What are the PR Implications for Teen Vogue’s New Editor?

The renowned editor of Teen Vogue, Phillip Picardi, is ready to pass the reins off to a new editor. Picardi led the makeover of Teen Vogue into a principal performer for Condé Nast. The successor of Picardi’s legacy is Lindsay Peoples Wagner, the current fashion editor at New York
Magazine and the Cut.

Wagner will begin her role as editor of Teen Vogue on Oct. 18 and Picardi, who was a favorite
of Anna Wintour, is set to become editor-in-chief of Out Magazine. Teen Vogue is an exclusively digital magazine after the publishing company struggled with print advertising revenue.

Wagner’s new role involves overseeing Teen Vogue’s digital, social, video and events, which
includes the Teen Vogue Summit. Condé Nast’s current focus is to grow digital revenue, which
matched print revenue in the second quarter of 2018. Teen Vogue reaches more than five million
unique visitors per month, which is an overall increase from 2017.

The company hopes to become profitable in 2020, which puts pressure on Wagner to help Condé Nast achieve their goal. Anna Wintour, artistic Director of Condé Nast and editor-in-chief of Vogue says, “Lindsay is a gifted talent who can equally inspire and challenge her audiences. She brings a sophistication and fresh perspective to the cultural moments and social themes that activate our Teen Vogue readers and we are very excited to have her back at Condé Nast.”

Wagner is known for confronting race, culture and politics through fashion and beauty in her
efforts, which emphasize the lack of diversity on runways and covers fashion for a variety of
body types. Wagner says, “As a former intern and assistant at Teen Vogue, I’m so excited to come full circle and be back at a time when there is nothing more powerful or important than a
young person who is passionate about change.” Teen Vogue appears to be in good hands with
the passionate voice of Wagner.

From a public relations perspective, this is positive for the fashion magazine industry. Condé
Nast is hiring a new editor to continue Teen Vogue’s success and readers will relate to Wagner’s
passion and desire for change. Teen Vogue’s audience is primarily millennials and younger
generations, which is a smart decision to pick an editor who is young and relatable to the readers.

Wagner received praise from the iconic editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, which helps her
image as the new editor at Teen Vogue. She will have big shoes to fill after the success of her
predecessor, but with her background in fashion diversity she appears to be a perfect fit for the
job.

Other fashion magazines can follow Teen Vogue’s example by hiring a fresh young editor with
new ideas and skills to help Condé Nast’s digital revenue grow. Digital advertisers may view this
change as a chance to reach a new market of young readers interested in fashion and style, while traditional publications should be wary of their reliance on print advertising.

The Business of Fashion article below emphasized Wagner’s experience with incorporating
topics of race, culture and politics through the lens of fashion and style. The audience of Teen
Vogue will respond positively to an editor with not just a creative voice, but a political one too.
Phillip Picardi’s legacy will continue with his successor and audiences will remember who gave
Wagner the opportunity to share her creative ideas as editor of Teen Vogue.