Titanium Member Spotlight: Todd Evans, CEO of Rivendell Media
Todd Evans is President and CEO of Rivendell Media, America’s leading LGBTQ media placement firm. Rivendell is a unique media company that represents 95% of all gay, lesbian and HIV/AIDS media properties in the United States and Canada. After working for the company and then taking over in 1994, he has worked on every major LGBTQ media campaign and almost every DTC campaign in the HIV/AIDS market. His experience and knowledge of the media landscape gives him unparalleled insight into how media placements will reach and speak to this diverse audience.
In addition to leading the charge at Rivendell Media, Todd Evans is also a partner of Q Syndicate, the leading content provider for LGBTQ media. Q Syndicate is also publisher of Press Pass Q, the industry newsletter for the LGBTQ media professional. Todd Evans graduated from Villanova University with a BA in Political Science.
The Professional
You’re a leader in your industry now, but did you always know this is what you wanted to do?
A friend of mine, Joe DiSabato, owned Rivendell originally and I was fascinated and followed it closely. Once or twice I proposed a partnership but the company wasn’t in a position where it could support it. Joe was way ahead of his time really, but unfortunately he died suddenly. His partner took over, but it really wasn’t his passion. Shortly thereafter I made a deal to buy Rivendell. I worked diligently and doubled the sales each year for about 10 years proving my passion met my ability. My work is for a cause, but the cause is my work. As a media rep firm, our success is LGBTQ media's success. The better we do, the more funds go directly to "our" media. This in turn creates more momentum for the media to cover our issues and concerns, and it helps move our equal rights movement forward. It might seem granular, but it affects everyone.
How does the reality of your work compare with what you thought it would be?
I thought it would be easier as time went on, but there are always new challenges and obstacles. It’s hard work.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
You simply must make things a win-win to have success. Whenever a relationship is one sided it doesn’t last.
What does success mean for you and your line of work?
Success means a bigger presence for LGBTQ+ issues within the media. The more mainstream advertisers target LGBTQ+ or HIV/AIDS specific media with their advertising campaigns, the more these media properties will cover the issues most important to these communities.
How do you bring your work to life to make this happen?
Every day we are going to present to ad agencies and clients where we think the LGBTQ+ consumer will be a good fit for them. It’s a constant grind, but it’s worth it.
What is a common myth about your job or field of expertise?
A common myth is that companies are just waiting to place media campaigns targeted to the LGBTQ+ consumer or in LGBTQ+ media. Every day I’m working to secure these placements. They don’t just come to me.
I know that no two days are alike, but if you had to sum it up, what does a typical day at Rivendell look like?
Well for a long time it was just work, work, work but about 15 or so years ago I decided that I needed to bring my personal metaphysical life into my work life. It started to seem silly to go home and meditate and create vision boards for my personal life and then go into work and forget all that. So now, on a typical day when all staff is here we all catch up on our email and get organized from 9-10 and then we meet in our conference room and create the rest of our day and week from 10-11. 10-11 is OUR time as a team to set our day and objectives. On Mondays we look to the accounts or account teams we want to connect with and have a goal of completing that by Friday. We have two large vision boards for our sales goals and any product or service or company we think is a good fit for the LGBTQ consumer we put on that board and focus on them- it is our work vision board. Often we will take a week on a category like financial or spirits or travel and narrow our focus just to that so that we are all in the same head space. After we are done with discussion we do a group meditation- sometimes guided like with Calm and sometimes just silent with a timer. When done- we go about filling up our day the way we created it and now by Friday- mostly anyway- we have connected with those companies or teams and so week by week things move forward. Before we started doing this a lot of the day was spent on other peoples agendas that we mistook for ours.
We’re always looking for new trends. What new industry trends are you keeping up with and which ones do you wish would go away?
Every aspect of advertising has its place - Print, TV, Radio, Digital and Social. The trend in HIV/AIDS is TV, but that ultimately hurts LGBTQ or HIV/AIDS specific media and I just can't understand why. Social media in the space is big, but it’s just a flash without support from comprehensive print and digital campaigns. Print is still king in LGBTQ media, almost all of LGBTQ digital content comes directly from print so it needs the support of advertising to make the digital work and be effective. I see the trend of viral social posts as a cheap way to reach out to this market -- think the rainbow Oreo ad -- which was great but really did nothing to support the community. These light hearted ads are there to make us smile, but I’m more interested in deep, meaningful ways.
The Partnership
Now let's talk about Titanium! What three words would you use to describe Titanium?
Best in class.
What do you value most about being a member of Titanium?
Expert help wherever it’s needed. I have a group of subject matter experts across various industries and specialties at my disposal whenever I need it.
Titanium is the first collective agency of its kind. In your own opinion, what’s the power of partnership?
Energy. When CEOs who are experts in their respective fields get together, ANYTHING is possible, and things get done.
The Person
Now let's talk about you at your core. What do you draw inspiration from?
Inspirational figures in history. Currently Ben Franklin.
What does diversity and inclusion mean to you?
At its core, acceptance. That’s all anyone is really looking for at the end of the day.
If you could turn back the time and talk to your 18-year-old self, what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t worry, go with the flow and everything will work out exactly as it was meant to.
What three books would you recommend?
Anything Spiritual or Inspirational. Nothing depressing!
What quotes or words do you live by?
Be true to yourself.
Do you have any final words of wisdom?
Words and truth matter, so never be afraid to speak up when you have the chance. Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice.