Andrew Butcher is a self-confessed news junkie, who readily admits he reads "truckloads more" magazines and newspapers than he does books.
Perhaps it's expected. The former Asia-based media face is president and international publisher of Time and Fortune, though based in London since last year. So it comes as no surprise to hear that Butcher sees print prospects staying bright even as the industry grapples with one of the roughest patches.
While younger rivals and sibling - Asiaweek - have stumbled in the advertising recession, Time is celebrating its longevity this year. It will hit 80, and is holding up just fine, he says. So too is Fortune.
Butcher believes that the challenge facing publishers is not simply a matter of adapting to changes - like the internet's speed edge over its print peers - but devising solutions that will push their cause forward.
"Our strengths have to be prominently displayed in the minds of clients, planners and readers. Sure we can duke it out in the sales ring but the really big picture view is that in order to have a strong category we must be promoting it together," Butcher states.
To achieve that objective, Time and Fortune - part of the AOL Time Warner family - are members of the World Press Group (WPG), an organisation committed to promoting the power of the international press. Other members include Business Week, The Economist, International Herald Tribune and Newsweek.
He says WPG's main role is to reinvigorate the category through better positioning and to find synergies among the titles such as using its clout to secure better research rates. "Some people might turn up their noses at collaboration, but it's about survival and it's about having a 10 per cent return rather than five."
However, he stresses that competition is still a key part of the formula.
"Like any sport, people like a good, clean fight. They respect you more for it. But while collaboration among competitors might seem contradictory, the idea is that we would be fighting over a growing pie, not a shrinking one."
Butcher's interests in ensuring print's viability extends beyond his immediate role. Its one nurtured by long years in the industry, going back to the late '70s when he landed an ad sales job with London's IPC Group. Part of the AOL Time Warner group, IPC publishes more than 90 titles across a range of fields including lifestyle, leisure and entertainment today.
Since then he has worked with most of the top media brands, such as CNN, Conde Nast and Business Week, mainly through Asia-Pacific sales rep company, Seavex.
In that time, Butcher spent the majority of his career in Asia. He only moved to London last year to take up his current role as the company was looking to give the two magazines a more international positioning for both readers and advertisers. One example of this is Time's annual feature 'Heroes' edition, which honours people whose ideas and achievements inspire those around them, will be expanded from its Asian focus to cover the globe.
At the same time, Time Style & Design, a twice-a-year supplement in Europe, has been published in Asia for the first time. "It's about being one step ahead of the competition," Butcher says. "With Time Style & Design and Time Traveller, we are showing our commitment to the respective industries they cover. Every issue, we write about fashion, lifestyle and travel, so it makes sense to do something new."He notes that Time and Fortune's core brand essence is their ability to provide the most-important and valuable news and analyses in a concise fashion. This, he says, is print's key advantage over the internet, an ocean of data that people have to wade through.
BUTCHER: ON THE RECORD
Building ties: Showing that you understand an industry segment shows commitment and that helps build the relationship.
Sales love: I like selling because I find it fascinating that the diversity of people and personalities I meet daily is so wide.
Seen it before: I have to laugh at all this talk about the internet revolution. The teletext service by Oracle (not the software giant) had exactly the same concepts about 20 years ago.
Balancing act: As a media sales rep, your toughest clients are your internal ones - the publishers. If we did a lousy job, we'd be fired. If we did a good job, they'd set up their own office in Asia and we'd be squeezed out.
Editorial independence: We have a church and state policy. We never compromise the integrity of the editorial departments.
Sales myth: The biggest misconception about sales people is that they have the gift of the gab, that they can talk anyone into buying. That's wrong, the best sales people are the best listeners.