UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
x
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2007
OR
o
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period
from
to
Commission file number
001-15395
MARTHA STEWART LIVING
OMNIMEDIA, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as
Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware
52-2187059
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
11 West 42nd Street, New York, New York
10036
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
Registrants telephone number,
including area code:
(212) 827-8000
Securities Registered Pursuant
to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Class A Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 Per Share
New York Stock Exchange
Securities Registered Pursuant
to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes
o
No
x
Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 of Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes
o
No
x
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed
by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter
period that the registrant was required to file such reports),
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for
the past
90 days. Yes
x
No
o
Indicate by check mark if
disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K
is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or
information statements incorporated by reference in
Part III of this
Form 10-K
or any amendment to this
Form 10-K.
x
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See
definitions of large accelerated filer,
accelerated filer and smaller reporting
company in
Rule 12b-2
of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated
filer
o
Accelerated
filer
x
Non-accelerated
filer
o
(Do not check if a smaller
reporting company)
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is a shell company (as defined in
Rule 12b-2
of the Act). Yes
o
No
x
The aggregate market value of the
voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, computed
by reference to the number of shares outstanding and using the
price at which the stock was last sold on June 30, 2007,
was $408,967,135.*
*Excludes 2,938,623 shares of
our Class A Common Stock, and 26,722,032 shares of our
Class B Common Stock, held by directors, officers and our
founder, as of June 30, 2007. Exclusion of shares held by
any person should not be construed to indicate that such person
possesses the power, direct or indirect, to direct or cause the
direction of the management or policies of the Company, or that
such person controls, is controlled by or under common control
with the Company.
Number of Shares Outstanding As
of March 10, 2008:
27,129,447 shares of
Class A Common Stock
26,690,125 shares of
Class B Common Stock
Documents Incorporated by
Reference.
Portions of Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia, Inc.s Proxy Statement for
Its 2008 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders are Incorporated
In this Annual Report on
Form 10-K,
the terms we, us, our,
MSO and the Company refer to Martha
Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. and, unless the context requires
otherwise, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia LLC (MSLO
LLC), the legal entity that, prior to October 22,
1999, operated many of the businesses we now operate, and their
respective subsidiaries.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
All statements in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K,
except to the extent describing historical facts, are
forward-looking statements, as that term is defined
in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements represent our current beliefs
regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are
inherently uncertain and outside of our control. These
statements often can be identified by terminology such as
may, will, should,
could, expects, intends,
plans, anticipates,
believes, estimates,
potential or continue or the negative of
these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results
may differ materially from those projected in these statements,
and factors that could cause such differences include those
factors discussed in Risk Factors as detailed in
Item 1A of this Annual Report on
Form 10-K,
as well as other factors, including those discussed in the
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations. Forward-looking
statements herein speak only as of the date of filing of this
Annual Report on
Form 10-K.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. You are advised,
however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related
subjects in our reports to the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
We are an integrated media and merchandising company providing
consumers with inspiring lifestyle content and well-designed,
high-quality products. The company is comprised of four business
segments: Publishing, Merchandising, Internet and Broadcasting,
a combination that enables us to cross-promote our content and
products.
Our growth strategy is three-pronged:
Continue to increase advertising on our media platforms,
including publishing, broadcasting and online, through
cross-platform, omnimedia initiatives;
Leverage our brands through merchandising relationships; and
Create, launch
and/or
acquire new brands
As part of our brand acquisition strategy, we recently announced
our agreement to acquire all the assets related to Chef Emeril
Lagasses businesses, other than his restaurants and
corporate office (subject to certain closing conditions), in
exchange for approximately $45 million in cash and
$5 million in our Class A Common Stock and an
additional payment of up to $20 million based upon the
achievement of certain operating metrics in 2011 and 2012.
The media and merchandise we create generally encompasses eight
core areas:
Cooking and Entertaining (recipes, techniques, and indoor and
outdoor entertaining)
Holidays (celebrating special days and special occasions)
Crafts (how-to projects)
Home (decorating, collecting and renovating)
Whole Living (healthy living and sustainable practices)
Weddings (all aspects of planning, celebrating and commemorating
a wedding)
Organizing (homekeeping, petkeeping, clotheskeeping, restoring
and other types of domestic maintenance)
Gardening (planting, landscape design and outdoor living)
As of March 10, 2008, we had approximately
760 employees. Our revenues from foreign sources were
$12.3 million, $15.6 million and $9.3 million in
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. Substantially all of our
assets are located within the United States.
Martha Stewart published her first book,
Entertaining
, in
1982. Over the next eight years she became a well-known
authority on the domestic arts, authoring eight more books on a
variety of our core content areas. In 1991, Time Publishing
Ventures, Inc. (TPV), a subsidiary of Time Inc.,
launched
Martha Stewart Living
magazine with
Ms. Stewart serving as its
editor-in-chief.
In 1993, TPV began producing a weekly television program,
Living
, hosted by Ms. Stewart. In 1995, TPV launched
a mail-order catalog,
Martha by Mail
, which made
available products featured in, or developed in connection with,
the magazine and television program. In late 1996 and early
1997, a series of transactions occurred resulting in MSLO LLC
acquiring substantially all Martha Stewart-related businesses.
Ms. Stewart was the majority owner of MSLO LLC; TPV
retained a small equity interest in the business. On
October 22, 1999, MSLO LLC merged into MSO, then a wholly
owned subsidiary of MSLO LLC. Immediately following the merger,
we consummated an initial public offering.
BUSINESS
SEGMENTS
Our four business segments are described below. Additional
financial information relating to these segments may be found in
Note 15 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In 2007, our Publishing segment accounted for 56% of our total
revenues, consisting of operations related to magazine and book
production. Revenues from magazine advertising and circulation
represented approximately 58% and 39%, respectively, of the
segments revenues in 2007.
Magazines
Martha Stewart Living.
Our flagship magazine,
Martha Stewart Living
, is the foundation of our
publishing business. Launched in 1991 as a quarterly publication
with a circulation of 250,000, we currently publish
Martha
Stewart Living
on a monthly basis with a rate base of
2 million, effective January 1, 2008. The magazine
appeals primarily to the college-educated woman between the ages
of 25 and 54 who owns her principal residence.
Martha Stewart
Living
offers lifestyle ideas and original how-to
information in a highly visual, upscale editorial environment.
