is our new Director of Sales South Florida. Sue brings 13 years of experience from WSVN (Channel 7 Fox) and WPLG (Channel 10 ABC) television, where she worked with local businesses and agencies to properly invest their advertising budgets to increase business.? She is relationship focused, creative and driven to make a difference.? Sue is hiring and managing our South Florida sales team working on the Agenda, Next, and Wirld City Guide brands. Originally from Pittsburgh, she now resides in Oakland Park with her partner Michelle who is a Pharmaceutical Rep. In the rare time that she is not working, she plays in numerous tennis leagues, loves to spin, golf, swim, spend time with family and be with friends who must have a large funny bone.? Her personal goal is to dust off her drum kit and eventually play in an AC/DC cover band.
So off we go to September, focused on growth, armed with a strong content team, full of knowledge about what you like,, what you don’t like and what you buy—all the while jazzed that you dig our special issues (Home coming around again and get ready for Top 100), poised with new experienced leadership and looking to add more to our superstar sales team. So long strangest summer ever; hello game changer Fall! (Yes, I am a Dolphin fan!)
