January 14, 2014
Who’s the hottest guy in town? The hardreading staff votes for Mike Sheehan, who does a daily double in today’s Boston Herald.
Sheehan, the former CEO and current part-time chairman of high-octane ad agency Hill Holliday, is first Heralded here.
One Fund organized in mere hours
Menino reached out to Hub leaders day after bombings
The morning after the April 15 marathon bombings, former Mayor Thomas M. Menino started calling local business and community leaders. He told them they had seven hours to create what would become The One Fund before he announced it at 5 p.m. that night.
“There was an immediate understanding of the urgency at hand,” said James Gallagher, executive vice-president of John Hancock, at an advertising conference in Boston yesterday. “We got underway right away.”
“The number one thing we had was a deadline,” Hill Holiday Chairman Mike Sheehan said, adding he has never worked on a project with the scale or urgency of what would become The One Fund.
“It took 15 minutes to design a logo,” Sheehan said — a blue “1” on a yellow background, modeled after a marathon bib.
“Everybody knew how to do their job, and we just did it,” he said.
The next day, Sheehan added, they had “a pile of checks 5 feet high, wide and long.”
Since then Sheehan has been hired as a consultant by the Boston Globe to help improve advertising sales. It’s in that capacity that he does his second turn in the feisty local tabloid.
Adviser: Globe no hobby for John Henry
Former Hill Holliday CEO Mike Sheehan said yesterday his new gig as an advertising adviser to Boston Globe owner John Henry is focused on maximizing revenue, and didn’t rule out a rebranding of the broadsheet, while emphasizing Henry is treating his own 
role as a “full-time job.”
“The Globe has a very attractive audience,” Sheehan told the Herald. “Like any media operation, they have to be vigilant about making sure their advertisers know that and that they have great opportunities to reach them.”
Sheehan said there’s no set timetable for how long he’ll be advising the broadsheet. “To be perfectly frank, I just want to help where I can help for as long as it takes to really make this place start humming,” said Sheehan, who is chairman of the Hub ad agency.
Of course saying the stately local broadsheet is not a Henry hobby only makes people think it is.
Clever those Heraldniks, eh?
1 Comment | 
Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Marathon bombings, Hill Holliday, James Gallagher, John Hancock, John Henry, Mike Sheehan, One Fund, Thomas M. Menino | 
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January 13, 2014
As the hardwalking staff set out on its post-prandial promenade last night, we happened upon WBUR’s rebroadcast of Boston Red Sox/Boston Globe owner John Henry’s address to the local Chamber of Commerce last week. Most news reports mentioned that the Globe would explore new ways of attracting advertisers and sponsors to help build its revenue base, but the Boston Business Journal was a bit more forthcoming:
[Henry] heralded the Globe’s ongoing roll-out of a new, sponsored sports product — The Score — while saying little about how the new section will differ from the newspaper’s traditional sports coverage or why advertisers might direct their marketing dollars toward one option versus the other.
Question #1: Where is the sponsored content in The Score? We’re looking at Sunday’s edition of the “sponsored sports product” and all we see is an ad for Sullivan Tire, an ad for Jaguar Woburn, and a whole lot of nothing else.
Question #2: What exactly will Globe sponsors – assuming there are any – get for their money?
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Business Journal, Boston Globe, Boston Red Sox, Globe sponsor, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, iTunes, John Henry, The Score, WBUR | Permalink
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January 10, 2014
Both local dailies reported yesterday about Boston Red Sox/Boston Globe owner John Henry’s plans for his new newspaper acquisition, which he detailed at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast on Wednesday.
And both local dailies reported about Henry’s philanthropic plan to support local non-profits.
From the Herald:
[Henry] spoke vaguely about finding new ways to recruit sponsors and advertisers for Globe content, and unveiled a gift-voucher program for subscribers to support their favorite charity.
From the Globe:
Henry said the Globe will employ new approaches aimed at increasing advertising and will encourage companies and organizations to use ad pages in different ways. He also unveiled a program to give Globe subscribers vouchers they can direct to their favorite nonprofits. Those charities will be able to cash in the vouchers for advertising space with the Globe.
What the piece in the stately local broadsheet failed to mention was this:
That full-page Globe ad (page A12) signed by Mrs. John Henry says more about the Mister’s plans for the Globe than any news story.
Can Tonya Mezrich, Arts Editor be far behind?
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: 501(c)(3), Arts Editor, Boston Globe, Boston Globe Media Partners, Boston Herald, Boston Red Sox, Globe Readers and Non-Profits Together, GRANT, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, John Henry, Linda Pizzuti Henry, Tonya Mezrich | Permalink
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January 9, 2014
Boston Red Sox/Boston Globe owner John Henry made a rare public appearance at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast yesterday and made news with his announcement that he might sell the Morrissey Boulevard property and will appoint a new COO of the Globe 
now that publisher Christopher Mayer has stepped down.
