By Lindsey Estes,
Local Media Association
Denise Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer, has been named the Sales and Marketing Innovator of the Year by Local Media Association for consistently demonstrating outstanding performance. She has achieved remarkable results through her creativity, strategic thinking and dedication to excellence.
Each year, the Local Media Sales and Marketing Innovator of the Year award recognizes local media executives who have showcased innovation, resilience and significant achievements in sales or advertising – with the numbers to back it up.
Denise has empowered her team by implementing innovative marketing strategies, and led her team with motivation and deep conviction. Her leadership skills have driven revenue growth and expanded their customer base.
One of Denise’s most significant achievements has been leveraging digital marketing and social media platforms to create a strong online presence for The Washington Informer. Her thirst for knowledge in the digital marketing space has resulted in a 174% increase in digital revenue. In addition to digital revenue growth, Denise continued to build on her years of print experience by developing integrated selling solutions that resulted in 87% growth in print revenue. Denise led her team to 70% overall revenue growth for The Washington Informer.
Another important measure of success is audience growth. Again, Denise led the way with audience gains by using multiple tactics that resulted in overall audience growth of 80%.
Denise’s interpersonal skills and digital-focused approach have helped her build strong client relationships, increasing customer retention rates and improving customer satisfaction. Her ability to “change with the times” has been crucial in forging a path of sustainability and independence for The Washington Informer.
The Knight x LMA BloomLab team is proud of the work that Denise and The Washington Informer have achieved. As a member of BloomLab Cohort 1, Denise has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence that is truly commendable. Her contributions to the outcomes of the BloomLab have not gone unnoticed. Her willingness to go above and beyond to ensure success have been invaluable. Her positive attitude and willingness to collaborate have made a significant impact on our work and the success of the Washington Informer. Thank you Denise for all that you do and we look forward to working together to achieve even greater success in the future.
– Robert Walker-Smith, Digital Revenue Director, Knight x LMA BloomLab
It is an honor to be recognized by Local Media Association for the work that our dedicated team here at The Washington Informer consistently performs on behalf of our readers. Tough times require tough measures, and thanks to LMA’s training and guidance, we not only are meeting our goals but we are driven to exceed them despite the challenges. I cannot take all of the credit and I am grateful to team members that support our mission and vision to embrace best practices, grow and deepen relationships with our readers and advertisers, and allow data to drive our digital-focused decisions.
– Denise Barnes, Publisher, The Washington Informer
