Life At Bonnier - September 2010

Meet Libby VanderPloeg

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-30
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GROW participant Libby VanderPloeg trades magazines for book design, Brooklyn for Stockholm.

Libby VanderPloeg has been working as an art director at Bonnier Corporation for two years with Saveur and now the Luxury & Lifestyle Group. The native Midwesterner has lived in Brooklyn, New York since 2006 but now she'll be spending the next months in Stockholm as a GROW participant.

It's Time for GROW Again

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-30
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GROW, Bonnier's exchange program for 2011, is looking for applications. Wouldn't you like to work in another country? BMU's Elisabeth Palombo explains.

It's time again to consider working in another job, another company, another country - without leaving Bonnier or your old job behind. GROW, Bonnier's global rotation program is now looking for participants for the three terms of 2011. "We have new jobs, new companies and new countries this year," says Elisabeth Palombo of Bonnier Media University and manager of the GROW program.

Meet Craig Kotilinek

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-24
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GROW participant at Äripäev in Estonia turns his focus back to the basics: storytelling.

Craig Kotilinek has traded the sun and palm trees of Winter Park, Florida for the historic Estonian capitol of Tallinn. In Florida he worked as new media editor for the Travel Group at Bonnier Corporation but his recent move as a GROW participant means he'll be spending three months focusing on new areas: "My GROW job is a photographer and video producer for Äripäev, a business daily in Tallinn," he says.

Cappelen Damm a Hit at the Oslo Book Festival

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-22
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Norwegian publisher Cappelen Damm drew thousands at the inaugural Oslo Book Festival.

The first-ever Oslo Book Festival has been a smashing success. With over 130,000 visitors, the event far exceeded expectations. "We hoped for 70,000 and dreamed of 100,000," said festival chairman John Tørres Thuv. "It's clear that the festival is now a tradition in Oslo."

Meet Katie Maggio

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-22
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For GROW participant Katie Maggio, coffee breaks are more than just coffee and a cinnamon bun, they're about team building.

Katie Maggio arrived in Stockholm just in time for her 24th birthday. The North Carolina native has been working within the corporate research department at Bonnier Corporation in New York for the past two and a half years, where she is currently a digital research analyst. That is until she moved to Stockholm as part of the GROW program to work at Bonnier Tidskrifter as a research analyst.

Trends to Watch for in Digital Media from Bonnier R&D

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-21
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Bonnier's Björn Jeffery looks at big changes that are transforming the media industry.

How is "playfulness" changing the media landscape? More than you think, says Björn Jeffery of Bonnier R&D and Bonnier Digital, who defines playfulness as integrating game mechanics into everyday life, for example collecting points for specific actions, such as driving a car more environmentally, to compete with yourself or others.

Five Mile Press Wins With Barbie

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-20
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Mattel awarded its Licensee of the Year to Five Mile Press for its Barbie collection. The publisher won for most outstanding sales growth and development over the past 12 months.

She may be 51, but Barbie doesn't look a day over 19. The world famous doll - it's estimated over a billion have been sold - is one of the major licensed brands of Australian publisher the Five Mile Press. The company first started with the Barbie brand in 2008. A mere two years later, the Five Mile Press was awarded Licensee of the Year by Mattel, the originators and owners of the Barbie brand. The award was given to the company for the most outstanding sales growth and performance over the past 12 months.

Outdoor Life Goes Real Time

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-17
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With Live Hunt and Record Quest, Outdoor Life gets its readers up close with in-the-field videos. Editor-in- Chief Todd Smith talks about the magazine and real-time filming.

The offices of Outdoor Life magazine stand in the heart of Manhattan, but the heart of Outdoor Life is in the wilds of America. "At times it's hard being an outdoor editor in New York, simply because so few people in New York City understand the hunting and fishing culture," says Editor-in-Chief Todd Smith. "Fortunately, I am able to travel to those places where great hunting and fishing are a way of life.

Fall Fun

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-16
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Tips for autumnal activities from Bonnier.

Whether it's Oktoberfest, hunting or mushroom gathering, Bonnier has recommendations for what you can do as the days grow shorter and the temperature drops.

  • Hungry for wild game?

Team 15 Combines Strength of Bonnier Publishing

By Bert Menninga on 2010-09-16
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A cross-company group, Team 15, breaks down boundaries within Bonnier Publishing to create new synergies and forge bonds across countries.

Working across boundaries is a great idea, but not always so easy to achieve. So when Richard Johnson became CEO of Bonnier Publishing in 2009, one of the challenges he faced was breaking down corporate and geopgraphic barriers within the different companies within the group. One idea that he came up with became a reality in February 2010, when he created Team 15.