The question is, what is a COO?
The Globeniks better hope it’s nothing like the chief content officer position Time, Inc. recently established for its publications.
As the hardtracking staff at Sneak Adtack noted last fall, Time, Inc. CCO Norman Pearlstein is now the person that both the business side and the editorial side report to, “leading some to wonder whether business interests would now trump those of edit.”
According to New York Times columnist Joe Nocera, Pearlstein “praised the model being developed by Forbes magazine, which includes ‘sponsored’ content alongside the work of its staff writers. He said that the business side would not be able to hire an editor unless he went along with it.”
Be afraid, Globeniks. Be very afraid.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Red Sox, chief content officer, Christopher Mayer, COO, Joe Nocera, John Henry, Morrissey Boulevard, New York Times, Norman Pearlstein, Sneak Adtack, Time Inc. | Permalink
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December 14, 2013
From our Boston Globe/John Henry Watch desk
Friday’s Boston Globe featured this piece on Metro Page One:
City OK’s Fenway beer sale changes
State must still sign off on plan
Fenway Park bills itself as a fan-friendly venue, and next season promises to be a little friendlier for customers who enjoy a beer or a little hard alcohol with their peanuts and Cracker Jacks.
The Boston Licensing Board on Thursday approved requests from the Red Sox to expand sales of liquor to three more stations 
inside the 101-year-old ballpark and to allow sales of all alcohol until the end of the seventh inning. Through last season, the cutoff had been 2½ hours from the first pitch or the end of the seventh inning, whichever came first.
With many games lasting more than three hours, a leisurely pace that suits the Red Sox more than most Major League teams, the elimination of a time limit could result in an increase in alcohol sales.
And an increase in beer bottles, in order to “curb the long lines that often form at concession stands, where each beer is poured into a cup.”
Next season, customers can opt for a bottle instead of a draft beer and walk away with an opened container.
Licensing Board chairwoman Nicole Murati Ferrer said the panel did not consider bottles to be a safety issue.
“With this particular ballpark and the fans that we’ve had, there’s no history of projectiles being used” outside long past, isolated incidents, Murati Ferrer said.
Right. Until the Beerded – sorry, Bearded – Ones start losing games.
But what’s really lost in this report is any disclosure that Fenway Park owner John Henry also owns the Boston Globe.
Memo to the stately local broadsheet: Good news is not no news.
P.S. It’s Cracker Jack, not “Cracker Jacks.”
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Bearded Ones, Beerded Ones, Boston Globe, Boston Globe/John Henry Watch, Boston Licensing Board, Fenway Park, John Henry, Nicole Murati Ferrer | Permalink
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October 31, 2013
On a day that the Boston Globe has produced fabulous, comprehensive coverage of last night’s Red Sox World Series Championship win, it might be easy to miss (and churlish to note, some would say) that the New York Times provided 50% of the paper’s A section today. (Associated Press 27%, Boston Globe 22%).
Page A4 was entirely picked up from the Times.
Don’t get us wrong: We realize the majority of the Globe’s A section has to consist of wire-service reports; that’s the reality of the Texas-chainsaw newspaper business. Beyond that, we recognize the Globe is a big local newspaper with a big local footprint.
Not every day, though, features a World Series win. Almost every day, on the other hand, features an A section that’s Times Lite. Given the financial relationship that Red Sox owner John Henry just ended between the Globe and the Times, the latter’s lingering presence seems, we dunno, weak. And 50% is a lot of lingering.
Media Nation’s Dan Kennedy made a strong case last week about Why John Henry should dump Times content. Today’s edition only buttresses that.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Associated Press, Boston Globe, Boston Red Sox, Dan Kennedy, John Henry, Media Nation, New York Times, Times Lite, World Series, World Series Champions | Permalink
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October 28, 2013
Maybe it’s just us, but John Henry’s full-page manifesto in yesterday’s Boston Globe feels like the biggest self-indulgence this side of Shake Shack.
Here’s how it starts:
Why I bought the Globe
I HAVE been asked repeatedly in recent weeks why I chose to buy the Globe. A few have posed the question in a tone of incredulity, as in, “Why would anyone purchase a newspaper these days?” But for the most part, people have offered their thanks and best wishes with a great deal of warmth. A number of civic and business leaders have also offered their help. I didn’t expect any of these reactions, but I should have.
Over the past two months I have learned just how deeply New Englanders value the Globe. It is the eyes and ears of the region in some ways, the heartbeat in many others. It is the gathering point not just for news and information, but for opinion, discussion, and ideas.