The magazine has won numerous prestigious industry awards and
generates a substantial majority of our magazine revenues,
primarily from advertising revenue.
Everyday Food.
We launched
Everyday Food
in
September of 2003 after publishing four test issues. This
digest-sized magazine featuring quick, easy recipes was created
for the supermarket shopper and the everyday cook.
Everyday
Food
targets women ages 25 to 49, and is intended to
broaden our consumer audience while developing a new brand and
diversifying our revenue.
Martha Stewart Weddings.
We launched
Martha
Stewart Weddings
in 1994, originally as an annual
publication. In 1997, it went to semi-annual publication and
became a quarterly in 1999.
Martha Stewart Weddings
targets the upscale bride and serves as an important vehicle
for introducing young women to our brands.
Martha Stewart
Weddings
is distributed primarily through newsstands.
Body + Soul.
In August 2004, we acquired certain
assets and liabilities of
Body + Soul
magazine and
Dr. Andrew Weils Self Healing
newsletter
(Body & Soul Group), which are
publications featuring natural living content. The
magazine generates both advertising and circulation revenue,
while the newsletter generates substantially all of its revenue
from subscriptions. Body & Soul Group also sells a
limited line of merchandise related to natural
living, which we record as publishing revenue attributed
to
Body + Soul
.
Blueprint: Design Your Life.
In 2006, we began
testing a new magazine called
Blueprint: Design Your
Life
. Geared to women
ages 25-39,
Blueprint
targeted a different demographic than our core
consumer, while maintaining our distinctive how-to
approach, covering home, fashion, and beauty. After two test
issues in 2006 and six in 2007, we decided to discontinue
publishing the title on a stand-alone basis after the
January/February 2008 issue.
Magazine Summary
Certain information related to our 2007 issues of subscription
magazines is as follows:
Yearly
2007 Rate
Title
Description
Frequency
Base *
Martha Stewart Living
Home and womens lifestyle
12
1,950,000
Everyday Food
Cooking
10
875,000
Martha Stewart Weddings
Weddings
5
**
N/A ***
Body + Soul
Whole living
8
****
450,000
Blueprint
Womens lifestyle
6
*****
400,000
*
Current 2008 rate bases are:
Martha Stewart Living
(2,000,000);
Everyday Food
(900,000); and
Body + Soul
(550,000)
**
2007 included one special issue of
Martha Stewart Weddings: Special Color Issue
***
Does not have a stated rate base.
****
2008 yearly frequency will
increase to 10 issues of
Body+ Soul
*****
Blueprint
was launched in May 2006 and discontinued as a stand-alone
publication after the January/February 2008 issue.
Special Interest Publications.
In addition to our
periodic magazines, we publish certain special interest magazine
editions. We began with one in 1998 and published nine in 2007.
Our Special Interest Publications provide in-depth advice and
ideas around a particular topic in one of our core content
areas, allowing us to leverage our distribution network to
generate additional revenues. Our Special Interest Publications
can be sponsored by a single advertiser, multiple advertisers,
or contain no advertising; and may be sold at newsstands
and/or
distributed to subscribers with issues of
Martha Stewart
Living
. In 2007, we published
Good Things for the
Kitchen, Martha Stewart Living: Outdoor Living, Good Things for
Kids, Good Things for the Home, Martha Stewart Holiday:
Halloween, Everyday Food Holiday Baking
and three
Body +
Soul
specials.
Magazine Production, Distribution and
Fulfillment.
We print most of our domestic magazines
under agreements with R. R. Donnelly and currently purchase
paper through an agreement with Time Inc. While paper for use in
our magazines is widely available, volatility in the paper
market is currently applying upward pressure on paper prices. We
also expect to see a mid-year 2008 increase in postage expense.
We use no other significant raw materials in our businesses.
Newsstand distribution of the magazines is handled by Time
Warner Retail, an affiliate of Time Inc., under a more
favorable, revised agreement that expires with the December 2010
issue of
Martha Stewart Living
. We expect that prices
charged for distribution through national wholesalers will
increase in 2008. Subscription fulfillment services for our
magazines are provided by Time Customer Services, another
affiliate of Time Inc., under an agreement that expires in June
2014.
In the second quarter of 2007, we announced a multi-year
agreement with Clarkson Potter/Publishers to publish 10 books
beginning with
Martha Stewart Living Cookbook Volume I: The
Original Classics; Martha Stewart Living Cookbook Volume II: The
New Classics;
and
Martha Stewarts Wedding
Cakes
. In the fourth quarter of 2007, we signed an amendment
to the agreement with Clarkson Potter to deliver an additional
two books for a total of 12 books to be published over multiple
years. In addition to these 2007 titles, we have produced over
60 books including the recent best-sellers:
Martha
Stewarts Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to
Caring for Everything in Your Home; Everyday Food: Great Food
Fast;
and
Martha Stewarts Baking Handbook
.
Competition
Publishing is a highly competitive business. Our magazines,
books and related publishing products compete with other mass
media and many other types of leisure-time activities.
Competition for advertising dollars in magazine operations is
primarily based on advertising rates as well as editorial and
aesthetic quality, the desirability of the magazines
demographic, reader response to advertisers products and
services and the effectiveness of the advertising sales staff.
Martha Stewart Living
competes for readers and
advertising dollars with womens service, decorating,
cooking and lifestyle magazines and websites.
Everyday Food
competes for readers and advertising dollars with
womens service and cooking magazines and websites.
Martha Stewart Weddings
competes for readers and
advertising dollars primarily in the wedding service magazine
category and websites.
Body + Soul
competes for readers
and advertising dollars primarily with womens lifestyle
and natural living magazines and websites. Our Special Interest
Publications can compete with a variety of magazines depending
on the focus of the particular issue.
Seasonality
Our Publishing segment can experience fluctuations in quarterly
performance due principally to publication schedule variations
from year to year, timing of direct mail expenses, delivery
schedule of our long-term book contract, and other seasonal
factors.
Martha Stewart Weddings
was published five times
in 2007: three issues in the second quarter and two issues in
the fourth quarter. Additionally, the publication schedule for
our Special Interest Publications can vary and lead to quarterly
fluctuations in the Publishing segments results.
