CoverAwards' Exclusive Interview: Men's Fitness Editor Roy S. Johnson
Johnson’s Goal: Building the “Premier Fitness Magazine for Men”
CoverAwards spoke exclusively with Men’s Fitness Editor in Chief Roy S. Johnson (photo above) about his latest cover hitting newsstands featuring Strauss Zelnick as well as his cover development approach.
Johnson, formerly of Sports Illustrated, took over as EIC of Men’s Fitness in 2007. His goal was to make the magazine “the premier fitness magazine for men.”
According to Johnson, men are taking much better care of themselves and are looking for improvements in their workouts as well as how to handle stress in the workplace.
We began our discussion with a focus on this new issue of Men’s Fitness:
What was the rationale behind putting someone like Strauss Zelnick on the cover?
As a successful businessman with a passion for fitness, Strauss embodies our reader, or who our reader aspires to be. Despite the stresses of being the Chairman of TTI, he manages to stay fit with regular training in the gym (“I schedule my workouts like I schedule meetings,” he says) and by cycling both leisurely and competitively. It also gave us an opportunity to address the future of video games and fitness, which has been sparked by the success of Wii Fit.
In general, who are you looking for as a main cover topic?
Fit men – typically popular celebrities or athletes – whom our readers admire, aspire to emulate, and want to have a beer (or related libation) with! Men who embody the rewards of hard work.
What attributes do you look for in a cover photo?
Attitude and physicality, men whose look tells the reader, “Yes, you can!”
How do you develop your cover lines?
The purpose of cover lines is to convey to potential newsstand buyers and subscribers the value of investing their time and money with the issue. So I create lines that clearly state what you can gain by buying and reading the issue, then following our workouts, training and nutritional strategies. I then craft about a dozen lines based on those stories ( “The Burn Fat, Build Muscle Diet”), strategies (“Lift More than Ever”) or ideals (“Get Your Best Body Back!”). They’re then tested with panel of newsstand buyers and final versions are created based on the results.
What are your best selling covers/favorite covers?
Covers are like your children: You like each of them for different reasons. Our best sellers (in calendar order) are…
Chuck Liddell (April ‘07)
Tiger Woods (August ‘07)
Matt Hughes (Dec/Jan ‘07-’08)
Dana White (June/July ‘08)
and LL Cool J (August ‘08)
Your Favorite Cover (besides Men’s Fitness)
Esquire’s Halle Berry. Duh.
What’s the biggest challenge you face as EIC?
Externally, my challenges are the same as just about everyone else’s: Competing for the time and money of an economically-stretch consumer. How do we motivate and inspire men to embrace our strategies and allow us to help them live the fit life?
Internally, managing costs is certainly a challenge. But perhaps the most difficult is keeping our team motivated and enthused amid challenging and uncertain times in the media industry.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made as EIC?
Whatever it was, I digested it, learned from it and moved on. As a golfer, I try to forget the bad shots and build on the good ones.
Please describe your management style and how you motivate your staff?
Building upon the strengths and weakness of the many bosses I’ve had in my own career, I’ve developed a simply management strategy: Clarity, Communication and Commitment.
Clarity means being clear about my vision for the MF brand (the magazine, but also MensFitness.com, books and events) and the standards that I expect us to uphold in the workplace and in or
Communication cuts two ways. Not only does clarity require clear communication, but an effective communicator also has to be a good listener. Good ideas can come from anywhere. That said an effective communicator is also decisive. Gather information and ideas, then make the call.
Commitment: Your staff has to see your commitment to the brand and the business. That means setting the example in every aspect, i.e. work hours, workplace behavior, writing, editing, etc. Just as important it means making they know you have their backs. In this challenging environment, your team must be able to come to work every day knowing that no matter you appreciate their efforts and that you’ll fight for them.
How is the economy affecting your editorial decisions?
It just challenges us to me even more “on point” about creating content that offers a clear value to the consumer.
Who do you look up to?
God. Down here, anyone with a passion for excellence and integrity.
What do you read in your free time?
What is free time?
How important is online to Men’s Fitness?
Extremely! It’s as much a part of our brand as the magazine. It allows be a part of our readers’ lives every day, rather than only ten times a year. It’s a way to make our strategies interactive and even more relevant to their every day lives.
Visit Men’s Fitness online here. Or, purchase the latest issue of Men’s Fitness here!
Related: Exclusive CoverAwards’ Interviews:
Esquire Magazine’s Editor in Chief David Granger Unveils 75th Anniversary Issue
More Magazine’s Editor in Chief Lesley Jane Seymour
