Kent Johnson describes how this magazine has managed to evolve over the past 60 years without losing sight of its purpose.

Whether it was finding the hidden picture while waiting at the dentist’s office or reading short stories underneath the covers with a flashlight, Highlights for Children has been a part of every American’s childhood—from the baby boomers to generation Y.

Highlights for Children, Inc. was founded in 1946 by Dr. Garry and Caroline Myers on the basic premise that learning should be fun. Both Garry and Caroline had successful careers as educators and mentors but always dreamed of creating a magazine for children that exercised the imagination and developed critical reading and reasoning skills. When they reached their golden years, the couple put whatever money they had set aside for retirement toward making that dream come true.

“My great-grandparents felt that children have a greater capacity to learn than adults assume. They also felt that children should be taught by example, and those examples should convey purposeful messages related to morals and values,” said Kent Johnson, CEO of the Columbus, Ohio company. “If you remember Goofus and Gallant, it is a fun cartoon on one level, but on a deeper level, we hope to teach children how to treat others with respect and kindness.”

Kent Johnson, CEO

It is this philosophy from which Highlights received its tag line, “Fun with a Purpose,” which has created a sense of consistency throughout the company’s various business ventures. “People feel a strong sense of connection between the Highlights they remember as children and the Highlights of today, even though our design has evolved over the years.”

Competing for time
Keeping the “Fun with a Purpose” motto top of mind, Highlights for Children has evolved to meet changing market demands. According to Johnson, kids today spend their days running from little league to music lessons and are continuously distracted by video games and television. The CEO also noted that when he was 12, it was cool to have a magazine and share it with other children, “but today, having an iPod is cool.”

To compete for children’s time and attention, Highlights for Children continues to add compelling and relevant content to its magazine and has spent the last 18 years developing a series of activity book clubs, including Puzzlemania, Mathmania, Which Way USA, Hidden Pictures Playground, and Top Secret Adventures.

Top Secret Adventures books, for example, teach children facts about other countries, including geography, culture, and history in the context of solving a complex puzzle. “The child enjoys the challenge and the satisfaction of solving the puzzle, but at the same time, they are learning about and developing a sensitivity to other cultures. The book clubs are certainly a step removed from our magazine, but they are consistent with our philosophy,” said Johnson.

To stay relevant in today’s high-tech world where three-year-olds are wielding mice rather than binkies, Highlights developed a Web site where children can partake in activities similar to those found in the print magazine.

The company has also found tremendous opportunity developing materials for children ages two to six. It recently launched Highlights High Five, a magazine for pre-readers emphasizing social and emotional development; motor skills; critical thinking and reasoning skills; and, of course, reading skills. Johnson explained that American society has come to realize how important educational development is before a child even enters school (hence climbing preschool enrollments), and the company’s goal is to provide parents and preschool teachers with age-appropriate materials.

Although Highlights High Five ties back to the company’s core philosophy of creating a fun learning experience, the new publication has been given a fresh tag line: Celebrating Early Childhood. “Those years are fleeting moments for families, and we want to emphasize that they should be cherished and enjoyed. For us, ‘Celebrating Early Childhood’ is essentially restating ‘Fun with a Purpose’ for a younger age range.”

Savvy sales strategies
When Garry and Caroline Myers started Highlights more than 60 years ago, magazines were primarily sold by door-to-door salesmen. As more and more knocks went unanswered by working parents, the company turned to other avenues to spread the word. In the 1950s, it began marketing the magazine to school teachers, a strategy used to this day. According to Johnson, teachers welcome Highlights for Children into the classroom and tout its benefits to parents, who, in turn, subscribe.

Also during the ’50s, Highlights for Children started offering its magazine through direct mail to dentist and physician offices, a strategy that continues to generate a large number of subscriptions. “Many times, parents order Highlights or Highlights High Five after seeing their child experience it as they are waiting for an appointment,” Johnson said.

As former Highlights for Children readers become grandparents, they have become effective salespeople as well. Through direct mail, the company is making grandparents aware of Highlights as a gift option for their grandchildren. “They like the idea of giving a gift that is lasting and valuable and tell everyone they know. They have become important endorsers of our products,” said Johnson, adding that the most recent and fastest growing source of subscriptions is the Internet.

Stretching boundaries
From printing less than 20,000 copies in June 1946 to selling its 1 billionth copy to a subscriber in Dallas, Texas in August 2006, Highlights for Children has come a long way from its early days on the second floor of an auto dealership in Honesdale, Pa.

Over the years, the company expanded beyond its core magazine and acquired several companies that serve teachers. Acquired in 1972, Zaner-Bloser Educational Publishers, Inc. produces language arts curriculum materials, including tools to improve handwriting, spelling, writing, reading, and vocabulary skills for pre-K through the eighth grade. Teaching PreK-8 was brought on board in 1985 and is a professional development classroom magazine written for teachers. Teacher’s Publishing Group, made up of Stenhouse Publishing and Essential Learning Products, publishes professional books written for teachers by teachers and provides classroom aids.

Staff Development for Educators joined Highlights in 1991 and offers seminars, conferences, and professional development options to more than 300,000 teachers of pre-K to 12th grade students each year. Founded in 1990, Boyd’s Mills Press joined the family as a publisher of children’s books.

“Before taking on any new business venture, we first ask ourselves how it is going to help children become their ‘best selves.’ The first step now includes helping teachers become the best teachers they can be,” Johnson concluded.