Our Merchandising segment contributed 26% of our total revenues
in 2007. The segment consists of operations relating to the
design of merchandise and related packaging, promotional and
advertising materials, and the licensing of various proprietary
trademarks, in connection with retail programs conducted through
a number of retailers and manufacturers. Pursuant to agreements
with our retail and manufacturing partners, we are typically
responsible for the design of all merchandise
and/or
related packaging, signage, advertising and promotional
materials. Our retail partners source the products through a
manufacturer base and are mostly responsible for the promotion
of the product. Our licensing partners source and/or produce the
branded products together with other lines they make or sell.
Our licensing agreements require us to maintain no inventory and
incur no meaningful expenses other than employee compensation.
Licensed
Retail Partnerships
Martha
Stewart Everyday at Kmart and Sears Canada
Martha Stewart Everyday
is our mass-market brand.
Currently, the label is associated with products that generally
fall into the following categories: Home (which includes sheets,
towels, pillows, bath accessories, window treatments and kitchen
textiles); Garden (which includes outdoor furniture and
accessories); Kitchen
(which includes cookware, bakeware, utensils, dinnerware,
flatware, and beverageware); Keeping (which includes
organizational products relating to the pantry, closet and
laundry); Decorating (which includes mirrors, picture frames,
candles, and lamps); Ready-to-Assemble furniture (living,
dining, bath and bedroom furniture); and Holiday (which includes
artificial Christmas trees, decorating products, wrapping and
ornaments).
In the United States and Canada, all of these products are sold
under exclusive agreements. In the United States we have an
exclusive license agreement with Kmart Corporation in the
mass-market channel. In 2007, Kmart represented 76% of total
revenues in our Merchandising segment and 21% of total Company
revenues due principally to the contractual minimum guarantee
(see Managements Discussion and Analysis
Executive Summary for details regarding our contract with
Kmart). In Canada, we have an exclusive license agreement with
Sears Canada, which launched the
Martha Stewart Everyday
brand label in September 2003.
We own the
Martha Stewart Everyday
trademark and
generally retain all intellectual property rights related to the
designs of merchandise, packaging, signage and collateral
materials developed for the various programs.
Martha
Stewart Collection at Macys
In September 2007, we launched the
Martha Stewart Collection
exclusively at Macys. The
Martha Stewart Collection
line encompasses a broad range of home goods, including bed
and bath textiles, housewares, casual dinnerware, flatware and
glassware, cookware, holiday decorating and
trim-a-tree
items. We own the
Martha Stewart Collection
trademark and
generally retain all intellectual property rights related to the
designs of the merchandise, packaging, signage and collateral
materials developed for the various programs.
Martha
Stewart at Costco
In December 2007, we introduced our first product as part of an
agreement with Costco to sell prepared food co-branded with
Costcos private label brand, Kirkland Signature. Our soups
began selling in January 2008, and we anticipate launching a
series of fresh, refrigerated and frozen food products
throughout the year.
Martha
Stewart Colors at Lowes
In 2007, we launched a Martha Stewart-branded interior and
exterior paint palette program called
Martha Stewart
Colors
. The palette is available exclusively at Lowes
stores in the United States and Canada.
Martha
Stewart Flowers with 1-800-Flowers
In 2007, we announced our partnership with 1-800-Flowers to
create an exclusive, new, co-branded floral, plant and
gift-basket program beginning in 2008. This licensing agreement
will provide an opportunity to participate in the
same-day
delivery of the flowers market.
Digital
Photography Products
In 2006, we began a two-year agreement with Kodak Imaging
Network to develop a line of branded Martha Stewart personalized
photo products. The product line includes cards, calendars
(non-branded), photo-books and stickers. In 2007, we partnered
with Shutterfly to offer Martha Stewart-branded photo-books and
cards, although the parties will be phasing out this
relationship during 2008. The financial results from the sales
of these digital products were reported in the Internet segment
through December 31, 2007. In 2008, the digital photography
product business will be managed and reported in the
Merchandising segment as a licensed retail partnership.
In May 2007, we launched
Martha Stewart Crafts
products
at over 900 Michaels stores, and in August 2007, pursuant
to our licensing relationship with EK Success, LTD and GTCR
Golder Rauner, LLC, began distributing product to certain
independent craft stores across the United States. In August
2007, we invested $10.0 million in an entity primarily
funded by GTCR Golder Rauner that acquired Wilton Industries,
Inc. and Dimensions Holding, LLC. The investment gives us a 3.8%
ownership interest in the holding company of the new, combined
entity, Wilton Products, Inc, which already owned EK Success. We
also have a subordinated equity interest of 7.25% in the holding
company of Wilton Products, the market value of which is
contingent on reaching specific performance hurdles. In addition
to our existing licensing relationship with EK Success, we also
entered into a new licensing agreement with Wilton Industries.
Through this arrangement, we will broaden our footprint in the
crafts market by introducing licensed products in the following
categories: food crafts; party favors; and weddings.
Martha
Stewart Furniture with Bernhardt
We have had a Martha Stewart furniture program with the
Bernhardt Furniture Company since 2003 and renewed that
relationship at the end of 2007. Currently, merchandise produced
under this relationship includes furniture for the living room,
bedroom, and dining room, that is sold at furniture and
department stores nationwide, including certain Macys
stores.
KB Home /
Martha Stewart Homes
In October 2005, we entered into an agreement with KB Home, Inc.
to design and style all interior and exterior components for 655
new homes in Cary, North Carolina. In February 2006, we
announced an expanded agreement with KB, pursuant to which we
are collaborating with KB on new home communities throughout the
United States. As part of the expanded agreement, we also offer
a range of design options, featured exclusively in KB Studios
nationwide. In December 2007, we amended the terms of our
relationship in the initial contract, accepting a one-time
payment in exchange for certain promotional obligations.
Martha
Stewart Fine China for Waterford Wedgwood
In January 2007, we announced a worldwide agreement with
Waterford Wedgwood USA, Inc. to develop a fine china and crystal
collection. The line launched in January 2008 exclusively at
Macys in the United States, and through macys.com, as part
of the
Martha Stewart Collection
assortment of products.
Martha
Stewart Lighting
In September 2007, we launched our
Martha Stewart Lighting
program through our agreement with Generation Brands, LLC, a
manufacturer of leading brands of lighting. Our lighting and
ceiling fans are available through independent lighting and
furniture dealers.
