Hearst Magazines is shifting category sales into high gear. Hearst Autos will now handle all automotive advertising sales and marketing initiatives for both print and digital products in the magazine division, a move which puts Hearst in line with competitors at Time Inc. and Condé Nast — at least when it comes to cars.
Once title-specific automotive sales teams will now work under Hearst Autos, allowing the publisher to sell larger, integrated packages across multiple magazine brands. It’s the only category-specific sales team at Hearst so far.
Jill Meenaghan is now in the new role of CMO of Hearst Autos. Previously, she held the title of associate publisher and group marketing director of Hearst Men’s Group. Felix DiFilippo, publisher and CRO of Car and Driver and Road & Track magazines, will expand his role; he adds the title of SVP, integrated sales, automotive. Meenaghan and DiFilippo both report to Nick Matarazzo, Hearst Autos president
“This is a time of dynamic growth for Hearst Autos,” said Michael Clinton, Hearst Magazines president of marketing and publishing director, in a release. “We are leveraging our expertise in every aspect of the auto-buying experience with the power of data and Hearst’s portfolio of brands to drive holistic advertising and marketing solutions for our partners.”
Hearst Autos, formed in 2016, is home to two consumer magazines, as well as the B2B media company Jumpstart Automotive Media. The addition of advertising sales allows Hearst Autos to offer “a full-funnel solution for auto manufacturers and dealers to guide shoppers from inspiration to purchase,” according to the release.
Jason Koenigsknecht, SVP of national sales, will continue to work on in-market sales strategies, and James Tom, SVP of dealer network and enterprise sales, will continue to work on direct-to-dealer sales.
