New FMA Board Member Spotlight: Catherine Walters
New FMA Board Member Spotlight: Catherine Walters
Title and Company: Publisher, Morris Communications Company
FMA Member Since: 2017
Magazine(s): Orlando Magazine, Where GuestBook & Where QuickGuide
Circulation: 31,000 / 22,000 / 480,000
Target Audience: Orlando Residents / Orlando Visitors
Frequency: 12 / 1 / 2
Website: https://www.orlandomagazine.com/
Why did you decide to join the FMA Board? What do you hope to accomplish during your time on the Board?
The FMA has done so much for our publication, and I wanted to give back! During my time on the FMA Board, I will aim to offer insights on analytics and digital trends, audience acquisition, and recent successes.
Tell us a little about your publishing background.
My primary focus over the last 25 years has centered on Marketing. I was a manufacturer’s representative for brands like Neutrogena and Aveeno for nearly a decade, with an emphasis on the state of Florida. I joined Morris Communications Company (formally Morris Media Network) in February 2017 as their Director of Marketing. As the industry evolved, so did my role at the company, and I soon began working closely with the country’s largest printers and distribution teams. Today, our local team produces and distributes over 500,000 print publications in the market annually.
Tell us a little about Orlando magazine. What is your vision for the magazine over the next five years?
For 75 years, Orlando magazine’s mission has been to consistently offer readers compelling local content that is both entertaining and informative, and to provide information that will drive decision-making. Food and drink, travel, entertainment, people and trends—if it’s part of Orlando’s lifestyle, you’ll find it covered in Orlando magazine. Over the next five years, we aim to grow our subscriber base, improve our paper quality, and be THE local magazine for Central Florida residents.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Florida’s magazine publishers?
I believe our biggest challenge lies in the Creator Economy. Thanks largely to platforms like Instagram and YouTube, people are spending more time consuming content created by individuals. And viewers are increasingly seeking out platforms featuring amateur content instead of professionally produced content. In 2021, there were an estimated 50 million content creators. The oversaturation of content will challenge us to further our unique value propositions, and task us to know our reader better than ever before.
What are the biggest opportunities for the magazine industry?
The magazine industry has several large opportunities currently, including the incorporation of special editions as added-value for the reader, an audience-first approach, and the rise in the analogue experience (a direct challenge as the metaverse becomes mainstream).
Tell us a little about what you like to do when you’re not publishing magazines.
When I’m not publishing magazines, I love experiencing all things Orlando! From Orlando City soccer games and Beefy King sandwiches, to exploring our city’s districts and unique offerings, I spend most of my time off enjoying what Central Florida has to offer!