Martha
Stewart Area Rugs
In January 2007, we introduced our line of rugs through a
licensing agreement with Safavieh, Inc., a leading manufacturer
and importer of fine rugs. The
Martha Stewart Rugs
are
sold at independent furniture and rug galleries and at certain
Macys stores.
In July 2007, we introduced our
Martha Stewart Floor Designs
with FLOR, Inc., an eco-friendly manufacturer of
residential, high-style modular floor coverings. FLOR
manufactures the Martha Stewartbranded carpet tiles and
sells direct to consumers as well as to retailers.
Summary of Retail and Merchandising License
Agreements
License Partner
Basis For Royalties
[a]
Expiration Date
[b]
Kmart (Multiple product lines)
Retail sales
January 2010
Sears Canada (Multiple product lines)
Retail sales
August 2008
Macys (Multiple product lines)
Retail sales
January 2013
Costco (Food)
Retail sales
December 2009
Lowes (Paint)
Fee based upon gallons tinted from the
Martha Stewart
Colors
palette
December 2009
1-800-Flowers
Retail sales
March 2011
EK Success (Crafts)
Sales (Retail and/or Wholesale)
March 2012
Wilton (Crafts)
Sales (Retail and/or Wholesale)
Five years after Launch
Bernhardt (Furniture)
Wholesale sales
December 2012
KB Home (Cary, NC)
[c]
[c]
KB Home (National Agreement)
Aggregate gross sales
February 2011
Waterford Wedgwood (China)
Wholesale sales
January 2013
Generation Brands (Lighting)
Wholesale sales
September 2010
Safavieh (Area Rugs)
Wholesale sales
July 2010
FLOR (Carpet Tiles)
Sales (Retail and/or Wholesale)
July 2010
[a]
Basis for royalties is a summary of
contractual agreements regarding the calculation of royalties
but does not represent the basis for revenue recognition as
several contracts contain minimum guarantee clauses or other
revenue triggers that require specific accounting application
(see Note 2 to Consolidated Financial
Statements Summary of Significant Accounting
Policies).
[b]
Expiration dates are typically a
function of the launch date of the program. Therefore, these
expiration dates are subject to change for products that have
not been introduced to date. Certain contracts are subject to
possible renewals.
[c]
In December 2007, we amended the
terms of our relationship with this initial KB Home contract,
accepting a one-time payment in exchange for certain promotional
obligations.
Competition
The retail business is highly competitive and the principal
competition for all of our merchandising lines consists of
competitors in the mass-market and department stores in which
our Merchandising segment products are sold, including Wal-Mart,
Target, Kohls, JCPenney, Bed Bath & Beyond,
Linens n Things, Home Depot, BJs and Sams Club
as well as other products in the respective product categories.
Competitive factors include numbers and locations of stores,
brand awareness and price. We also compete with the Internet
businesses of these stores and other websites that sell similar
retail goods. Competition in our flower business includes other
online sellers as well as traditional floral retailers.
Competition in our digital photo products business consists of
other Kodak and Shutterfly digital products, as well as products
in competing online photo sites.
Revenues from the Merchandising segment can vary significantly
from quarter to quarter due to new product launches and the
seasonality of certain product lines. In addition, we
historically recognize a substantial portion of the revenue
resulting from the difference between the minimum royalty amount
under the Kmart contract and royalties paid on actual sales in
the fourth quarter of each year, when the amount can be
determined.
Our Internet segment represented 6% of our total revenues in
2007, resulting from three revenue streams: online ad sales
primarily at
marthastewart.com
; product sales of
Martha Stewart Flowers
; and sales of digital photo
products. In 2008, revenue from the Internet segment will be
advertising driven, as sales of flowers and digital products
will be managed and reported by our Merchandising segment.
In August 2004, we chose to discontinue
Martha By Mail
and its online product offerings, which historically had been
included in the Internet segment. The last catalog was mailed in
the fourth quarter of 2004, with all remaining inventory
disposed of in early 2005.
Marthastewart.com
The
marthastewart.com
website offers recipes and how-to
content, integrated across the Martha Stewart brands in the
following categories: food, entertaining, holidays, home and
decorating, crafts, gardening, weddings, kids and health. In
2007, we relaunched the site with a new, more user-friendly
platform. The site relaunch and subsequent releases included the
development of advanced search, community tools, and the
creation of most popular modules which showcase our
inspirational content and beautiful imagery. Advertising is the
primary source of revenue for our site.
Martha
Stewart Flowers
Originally launched in 1999 as
marthasflowers.com
, the
new website
marthastewartflowers.com
continued to operate
under the business model of providing fresh floral products
shipped directly from farms to consumers. This business model
enables customers to ship floral gifts overnight, delivering
Martha Stewartinspired designs with superior freshness.
Product categories include growers bunches, mixed
bouquets, blooming plants, fresh wreaths and garlands. In 2007,
we chose to partner with 1-800-Flowers to create an exclusive,
new, co-branded floral, plant and gift-basket program beginning
in 2008. This new, higher-margin licensing agreement will
provide an opportunity to participate in the
same-day
delivery of the fresh flowers market.
Martha Stewart
Flowers
, under this new agreement, will be managed and
reported in the Merchandising segment in 2008 as a licensed
retail partnership.
Digital
Photo Products
In 2006, we began a two-year agreement with Kodak Imaging
Network to develop a line of branded Martha Stewart personalized
photo products. The product line includes cards, calendars
(non-branded), photo-books and stickers. In 2007, we partnered
with Shutterfly to offer Martha Stewart-branded photo-books and
cards, although the parties will be phasing out this
relationship during 2008. Our agreements with Kodak and
Shutterfly provide for royalty payments based upon product
sales. The agreement with Kodak also had a minimum guarantee
which was completely recognized in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, the
digital photo product business will be managed and reported in
the Merchandising segment as a licensed retail partnership.
The online ad sales and flower businesses are highly
competitive.
Marthastewart.com
competes with other
how-to, food and lifestyle websites. Our challenge is to attract
and retain users through an easy-to-use and content-relevant
website. Competition for advertising revenue is based on the
number of unique users we attract each month, the demographic
profile of that audience and the number of pages they view on
our site.
Seasonality
Revenues from our Internet segment can vary significantly from
quarter to quarter. Advertising revenue on
marthastewart.com
is tied to traffic among other key factors and is typically
highest in the fourth quarter of the year due to high advertiser
demand to reach our audience demographic with their marketing
messages, while revenue for
Martha Stewart Flowers
is
tied to key holidays during the year.
