PODCAST: David Hepworth

Every day I get great old print ads popping up in my feed.
I’m reminded of Volkswagen’s self-deprecation, Nike’s humanity and BMW’s intelligence.
It’s easy to forget that each owes its existence to a magazine.
Whose huge readership is responsible for the quality of the ad.
Putting your product in front of so many people justified billing so many creative hours.
And signing off such an expensive photographer, illustrator, celebrity, location, set build, etc.
It’s also why the converse is true today.
There are still great print ads being produced, but they’re rare.
Pick up most magazines and you’ll discover a slender selection of ads that have had neither time or money spent on them.
They look like the clients made them at the weekend, after putting the kids to bed.
Today’s tiny magazine audiences don’t warrant more.
Which is a shame.
It’s hard to explain just how important magazines once were and the role they played in people’s lives.
As David Hepworth says ‘they were the internet’.
David knows magazines – having written for the NME, Sounds and Smash Hits before becoming editor, then launching Just Seventeen, Q, Empire, Mojo, More! Heat and Word amongst others.
I’ve listened to his podcast for the last 19 years.
Each week, David and his Old Grey Whistle Test co-host Mark Ellen talk music and a bit of whatever’s happened that week.
Very occasionally, David will talk briefly about the nuts and bolts of running a magazine, in particular, the symbiotic relationship between magazines and it’s advertisers.
It’s fascinating and I’m always left wanting to hear more.
So I asked him to talk more.
We had a very enjoyable chat, I hope you enjoy it too.