WATCH: Meet the founder for Executive Magazine's 40th anniversary
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IT’s 1982. The year Kessock Bridge was built, MFR was born, Channel 4 was launched and Come on Eileen – still a banger – was released.
However, for us 1982 is most meaningful as it is the year Executive was first published.
Four decades ago, Bob Dalgarno and his business partner Adam Simpson saw that there was a gap in the market for a business-to-business magazine in the North of Scotland – so they launched what was then called Moray Firth Executive.
Starting with humble beginnings with their offices in cupboards in each of their homes, Bob and Adam were the advertorial team, journalist and photographer for the first magazine of its kind in the region.
The current Executive team (Darrel and Rachel) had the privilege to talk with the founder, Bob alongside Alison Barron, who worked in advertising for the publication from 2002-2008. Alison still works for Highland News and Media today.
Settled down at the Drumossie Hotel’s conference suite, we soon began chatting about the reason behind the launch of what is still a sought after magazine today.
PART 1
Kicking off the conversation, Bob said: “The motivation was partly to be self-employed but also because we decided that there was a space for a business magazine in the north of Scotland.
“There was the Scottish Business Insider at this time, but that was centrally focused, so we thought there was an opportunity to serve the business community in the north of Scotland.”
The process of launching Executive was not an easy task, and like any other successful business people, they encountered challenges along the way.
“There were hiccups along the way, and it wasn’t easy”, Bob said.
“We didn’t have a great deal of money and we were both two guys with young families.
“We started off in a cupboard in one of our houses, and advertising was in the cupboard of one of the other’s. It was lowly beginnings but we were trying hard to produce a professional magazine for business-to-business advertising.
“We saw it as an opportunity.
“The budget was low, so we were writing it and my colleague Adam was doing photography.
“We’d go out together as a joint journalism and photography team – which we were not prepared to do,” he joked.
“In between times we sold ad space.
“We had back-up from our families who helped with the copywriting and so forth.”
After running into some financial difficulties, Bob and his team
were grateful when Highland News came along and bought the magazine.
Failing in business is not always a negative, and its often the lessons in this process which propel people into new avenues. It’s about how we get back up again, after a fall that matters the most.
“We ran out of money with Moray Firth Executive, but Highland News Group came along and we found a route to solve that problem,” Bob said.
“The enterprising spirit took hold once more and we thought ‘let’s try again’.”
“If you’re young, self-employed and getting into business, you will stumble a few times.
“You’ve just got to keep trying and it works.”
Bob has seen many Highland
and Moray businesses grow over the past four decades, and fondly remembers the building of Kessock Bridge.
He said: “I remember when the Goodyear Airship came up.
“Adam and I took a flight up in it and I still have photos of the uncompleted Kessock Bridge.
“The oil industry also created a lot of interest back then.
“Many small companies we visited at that time are the big ones here today.”
“The business world has changed but we got to see many of them set up, develop and build from the beginning.”
Alison Barron, talked about the biggest changes she has seen over the last 20 years as developments in technology has changed how business is done today.
PART 2
She said: “It’s a long time ago, but there have been massive changes in the past 20 years, especially with modern technology.
“What I see the biggest change in is finding people’s time.
“Everyone is so busy now. You could go and see people before, whereas now there is less time for relationship building.
“Communication is now at our fingertips, with emails being the quickest way to do business.
“You have to go through a process of emails before you can talk to someone now.”
With the changes, Executive Magazine can now produce clients adverts and send them via email for approval. That wasn’t the story 20 years ago.
Alison said: “Back then when putting adverts together for a client, we had adverts made in house and then we’d get in a car and show it to the clients.
“We’d have all of the magazine laid out on boards at our printing site on Henderson Road and it would get signed off that way.”
Now we can do this digitally and changes can be made right up until the deadline.
Speaking about the transition to digital, we can now advertise businesses across our various Highland News and Media platforms, Alison said: “When talking to clients now I can offer them the range of our newspaper titles, plus our websites.
“We have been able to extend our geographical reach so businesses can raise their platforms.”
Darrel spoke about Executive Magazine’s latest digital transformation: “You can now sign up online and can get the magazine delivered straight to your inbox every second Tuesday of the month.
“We also have it included within our Highland News and Media app, where you can access all our titles.”
Bob commented on what it means to him to still see Executive Magazine thriving today, 40 years after its initial launch. He said: “Its a pleasure to see it now.
“When Darrel got in touch and said it had been 40 years, I had to pinch myself.”
Our plans for Executive Magazine remains the same. To continue to provide a relevant and up-to-date platform for business-to-business communication to take place.
We are also creating more video content, including sit down interviews and a look inside the business which will keep people at the heart of the story.
We want to ensure your story is told in a meaningful and relatable way, so that others know where to go, when they need you.
The person behind the business is what others invest in and connect with.
So let’s raise a glass to the last 40 years of Executive Magazine, and the next 40 to come!
If you wish to include your story within Executive Magazine and showcase your business across the region, then get in touch with Darrel at darrel.paterson@hnmedia.co.uk or Rachel at rachel.smart@hnmedia.co.uk
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