Our Broadcasting business segment accounted for 12% of our total
revenues in 2007. The segment consists of operations relating to
the production of television programming, the domestic and
international distribution of our library of programming in
existing and repurposed formats, and the operations of our
satellite radio channel. We generally own the copyrights for all
content we produce for our television and satellite radio
programs.
In September 2005, we launched
The Martha Stewart
Show
a syndicated daily lifestyle series hosted
by Martha Stewart which generates the majority of
the segments revenue. Filmed in front of a studio
audience, the show consists of several segments, each featuring
inspiring ideas and new projects from one or several of our core
content areas. NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution
distributes the program domestically. In 2007, we announced that
a fourth season of
The Martha Stewart Show
is expected to
begin in September 2008. Because seasons run twelve months
beginning and ending in the middle of September, the 2007
results include a large portion of season 2 and the first
16 weeks of season 3, which is currently airing in
syndication. The Broadcasting segment previously produced the
Living
show, which ceased airing in September 2004.
Revenues for
The Martha Stewart Show
currently are mostly
comprised of advertising and product placement.
In November 2005, we launched the
Martha Stewart Living Radio
channel on SIRIUS Satellite Radio. Our channel provides
programming designed for women listeners and their families,
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Under the terms of the
four-year agreement, we receive a fixed revenue stream earned
evenly over the life of the contract, with the potential for
additional amounts based on certain subscriber and advertising
based targets.
Everyday Food
, a
half-hour
original series inspired by the magazine of the same name, airs
weekly on PBS stations nationwide. Unlike revenues for
The
Martha Stewart Show,
revenues for the
Everyday Food
series are provided by underwriters. In 2008, we added a
spin-off companion show,
Everyday Baking from Everyday
Food
, which also airs weekly on PBS stations.
In 2007, we announced several agreements with Scripps-owned
networks including the primetime rebroadcast of
The Martha
Stewart Show
on the Fine Living channel on a
one-day
delay from the initial syndicated broadcast. We also have a new
series,
Martha Stewart Crafts
, currently airing daily on
the DIY channel, which is a best of compilation from
the former
Living
show, featuring how-to crafting
segments.
We began to offer, in October 2007, access to 10 hours of
segments from our library of programming through an
advertising-supported, free
video-on-demand
service.
Martha Stewart On Demand
is currently available
to Comcast and Cox digital cable customers and is updated
monthly with 50% refreshed content.
Broadcasting is a highly competitive business. Our television
programs compete directly for viewers, distribution
and/or
advertising dollars with other lifestyle and how-to television
programs, as well as with general programming on other
television stations and all other competing forms of media.
Overall competitive factors in this segment include programming
content, quality and distribution as well as the demographic
appeal of the programming. As in publishing, competition for
television and radio advertising dollars is based primarily on
advertising rates, audience size and demographic composition,
viewer response to advertisers products and services and
effectiveness of the advertising sales staff. While the revenue
from our radio business is contractually guaranteed, we compete
for listeners with similarly themed programming on both
satellite and terrestrial radio.
We use multiple trademarks to distinguish our brands, including
Martha Stewart Living
,
Martha Stewart Everyday
,
Martha Stewart Collection
,
Everyday Food
,
Martha Stewart Weddings
,
marthastewart.com, Martha
Stewart Flowers, Body + Soul
and
wholeliving.com
.
These and numerous other trademarks are the subject of
registrations and pending applications filed by us for use with
a variety of products and other content, both domestically and
internationally, and we continue to expand our worldwide usage
and registration of related trademarks. We file copyrights
regarding our proprietary designs and editorial content on a
regular basis. We regard our rights in and to our trademarks and
materials as valuable assets in the marketing of our products
and vigorously seek to protect them against infringement and
denigration by third parties. We own and license the rights to
many of these marks pursuant to an agreement between us and
Ms. Stewart, which is described under Item 13 of this
Annual Report on
Form 10-K.
Our website can be found on the Internet at
www.marthastewart.com
. We have adopted a code of ethics
applicable to our directors, officers (including our principal
executive officer, principal financial and accounting officer
and controller and persons performing similar functions) and
employees, known as the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website
www.marthastewart.com
and as Exhibit 14.1. Our proxy
statements, Annual Reports on
Form 10-K,
Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q
and Current Reports on
Form 8-K,
as well as certain of our other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the SEC), can be viewed and
downloaded free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable
after they have been filed with the SEC by accessing
marthastewart.com
and clicking on Investor Relations and
SEC Filings. Please note that information on, or that can be
accessed through, our website is not deemed filed
with the SEC and is not to be incorporated by reference into any
of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Item 1A.
Risk
Factors
A wide range of factors could materially affect our performance.
In addition to the factors affecting specific business
operations identified in connection with the description of
these operations and the financial results of these operations
elsewhere in this report, the following factors, among others,
could adversely affect our operations:
Our success depends in part on the popularity of our brands
and the reputation and popularity of our founder, Martha
Stewart, and any adverse reactions to publicity relating to
Ms. Stewart, or the loss of her services, could adversely
affect our revenues, results of operations and our ability to
maintain or generate a consumer base.
While we believe there has been significant consumer acceptance
for our products as stand-alone brands, the image, reputation,
popularity and talent of Martha Stewart remain important
factors. Ms. Stewarts efforts,
personality and leadership have been, and continue to be,
critical to our success. While we have managed our business
without her daily participation, for example, during the period
of her incarceration resulting from a personal legal matter, the
repeated diminution or loss of her services due to disability,
death or some other cause, or any repeated or sustained shifts
in public or industry perceptions of her, could have a material
adverse effect on our business. In addition, our business may be
adversely affected by Ms. Stewarts 2006 settlement
with the SEC, which bars her until August 2011 from serving at
the Company as a director, or as an officer with financial
responsibilities.
Our Merchandising business currently relies heavily on
revenue from a single source.
In 2007, we received approximately 76% of our Merchandising
segment revenues and 21% of our total revenues from our
licensing agreement with Kmart. For the twelve months ended
January 31, 2008, we received guaranteed minimum royalty
payments of $65.0 million from Kmart. For the contract
years ending January 31, 2009 and January 31, 2010
(the final two years of the contract), the minimum guarantees
are substantially lower than in recent years (we anticipate they
will be $20.0 million and $15.0 million,
respectively). As a result of the substantial decline in minimum
guarantees, we expect that the revenue we receive from Kmart
will decline significantly. If in future periods we are unable
to earn, from sources other than Kmart, revenue in excess of the
reduction of guarantees from our Kmart contract, our operating
results and business may be materially adversely affected.