Truth is, I prefer to think that I have joined the Globe, not purchased it, because great institutions, public and private, have stewards, not owners. Stewardship carries obligations and responsibilities to citizens first and foremost — not to shareholders.
Uh-huh. That’s what they all say at first. It may or may not be different this time, but here’s what Henry says will be different in his restyling of the Globe:
• “The print newspaper will be attractive and easier to navigate. So too will BostonGlobe.com, which will provide subscribers with news updates and fresh information throughout the day.” Wait wait – back up. The print edition will be easier to navigate? What does that mean – fewer pages?
• “We will provide what we will call the Globe Standard when it comes to curated links that will ensure our readers do not waste their time when they click on news, reviews, writers, columnists, ecommerce, events, opportunities, and social engagement from any of our platforms.” Yeesh.
• “I feel strongly that newspapers and their news sites are going to rely upon the support of subscribers to a large extent in order to provide what readers want.” That sound you just heard is the price of the Globe going up.
The rest is a combination of oversharing and news media bromides. The one thing Henry does not promise is a firewall between the Globe and the Red Sox. Maybe because it was easier to navigate this piece without it.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Red Sox, Globe Standard, John Henry, Why I bought the Globe | Permalink
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October 20, 2013
World-Series-bound Red Sox owner John Henry is also newspaper-bound Boston Globe owner John Henry.
But not so fast, says crosstown rival Boston Herald.
Globe holds off closer
Sale with John Henry slides
The John Henry era will soon begin at The Boston Globe — though not as early as originally hoped — as the broadsheet prepares to end 
two decades under the control of its out-of-town overlords.
A source close to the deal told the Herald yesterday that finalizing the purchase and executing the formal transfer of the newspaper from the Times to the Red Sox owner — which had been expected to happen sometime over the weekend — likely won’t take place until next week at the earliest.
Both the Globe and a rep for Henry declined comment yesterday, and a Times spokeswoman did not return calls or emails.
Big surprise there, yeah?
But no surprise here: Others say otherwise.
From NECN:
Money Matters: Henry to close purchase of Boston Globe Saturday
According to the Boston Business Journal, Red Sox Owner John Henry will close on his purchase of the Boston Globe this Saturday. Henry is buying the New England Media Group, including the Globe, from The New York Times. The BBJ said he’ll also pay $65-million, down from the original $70-million bid.
Tiebreaker to come.
2 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Business Journal, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, John Henry, NECN, New England Media Group, New York Times, Red Sox, World Series | Permalink
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October 16, 2013
From our Walt Whitman desk
Today’s Boston Herald has a swell time patting itself on the back for yet another mention by “Journalism’s own hall of fame” – that would be The Newseum – in its daily Top Ten Front Pages feature.
Under the headline “Sports Stories” there’s this:
When a sports story makes the front page, it usually gets the best play. Just look at today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which devoted half of Page One to the Cardinals’ baseball playoff loss. Of course, newspapers aren’t always so keen to promote defeat. The Indianapolis Star found a way to downplay the Colts’ loss in “Monday Night Football” by focusing on the positive. Go team!
You don’t have to tell the feisty local tabloid twice.
And don’t miss that dig at crosstown rival Boston Globe:
The Herald was the only Boston paper featured in the Top 10 list yesterday. The Herald’s front page was even tweeted out by Red Sox owner John W. Henry.
You know he’s gonna own the Globe too, right?
It doesn’t get much better than that for the Heraldniks.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Big Papi, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, David Ortiz, Gerry Callahan, Heraldniks, John Henry, Michael Silverman, Paul Keaney, Red Sox, The Newseum, Top Ten Front Pages, Walt Whitman | Permalink
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September 28, 2013
As the hardreading staff noted yesterday, Thursday’s Boston Globe failed to mention the paper’s relationship to Red Sox principal owner and soon-to-be Globe owner John Henry in a piece about the Sox getting a sweetheart deal for rights to Fenway Park’s adjoining streets.
Friday’s Globe follow-up, however, came to Jesus.
Despite objections, Red Sox win rights to street use
Despite objections from residents and one board member, the Boston Redevelopment Authority on Thursday authorized a $7.3 million deal to let the Red Sox use two public streets near Fenway Park for gameday concessions and seating over the Green Monster.
The arrangement grants the Red Sox permission to close a 17,000-square-foot strip of Yawkey Way for concessions for as long as the baseball team plays at Fenway. It also gives the team air rights over Lansdowne Street to allow for seating over the ballpark’s famed left-field wall . . .
The principal owner of the Red Sox, John W. Henry, is purchasing The Boston Globe and related properties from The New York Times Co. for $70 million.
Better, yes?
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Redevelopment Authority, Fenway Park, Green Monster, John Henry, Landsdowne Street air rights, Red Sox, Yawkey Way | Permalink
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It's Good to Live in a Two-Daily Town 