We got the inside scoop from the media side in our interview with Vanessa Gordon, CEO & Publisher of East End Taste, starting with her journey from freelance writing to founding a thriving publication. Discover how her publication's readership spans the globe and what resonates with them, as well as strategies for crafting pitches that capture attention and support editorial goals. Whether you're honing your pitch or seeking to align with emerging trends, read on for actionable insights for PR professionals aiming to excel in their field.
Tell us about your career before becoming CEO and publisher of East End Taste.
My professional background began as an English as a second language teacher immediately following my graduate degree from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education. I worked especially hard during this time in my early twenties, determined to pay off my student loans and under five years, so I also freelance Road and worked as a group fitness instructor after school. I taught an average of 6 to 8 classes per week at some of the local boutique gyms in the Hamptons, including indoor cycling and barre classes.
My freelance writing appeared in numerous publications including but not limited to Psychology Today, Long Island Pulse, Hamptons Magazine, The Independent newspaper, Pregnancy & Newborn, and Thrillist. It was in these roles that I built and developed the strong relationships that I continue to foster to this day.
I founded East End Taste in the summer of 2016 and have served as its CEO & Publisher ever since.
What does your role as CEO and publisher entail?
As the CEO and publisher of East End Taste which serves as a digital medium that operates on a daily basis, even on weekends, I primarily spearhead strategic direction, business development, and financial management. My role entails constantly identifying growth opportunities, and ensuring profitability through sponsored content on the website and through our social media platforms.
In addition, I oversee content strategy, editorial integrity, and audience engagement, guiding our editorial and creative direction based on this engagement. My responsibilities range from long-term planning to day-to-day management with my editorial and production team who are based all over the world from the Emirates and central Europe to Australia, demanding a blend of strategic foresight, creative vision, and operational proficiency to propel our company's success in the ever-evolving digital media landscape.
Because of the time zone differences based upon where our team members are based, I typically wake up as early as 5:30am to make calls and answer emails with those across the Atlantic, and then beginning again towards 12 or 1pm for North America, and then again after 7pm to communicate with those who work for the company that are based in Australia. I typically oversee these three shifts during the week and the hours and work demand increase based on the season. For instance, my digital publication’s high season began this month (April) and will continue through mid October and pick up again during the holiday season.
What are the demographics of your readership, and what are the audience’s key interests?
Though our primary audience is based on Long Island and within the New York City metro area, East End Taste has readers based all over the world, since nearly 80% of our readership comes from Google search.
Our key demographics are 65% women ranging in age from 35 to 45 with a median household income of $175k. Regions around the world where we are seeing the most recent growth in readership include Portugal, Spain, Australia, Germany, the UAE, and Croatia.
Their key interests are culinary focused travel, coastal travel, interior design, mindful wellness, and the Hamptons and North Fork as a travel destination.
Essentially, we bring the world to the Hamptons and the Hamptons to the world, referencing specifically our East End readership and how they appreciate our coverage of regions that evoke a similar Hamptons aesthetic around the world. Destinations like the seclusion and peacefulness of Bowen Island outside of Vancouver or coastal Algarve region of southern Portugal.
Hamptons Interactive Brunch (Credit: Getty Images)
What types of stories resonate best with your readership?
Our readers love to read about destinations that uncover the heart and soul of that particular region. Not just say the best new restaurants in the Hamptons, but getting to know the chefs and their creative flair and personality that they bring to the table. Or when we write about places across the Algarve. We want our readers to get to know how one man harvests salt and why his sustainable process is so crucial for local businesses, just as an example. In addition, one of our writers recently did a piece highlighting women owned restaurants in Qatar. It made me want to prioritize my travel there and discover more there one day soon.
Are there any specific themes or topics you're currently focusing on or planning to cover in upcoming articles?
Yes, particularly as we approach the high season in the Hamptons, we always love highlighting or profiling business owners, and what’s new and notable. For travel related content and articles, we are focusing on sustainable hotels, wellness focused properties for the spring and summer, education programs and retreats at hotels worldwide, and sustainable culinary or wellness tours. One of my personal favorite stories we did recently focused on a running tour through Rome that also encompassed uncovering hidden or lesser known historic buildings and relics.
How do you balance evergreen content with timely, trending topics?
For East End Taste and as a digital publication and platform, balancing evergreen editorial content with trending topics involves consistently maintaining a content calendar with a mix of timeless and timely subjects.
Through weekly keyword researching, my team and I identify the search demand for evergreen topics and trending keywords for current lifestyle events. For evergreen content, we particularly focus on regions around the world that may be trending while also keeping in mind the demand for content focused within the NYC metropolitan area and New England area.
Remaining flexible allows for quick incorporation of timely topics, while regular updates keep evergreen content relevant. Lastly, engaging with our audience informs content decisions, and monitoring industry trends ensures timely content creation.
How do you prefer pitches to be submitted? Do you have specific guidelines or preferences?
I prefer by email with a clear objective or proposed hed and dek for the story. I also prefer a short summary in advance of the press release to see right away if the pitch is fitting or not.
Also, I don’t mind follow-ups! A gentle follow-up is always sincerely appreciated since my days are filled with several different moving parts, especially now that I am planning my annual summer event, the Hamptons Interactive Brunch.
Lastly, please do include a link to a folder of images in the first email with the appropriate credit for the images.
Hamptons Interactive Brunch (Credit: Getty Images)
How can PR professionals best support your editorial goals and priorities?
Having images linked in the body of the email right away is especially crucial and saves a significant step in communication since we would need these to consider a story to be run.
Also, please do keep us informed of client updates and news. We are also open to updating older articles with new and useful information, so feel free to pitch us ideas based on roundups and story angles we published six months ago or older.
Are there any key trends or predictions in 2024 that PR pros should be aware of?
Mindful, sustainable travel or sustainably forward travel comes to mind right away. I also believe and am grateful that authenticity and transparency seems to be at the forefront of communication this year. Tell me right away exactly what you would like in terms of working with me and my business. I love working with others and exceeding expectations, but always remember time is precious and communicate efficiently how you would like to work together instead of an open-ended “let’s partner or collaborate” message.
East End Taste is also heavily focusing on expanding our video content and doing reel collaborations with other businesses, particularly with Discover Long Island and other local tourism operators to gauge more interest and content within our region. I am noticing this trend of reel collaborations picking up significantly and it is terrific for gaining traction with awareness with like minded brands and businesses.