We are expanding our merchandising and licensing programs
into new areas and products, the failure of any of which could
diminish the perceived value of our brand, impair our ability to
grow and adversely affect our prospects.
Our growth depends to a significant degree upon our ability to
develop new or expand existing retail merchandising programs. We
have entered into several new merchandising and licensing
agreements in the past few years. Some of these agreements are
exclusive and may have a duration of many years. While we
require that our licensees maintain the quality of our brands
through specific contractual provisions, we cannot be certain
that our licensees, or their manufacturers and distributors,
will honor their contractual obligations or that they will not
take other actions that will diminish the value of our brands.
There is also a risk that the extension of our brand into new
business areas will meet with disapproval from consumers. We
have limited experience in merchandising in some of these
business areas. We cannot guarantee that these programs will be
fully implemented, or if implemented, that they will be
successful. If the licensing or merchandising programs do not
succeed, we may be prohibited from seeking different channels
for our products due to the exclusive nature and multi-year
terms of these agreements. Disputes with new or existing
licensees may arise which could hinder our ability to grow or
expand our product lines. Such disputes also could prevent or
delay our ability to collect licensing revenue we expect in
connection with such products. If such developments occur or our
merchandising programs are otherwise not successful, our brand
recognition, business, financial condition and prospects could
be materially adversely affected.
Our Merchandising business and licensing programs may suffer
from downturns in the health and stability of the general
economy or housing market.
Reduction in the availability of credit, increased heating and
gas expenses, slowing housing turnover or a downturn in the
housing market, all of which have occurred in the past two
years, and each of which could become more pronounced in the
future, could limit consumers discretionary spending or
affect their confidence. These and other adverse consumer trends
may lead to reduced spending on general merchandise, homes and
home improvement projects, categories in which we license our
brands. A downturn in consumer spending would adversely impact
consumer sales generally, resulting in weaker revenues from our
licensed products. Such a trend would adversely impact, and
could materially adversely impact, our business, financial
condition and prospects.
Our business is largely dependent on advertising revenues in
our publications, online operations and broadcasts and failure
to attract or retain these advertisers would have a material
adverse effect on our business.
We depend on advertising revenue in our Publishing, Broadcasting
and Internet businesses. We cannot control how much or where
companies choose to advertise. If advertisers decide to spend
less money, or if they advertise elsewhere in lieu of our
publications, broadcasts or website, our revenues and business
would be materially adversely affected.
If
The Martha Stewart Show
fails to maintain a
sufficient audience, if adverse trends develop in the television
production business generally, or if Martha Stewart were to
cease to be able to devote substantial time to our television
business, that business would be adversely affected.
Our television production business is subject to a number of
uncertainties. Our business and financial condition could be
materially adversely affected by:
Failure of our television programming to maintain a
sufficient audience
Television production is a speculative business because revenues
derived from television depend primarily upon the continued
acceptance of that programming by the public, which is difficult
to predict. Public acceptance of particular programming depends
upon, among other things, the quality of that programming, the
strength of stations on which that programming is broadcast,
promotion of that programming, the quality and acceptance of
competing television programming and other sources of
entertainment and information.
The Martha Stewart Show
television program has experienced a decline in ratings that
reflects both the general decline in daytime broadcast
television viewers discussed in the paragraph below, as well as
the decision by some major market stations to shift the airing
of the show. These developments have negatively impacted our
television advertising revenues. If ratings for the show were to
further decline, it would adversely affect the advertising
revenues we derive from television and may result in the
television program being broadcast on fewer stations. Ratings
decline further than we anticipate could also make it
economically inefficient to continue production of the program
in the daily
one-hour
format or otherwise. If production of the television program
were to cease, it would result in the loss of a significant
marketing platform for us and our products as well as a
writedown of our capitalized programming costs. The amount of
any writedown would vary depending on a number of factors,
including when production ceased and the extent to which we
continued to generate revenues from the use of our existing
program library.
Adverse trends in the television business generally
Television revenues may also be affected by a number of other
factors, most of which are not within our control. These factors
include a general decline in daytime broadcast television
viewers, pricing pressure in the television advertising
industry, strength of the stations on which our programming is
broadcast, general economic conditions, increases in production
costs, availability of other forms of entertainment and leisure
time activities and other factors. Any or all of these factors
may quickly change, and these changes cannot be predicted with
certainty. While we currently benefit from our ability to sell
advertising on our television programs, if adverse changes
occur, we can make no assurance that we will continue to be able
to sell this advertising or that our advertising rates can be
maintained. Accordingly, if any of these adverse changes were to
occur, the revenues we generate from television programming
could decline.
We have placed emphasis on building an advertising revenue
based website, dependent on high levels of consumer traffic and
resulting page views. Failure to fulfill these undertakings
would adversely affect our brand and business prospects.
Our growth depends to a significant degree upon the development
of our Internet business. We have had failures with direct
commerce in the past, and only limited experience in building an
advertising revenue-
based website. In response to initial results from the relaunch
of the
marthastewart.com
site in the second quarter of
2007, which were below expectations, we made changes to the
site. We cannot make assurances that those changes will enable
us to sustain growth for our site in the long term. In order for
our Internet business to succeed, we must, among other things:
significantly increase our online traffic and advertising
revenue;
attract and retain a base of frequent visitors to our website;
expand the content, products and tools we offer over our website;
respond to competitive developments while maintaining a distinct
brand identity;
attract and retain talent for critical positions;
maintain and form relationships with strategic partners to
attract more consumers;
continue to develop and upgrade our technologies; and
bring new product features to market in a timely manner.
We cannot assure that we will be successful in achieving these
and other necessary objectives or that our Internet business
will be profitable. If we are not successful in achieving these
objectives, our business, financial condition and prospects
could be materially adversely affected.
If we are unable to predict, respond to and influence trends
in what the public finds appealing, our business will be
adversely affected.
