Advertising Manager Annual Report 2019

submitted by Stephen Mantz

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  1. Update all documentation so that a smooth transition to the next Advertising Manager can occur in spring 2019:  The Advertising Manager Handbook was thoroughly updated by the outgoing Advertising Manager, Scott Stone. This documentation, as well as the files available on the Advertising Manager’s Google Drive account, provided the information  necessary for a transition that was relatively seamless for advertisers and straightforward for the new manager. In addition, Scott made himself available for consultation throughout the following months. He continues to be a valuable resource. The new Advertising Manager expresses his sincere appreciation to Scott for his guidance and assistance and to James Zychowicz of the MLA  Business Office for his ongoing support.
  2. The Advertising Manager will begin to handle program advertisements for the annual MLA conference. Ensure a smooth transition of these duties which previously have been handled by the Assistant Convention Manager: Moving the responsibility for the program advertisements to the Advertising Manager was a great success. With the knowledge and contacts gained through coordinating Notes advertising, the manager was well-equipped to handle the additional responsibilities. The transition was smooth and the efficacy of the move was demonstrated by a marked increase in conference advertising for the 2019 meeting in St. Louis (see goal 3).
  3. Improve annual conference advertising: The increase in conference advertising for the 2019 annual conference was significant. In the print program, 26 advertisements were placed, resulting in revenues of $5660. This is an increase in revenue of $3640 over the 2018 meeting, an increase of approximately 180%. The conference website provided $1100 in revenue over the course of 4 months, with 6 ads placed by 3 different advertisers. This is an increase of $250 over the previous year.
  • In addition to the increase in conference advertising, it should be noted that Notes advertising also saw a strong year. Advertising revenues for Notes vol. 75 (September 2018-June 2019) totaled  $24,144. This amount represents an increase of $1856 (approx. 8.3%) over the previous year. There was an average of 29 advertisers per issue (including exchange ads with other affiliated societies).
  • Revenue from ads on the MLA website also increased in 2018-2019. Website ads generated $8400, an increase of $1450 over the previous year.

List of Future Goals

  1. Maintain revenues and build on the strong fiscal year 2019 in all three areas of advertising: Notes, MLA website, and conference advertising. This goal is in support of MLA Strategic Plan Objective 1 in the area of Organizational Excellence: Develop and sustain the resources to ensure the vitality of the Association, its programs and services.
  2. Continue the ongoing evaluation of advertising policies and procedures. This goal is in support of the Strategic Plan statement in the area of Organizational Excellence: MLA’s operations are efficient, effective and transparent.