Lewis D'Vorkin
OXFORD, Miss. – One of Lewis D’Vorkin’s daily habits is to scan the 60 framed magazine covers lining the marble staircase of the Forbes office in New York City.
The covers, which date back to October 2010, feature the no-nonsense, people-centric design recognized as the Forbes brand.The brand is clear, simple and unwavering, said D’Vorkin, chief product officer of Forbes Media. It is also the driving force in the rapid growth and development of Forbes.com.
D’Vorkin will discuss how a magazine can drive a powerful digital publishing platform today (April 10) at the University of Mississippi. The 8 a.m. presentation in the Overby Center Auditorium is free and open to the public.
Charlie Mitchell, assistant dean of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media, said he is looking forward to D’Vorkin’s visit.
“Forbes is undergoing transformational changes in its publications,” said Mitchell, also assistant professor. “They are actively addressing the changes in the industry and figuring out how to deal with it. It is a great time to invite them to share tips and strategies with our students.”
The company’s online presence has experience unprecedented growth since D’Vorkin joined in 2010. Data from Omniture, a widely used industry reporting tool, shows Forbes.com doubled its audience between 2010 and 2013.
While the magazine is certainly different from the web product, the key to the success of both is to keep it simple, D’Vorkin said.
“In print, the audience wants it straight – a beginning, middle and end with few detours. Online, the audience wants to mix it up, but you must still keep it simple,” he said. “The 60 magazine covers are a daily reminder to me of the intersection points between print and digital. Forbes magazine, just like Forbes.com, has adapted to our digital times, but our brand must keep that consistent, gimmick-free cover strategy that respects the reader’s desire for timely and informative stories that feed a fascination with agents of change – and their social, or interest, graphs.”