Our continued success depends on our ability to provide
creative, useful and attractive ideas, information, concepts,
programming and products, which strongly appeal to a large
number of homemakers and other consumers. In order to accomplish
this, we must be able to respond quickly and effectively to
changes in consumer tastes for ideas, information, concepts and
products. The strength of our brands and our business units
depends in part on our ability to influence these tastes through
broadcasting, publishing, merchandising and the Internet. We
cannot be sure that our new ideas and content will have the
appeal and garner the acceptance that they have in the past, or
that we will be able to respond quickly to changes in the tastes
of homemakers and other consumers. In addition, we cannot be
sure that our existing ideas and content will continue to appeal
to the public.
New product launches may reduce our earnings or generate
losses.
Our future success will depend in part on our ability to
continue offering new products and services that successfully
gain market acceptance by addressing the needs of our current
and future customers. Our efforts to introduce new or integrate
acquired products may not be successful or profitable. The
process of internally researching and developing, launching,
gaining acceptance and establishing profitability for a new
product or service, or assimilating and marketing an acquired
product, is both risky and costly. New products generally incur
initial operating losses. Costs related to the development of
new products and services are generally expensed as incurred
and, accordingly, our profitability from year to year may be
adversely affected by the number and timing of new product
launches. For example, we had a cumulative loss of
$15.4 million in connection with
Blueprint
, which we
have ceased to publish as a stand-alone title. Other businesses
and brands that we may develop also may prove not to be
successful.
Acquiring or developing additional brands or businesses, and
integrating acquired assets, poses inherent financial and other
risks and challenges.
We expect to be able to launch product lines and media
properties that stand alone in the marketplace. In February
2008, we agreed to acquire certain assets of Chef Emeril
Lagasse, subject to certain closing conditions. We cannot assure
that we will consummate this acquisition or that, if
consummated, we will be able to adequately manage the acquired
businesses. Failure to successfully consummate that
acquisition,
integrate those assets or exploit the brand we are acquiring
could adversely affect our results of operations and our ability
to acquire other brands.
The process of consolidating and integrating acquired operations
and assets takes a significant period of time, places a
significant strain on resources and could prove to be more
expensive and time consuming than we predicted. We may increase
expenditures to accelerate the integration process with the goal
of achieving longer-term cost savings and improved
profitability. We also may be required to manage multiple
relationships with third parties as we expand our product
offerings and brand portfolio. These developments may increase
expenses as we hire additional personnel to manage our growth.
These investments require significant time commitments from our
senior management and place a strain on their ability to manage
our existing business.
Part of our strategic plan is to acquire other businesses. These
transactions involve challenges and risks in negotiation,
execution, valuation, and integration. Moreover, competition for
certain types of acquisitions is significant, particularly in
the field of interactive media. Even if successfully negotiated,
closed, and integrated, certain acquisitions may not advance our
business strategy and may fall short of expected return on
investment targets.
We do not have audited GAAP-basis financial information
related to the agreement to acquire assets from Emeril
Lagasse.
Acquisitions could have a material impact on the financial
information we provide. The business related to the assets of
Emeril Lagasse that we have agreed to acquire, subject to
certain closing conditions, did not have GAAP-basis audited
financial statements. A subsequent audit of these assets and the
business related to them may reveal significant issues related
to valuation or otherwise. If we consummate the transaction to
acquire the assets, then the purchase price for the assets of
Emeril Lagasse would likely exceed the current fair value of the
net assets. As a result, material goodwill and other intangible
assets would be recorded, which could result in significant
amortization charges in the future.
We face significant competition for advertising and
circulation.
We face significant competition from a number of print and
website publishers, some of which have greater financial and
other resources than we have, which may enhance their ability to
compete in the markets we serve. Competition for advertising
revenue in publications is primarily based on advertising rates,
the nature and scope of readership, reader response to the
promotions for advertisers products and services and the
effectiveness of sales teams. Other competitive factors in
publishing include product positioning, editorial quality,
circulation, price and customer service, which impact readership
audience, circulation revenues and, ultimately, advertising
revenues. Because our industry is relatively easy to enter, we
anticipate that additional competitors, some of whom have
greater resources than we do, may enter these markets and
intensify competition.
Our principal vendors are consolidating and this may
adversely affect our business and operations.
We rely on our principal vendors and their ability or
willingness to sell goods and services to us at favorable prices
and other terms. Many factors outside our control may harm these
relationships and the ability and willingness of these vendors
to sell these goods and services to us on such terms. Our
principal vendors include paper suppliers, printers,
subscription fulfillment houses and national newsstand
wholesalers, distributors and retailers. Each of these
industries in recent years has experienced consolidation among
its principal participants. Further consolidation may result in
all or any of the following, which could adversely affect our
results of operations:
decreased competition, which may lead to increased prices;
interruptions and delays in services provided by such
vendors; and
We may be adversely affected by fluctuations in paper and
postage costs.
Our principal raw material is paper. Paper prices have
fluctuated over the past several years. We generally purchase
paper from major paper suppliers who adjust the price
periodically. We have not entered, and do not currently plan to
enter into long-term forward price or option contracts for
paper. Accordingly, significant increases in paper prices could
adversely affect our future results of operations.
Postage for magazine distribution is also one of our significant
expenses. We primarily use the U.S. Postal Service to
distribute magazine subscriptions. We may not be able to
recover, in whole or in part, paper or postage cost increases.
In recent years, postal rates have increased including a rise in
2007 and an additional increase that is expected to occur in
2008. Accordingly, significant increases in postage prices could
adversely affect our future results of operations.
We may face increased costs for distribution of our magazines
to newsstands and bookstores.
Distribution of magazines to newsstands and bookstores is
conducted primarily through four companies, known as
wholesalers. Recently, one of our wholesalers has advised us
that they intend to increase the price of their services by
approximately 8%. We expect to commence discussions with this
wholesaler shortly regarding this matter and cannot provide
assurance as to the outcome. It is possible that other
wholesalers likewise may seek to increase the price of their
services. An increase in the price of our wholesalers
services could have a material adverse effect on our results of
operations.
We may be adversely affected by a continued weakening of
newsstand sales.
The magazine industry has seen a weakening of newsstand sales
during the past few years. A continuation of this decline could
adversely affect our financial condition and results of
operations by reducing our circulation revenue and causing us to
either incur higher circulation expense to maintain our rate
bases, or to reduce our rate bases which could negatively impact
our revenue.
Our websites and networks may be vulnerable to unauthorized
persons accessing our systems, which could disrupt our
operations and result in the theft of our and our users
proprietary or personal information.
