BusinessWeek
1211 Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10020
http://www.businessweek.com
The Wind-Up
The "Business Week Investor" section targets financially sophisticated readers who nevertheless still need solid advice on 401(k) plans, life insurance products and estate
planning. The section, which launched in 1999 and runs in the back of BusinessWeek (1 million circulation), also focuses on lifestyle trends tied to spending on health care,
travel, automotives and the latest personal technology gadgets. In November a new page was added, titled "Dividends", to give readers some editorial snacks -- the latest in
disposable cameras, a rundown on the sleepiest drivers in the nation, for example -- before the main courses. The 'Dividends" section usually has five stories while the rest of
the section may run four to five features. Recent pieces in the 10-page section ranged from stories on making the most of your frequent flier miles to a Q/A with Evan Lobel, a
fifth-generation butcher whose family has run Lobel's Prime Meats in Manhattan since 1952, on the secrets of meat grilling. "We like to mix it up," says Jeff Laderman, senior
editor of BusinessWeek, who oversees "BusinessWeek Investor" (since 2000). "Every item is a consumer story with a lead and a ticker." The section also includes columnists Robert
Barker, who provides financial reporting and analysis on various markets, and Gene Marcial, a veteran Wall Street reporter with a "Rolodex you can kill for," Laderman says. "He
might have an interesting take on a well known company or a small company you have never heard of." The section is constantly being tweaked and in the months ahead will feature
more fashion coverage.
The Pitch
Laderman is the main contact and e-mail is the way to go, at [email protected]. You can also contact associate
editor Amy Duncan, [email protected]. Both prefer e-mail at all costs and frown on telephone calls, even for follow-ups.
"If I need to talk to someone I'll call them," Laderman says. Don't try to be cute. To wit, Laderman gets a fair share of pitches from PR executives who coyly ask if he wants to
interview an executive solely based on the fact The Wall Street Journal gave the executive a treatment. "That may work with a small market daily but, thank you very much, we can
judge things for ourselves and the Journal will tell you the same thing." In addition to the Journal, BusinessWeek competes head-on with rivals Forbes and Fortune. There has to be
a strong, personal angle to the pitch. "I get my share of pitches that are real tenuous," Laderman says, "such as one about a start-up company doing something with corporate
security." The section closes Tuesday, so the best time to get in touch with Laderman or Duncan is Wednesday, Thursday at the latest. Deadlines vary; Laderman doesn't plan too far
in advance. Some stories have lead times of several weeks while others are turned around very quickly, depending on the story.
The Follow-Through
In addition to more on men's fashion -- business attire has started to make a comeback in the post-bubble era -- there will be enhanced coverage of women's fashion sprinkled
throughout the section in the months ahead. A special report on leisure travel runs in mid-September and one on business travel in mid-October. In late November, the section will
run a Gift Guide geared to the upcoming holidays. "It's good when the [PR] person has given a little thought to whether the story fits and whether it's appropriate for a personal
service section," Laderman says.