R.I.P. Phyllis Hoffman DePiano: How Hoffman Media Built a Multi-Million Dollar Company from Scratch by Focusing on their Audience… A Tribute From The Mr. Magazine™ Vault..
July 11, 2023A great magazine founder and publisher died yesterday July 10, 2023. Phyllis Hoffman DePiano died yesterday leaving her publishing company, Hoffman Media (the little engine that could), to her twin sons who loved, adored, and worked with their mom. In 2017 Phyllis and her two sons spoke at one of my magazine conferences and my friend Linda Ruth was able to sum and write up their presentation. What follows is a tribute to a great lady and her story.
Phyllis Hoffman DePiano presents with son’s Brian Hart Hoffman and Eric Hoffman
In publishing, founder Phyllis Hoffman began, there are no rules, no manual on how to be a successful publisher. “When we started in 1983 I was clueless,” she told the audience. “I knew that needlework was huge; I knew there were not magazines. And that was pretty much all I knew.” Hoffman was laughed out of every printer but one. They had no concept of direct mail. “What we did was printed up little brochures for shipowners to put into customer bags, inviting the people to be a charter subscriber. We went to Atlantic Media show with nothing but a single poster. We knew our break-even—it would be 3500 subscribers, paid in full up front, and that’s how many we got for the first issue. So we knew we could go one year.” Additional subscribers began to trickle in, till one day, Phyllis remembered, that she went to the post office with her two-year old sons, and the box was empty. Her heart sank—until the postal clerk invited her to retrieve the sacks of mail in the back, too much to fit into her box. By end of first year they had 100,000 subscribers, a 95% renewal rate—and they were turning down advertisers. That’s right—with a 68 page magazine, 70% content, 30% advertising, there just wasn’t room in the book.
Brian Hoffman, one of the two-year-olds at the post office that day in 1983 and now a co-president of the company, took up the story with Southern Lady magazine, Hoffman’s first magazine to branch out from craft to lifestyle. “Our company’s growth has followed our conversation with our customers,” he explained. “We listen to what they want, what they need, and then we work to give it to them.” An important lesson that Brian shared was to be patient. “Creativity is important, and it’s exciting,” he said. “But don’t change for the sake of change. Readers don’t feel the need for constant change; they are looking to you for consistency, to give them what they need and love. It’s easy to get off course, but listening to your readers will put you back on.” Creativity is important, innovation is important, but Brian emphasized the need for creative constraint as well, and for listening to the readers and acknowledging what they want. “Put your content out there. You’ll soon know if it’s a success,” he said. “The readers will tell you.”
Eric Hoffman—the other twin boy, the other co-president—wound up with advice to the students in the audience. “I asked my young children what they would advise,” he said. “Be patient. Try hard. Work as a team. Help each other figure things out. It’s good advice,” he said. “Here at the ACT Experience, we’re a team, and we’re figuring out some big problems.” The lessons that Hoffman Media can bring include a belief and dedication to quality, in circulation, in editorial, in product, in audience. Hoffman runs each of its revenue streams as stand-alone profit centers—each has to make sense on its own, each must be a strong component of the whole. “The gimmicks built into the magazine business have caused a lot of problems,” he said. “We don’t give stuff away. Not to our subscribers, not to our advertisers. We work with our advertisers and prospects—the ones we believe belong in the mags. Just because they spend money doesn’t mean they belong with us. It keeps our business focused.” It is this focus, this understanding that they cant be all things to all people, that has guided Hoffman Media to a double-digit growth in a down market.
“This is an amazing business,” Eric finished. “All the dot coms are jealous of what we do. This is what we want to be doing 30 years from now.”
Mr. Magazine
I was SHOCKED to hear that “Phyllis Hoffman Dipiano , has passed away! I loved her Beautiful, brilliant flowers, & tablescapes, it was really a Shock! “Tea Time, Southern Lady & Victoria, were my favorites. I read that her twin Sons are taking over the multi- million $ business. I hope they will have the same , beautiful pictures, flowers, Dish-WARE & flavor that their mom put so well together, God Bless You , Phyllis , you added joy to my life, through your Beautiful magazines! You have a Wonderful, close family! I know there might be “CHANGES “, but your life ENDED to SOON!!!
Just found out that Phyllis has passed. I will miss her talent, creativity and love that she poured into every magazine. Especially, Bliss Victoria, Southern Lady and The Cottage Journal. I never heard of these magazines until I moved to the South in 1999, from California. A couple of years later, I was looking for a magazine that celebrated women, their creativity, their home’s and that southern hospitality feel. Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, will be greatly missed, my condolences and prayers 🙏 ❤️ to her family.
Camille Scott
Like every one else, I am just learning of the passing of Phyllis’s Hoffman Dipiano. My heart is broken. I love ALL of the magazines she published and will cherish them even more. Phyllis you will be missed. Rest in peace. My prayers and condolences to your family ❤️
So sorry about the passing of a lovely lady! Her signature will be missed! I have all of my issues in order of months and seasons! I change my reading corner as months go by! As I read them, they never get old! The lull in publishing for a few years broke my heart! Was so glad when it began again! My continued subscription and gift are in the mail!
I, too, was shocked and saddened when I received my treasured Victoria in the mail yesterday only to learn of the great loss. I am a kindred spirit of a recent commenter, Peggy Jones, as I also have every back issue and keep them in order by the months. I enjoy looking back on the back issues as the seasons roll around. A great loss when publishing was on hold for the several years; however, I had my back issues to keep me company. And, what a thrill to hear “Victoria is back”
I am so sorry and sad to learn that Phyllis has passed away. As a long-time subscriber to Souther Lady and Victoria she will be missed.
Prayers for all who knew and loved here🙏🏻🫶🙏🏻
Very sorry to hear about Phyllis Hoffman DiPianos passing away! I was so happy when she bought and started up VICTORIA again! She was a woman with a vision, and the strength and faith to act on it.
Now, more than ever, in the ugliness going on in the world, we need a beautiful magazine like Victoria. It makes our hearts happy💕