Philadelphia Gay News’ advertising and marketing director was last week named advertising director of the year by the Local Media Association, a national journalism organization.
Dan Calhoun, 33, has served at the helm of PGN’s advertising department for two years.
The Northeast Philadelphia native attended George Washington High School and Penn State University Abington, where he began his venture into the public-relations and advertisement field.
“I was always interested in the field, but a Penn State professor of mine, Michael Mallowe, encouraged me to see advertising and public relations differently,” Calhoun said. “I began to look at advertisements by examining the purpose, who it was trying to attract, and examining the subtle details in it to lure consumers. Now, rather than looking at magazines for content, I look to see what ads are in it.”
Calhoun, who lives in Norristown, went on to earn his master’s in business administration from Arcadia University.
He started at PGN in 2011, and came to the paper after working as the senior director of marketing and membership at the YMCA in Northeast Philadelphia.
Calhoun said this latest award is not the only reward he has received at PGN.
“I love working in the LGBT community and being able to play a part in the movement of equal rights,” he said. “Before working here, I didn’t know about the struggles and accomplishments of the activists who have paved the way for the LGBT community, and the countless others who are still actively working towards change locally.”
Seeing firsthand PGN’s role in that movement has also been satisfying, he said.
“I love being part of a newspaper that has a rich history. One of the best moments I’ve had was being at a Pride event in Lancaster and meeting a couple who said they had met 35 years ago in the classifieds section of the paper because it was the only way for them to meet other men at the time.”
Calhoun said it has been fundamental for him to learn and appreciate the teamwork that goes into producing a newspaper.
“If it wasn’t for the distribution team, the paper would never make it to all of the locations throughout the tri-state area. The art/layout team ensures all of the stories and ads are displayed in an organized and visually appealing way that are effective for conveying messages while ensuring cost-effectiveness. The writers and editor create the content that people want to read. The ad sales and business team help fund it all by assisting businesses in marketing and branding their products and services to the LGBT community. And most importantly, the readers give us a reason to do all of it! It is a very interdependent system where each department truly relies on the others.”
During his tenure at PGN, Calhoun has played a vital part in the revamping of PGN’s social-media outlets and in generating new relationships with LGBT and ally organizations outside Philadelphia.
Calhoun said he and his team have been successful in spearheading new and creative advertising techniques, despite the seeming downturn in the print-journalism industry.
“I like that my boss, our publisher, gives me the freedom to be creative and try new things. Some people say that print is dying, but I see it as evolving and I love the idea that I can be part of that. Our sales are increasing every year and we’re not dying, we’re getting better,” he said. “I like to be creative and do things outside of the box and I’m good at it! Doing the same thing everyone else is doing is boring. Our advertisers really like standing out. They want more than an ad, they want a campaign. They want to know what they can do to be more inclusive, more welcoming. I help them to be supportive, not exploitive, and teach the difference between the two. I love working on that with them.”
Calhoun said when he learned of the LMA recognition, he immediately called his partner of five-and-a-half years, Kasey.
“I was shocked! Seriously, out of all the newspapers in the U.S. and Canada? Me? And not just me, a gay newspaper? I celebrated with my team,” he said. “I was really excited to call my partner. He works as a nurse in an emergency room and can never answer the phone at work. I managed to call when he was on a quick break. He was really excited and supportive.”
Calhoun will accept the award at LMA’s Annual Gathering of Publishers and Advertising Directors in St. Louis later this month.
When he returns, he will continue to seek innovative advertising and marketing methods for the ever-changing industry.
“I want to continue to do better and better serve our readers, better serve our advertisers, better serve our community and better serve my team and the PGN team. I hope to collaborate with the PGN team to work on significant enhancements to our digital platforms: Our website, mobile website and social-media platforms are getting revamped to better serve our readers,” he said. “I am really looking forward to working on the evolution of the newspaper industry. Print is alive and well, but it is changing. While I may not know how the industry will look in 10 years, I know that it will be stronger than ever and I am excited to be participating in the changes.”