Audience Development
Cook's Illustrated
Finding the next generation of devoted readers without losing what made the brand iconic.
The brief
Cook's Illustrated needed to find and convert a new generation of readers. The brand had deep loyalty among its existing audience — the challenge was identifying the positioning that would resonate with people who didn't already know them.
What I did
I developed the positioning territories for testing, then wrote all corresponding landing pages and ads. Each position explored a different angle on what Cook's Illustrated offers: precision, obsession, the pleasure of getting it right. Testing across real audiences revealed which framings drove action and which, however compelling on paper, didn't convert.
Work samples
Outcome
Ads and landing pages that converted, plus a clear map of the positioning that works — and the positioning to leave behind.