Eric Schrier READER'S DIGEST

Brandweek, March 6, 2000 by Kristina Feliciano

Eric Schrier, former president/CEO of Time Inc. Health, says that any changes he makes to Reader's Digest will not under cut the basic qualities of the magazine. "It's incredibly trusted, and it's down-to-earth and real. That said, can we deliver a magazines that people perceive to be more relevant or more meaningful to their lives, especially talking about the baby boomer?" The first challenge he says, is to "expand the company's cross-media strategies and build the flagship magazine," whose circ fell front 15 million to 12.5 million a year ago.

It will be a good year, claims Schrier, "if we would have made...changes that truly feel like they are being embraced by the baby boom. For Reader's Digest to survive over the long haul, it needs to strengthen its bond with [these readers]," he says.

Another important challenge, he says, is "helping Reader's Digest develop an internet strategy that really builds on the strengths of the company and takes advantage of some of the opportunities of the marketplace."