Our Internet activities involve the storage and transmission of
proprietary information and personal information of our users.
We endeavor to protect our proprietary information and personal
information of our users from third party access. However, it is
possible that unauthorized persons may be able to circumvent our
protections and misappropriate proprietary or personal
information or cause interruptions or malfunctions in our
Internet operations. We may be required to expend significant
capital and other resources to protect against or remedy any
such security breaches. Accordingly, security breaches could
expose us to a risk of loss, or litigation and possible
liability. Our security measures and contractual provisions
attempting to limit our liability in these areas may not be
successful or enforceable.
Martha Stewart controls our company through her stock
ownership, enabling her to elect who sits on our board of
directors, and potentially to block matters requiring
stockholder approval, including any potential changes of
control.
Ms. Stewart controls all of our outstanding shares of
Class B common stock, representing approximately 91% of our
voting power. The Class B common stock has ten votes per
share, while Class A common stock, which is the stock
available to the public, has one vote per share. Because of this
dual-class structure, Ms. Stewart has a disproportionately
influential vote. As a result, Ms. Stewart has the ability
to control unilaterally the outcome of all matters requiring
stockholder approval, including the election and removal of our
entire board of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale
of all or substantially all of our assets, and the ability to
control our management and affairs. While her 2006 settlement
with the SEC bars Ms. Stewart for the five-year period
ending in August 2011 from serving at the Company as a director,
or as an officer with financial responsibilities, her
concentrated control could, among other things, discourage
others from
initiating any potential merger, takeover or other change of
control transaction that may otherwise be beneficial to our
businesses and stockholders.
Our intellectual property may be infringed upon or others may
accuse us of infringing on their intellectual property, either
of which could adversely affect our business and result in
costly litigation.
Our business is highly dependent upon our creativity and
resulting intellectual property. We are also susceptible to
others imitating our products and infringing our intellectual
property rights. We may not be able to successfully protect our
intellectual property rights, upon which we are materially
dependent. In addition, the laws of many foreign countries do
not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as
do the laws of the United States. Imitation of our products or
infringement of our intellectual property rights could diminish
the value of our brands or otherwise adversely affect our
revenues. If we are alleged to have infringed the intellectual
property rights of another party, any resulting litigation could
be costly, affecting our finances and our reputation. Litigation
also diverts the time and resources of management, regardless of
the merits of the claim. There can be no assurance that we would
prevail in any litigation relating to our intellectual property.
If we were to lose such a case, and be required to cease the
sale of certain products or the use of certain technology or
were forced to pay monetary damages, the results could adversely
affect our financial condition and our results of operations.
A loss of the services of other key personnel could have a
material adverse effect on our business.
Our continued success depends upon our ability to attract and
retain key management executives, as well as upon a number of
key members of our creative staff. The loss of some of our
senior executives or key members of our creative staff, or an
inability to attract or retain other key individuals, could
materially adversely affect us. Continued growth and success in
our business depends, to a large degree, on our ability to
retain and attract such employees.
We operate in four highly competitive businesses: Publishing,
Merchandising, Internet and Broadcasting each of which subjects
us to competitive pressures.
We face intense competitive pressures and uncertainties in each
of our four businesses: Publishing, Merchandising, Internet and
Broadcasting. Please see Business
PublishingCompetition, Business
MerchandisingCompetition, Business
InternetCompetition and Business
BroadcastingCompetition, in this Annual
Report on
Form 10-K
for a description of our competitive risks in the applicable
business line.
Information concerning the location, use and approximate square
footage of our principal facilities, all of which are leased, is
set forth below:
Approximate Area
Location
Use
in Square Feet
601 West
26
th
Street
New York, NY
Product design facilities, photography studio, Merchandising and
Internet offices, test kitchens, and prop storage
206,614
11 West 42nd Street New York, NY
Principal executive and administrative offices; publishing
offices; and sales offices
92,649
226 West
26
th
Street
New York, NY
Executive and administrative office for television production
22,050
221 West
26
th
Street
New York, NY
Television production facilities
25,800
42 Pleasant Street Watertown, MA
Publishing office for Body & Soul Group
7,860
Satellite Sales Offices in MI, IL & CA
Advertising sales offices
8,359
The leases for these offices and facilities expire between April
2008 and January 2018, and some of these leases are subject to
our renewal. We anticipate that we will be able to extend these
leases on terms satisfactory to us or, if necessary, locate
substitute facilities on acceptable terms.
We also have a location rental agreement for various properties
owned by Martha Stewart for our editorial, creative and product
development processes. These living laboratories allow us to
experiment with new designs and new products, such as garden
layouts, help generate ideas for new content available to all of
our media outlets and serve as locations for photo spreads and
television segments for our various media. The terms of this
location rental agreement are described in Item 13 and the
related party transaction disclosure in Note 11 in Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements of this Annual Report on
Form 10-K.
We believe that our existing facilities are well maintained and
in good operating condition.
Item 3.
Legal
Proceedings.
Beginning in August 2002, a number of complaints asserting
claims under the federal securities laws against the Company
were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York. On February 3, 2003, those actions
were consolidated under the caption
In re Martha Stewart
Living Omnimedia, Inc. Securities Litigation, 02-CV-6273
(JES) (the Class Action). The
Class Action also named Martha Stewart and seven of the
Companys other present or former officers as defendants.
In February 2007 the parties entered into a Stipulation and
Agreement of Settlement (the Settlement Agreement).
The Court approved the Settlement Agreement on May 29,
2007. The Settlement Agreement settled the Class Action for
$30 million (inclusive of plaintiffs attorneys
fees and costs), plus interest (the Settlement
Amount), with the Company paying $25 million plus
interest charges, and Ms. Stewart paying $5 million.
In connection with the settlement, the Company received
approximately $12 million from its insurance carriers. In
January 2008, the Court issued an order approving the
distribution of the class settlement fund.
The Company is party to other proceedings in the ordinary course
of business, including product liability claims for which we are
indemnified by our licensees. None of these proceedings is
deemed material.
Item 4.
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
No matters were submitted to a vote of our security holders
during the fourth quarter of our fiscal year ended
December 31, 2007.
PART II
Item 5.
Market
for Registrants Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters
and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market
for the Common Stock
Our Class A Common Stock is listed and traded on The New
York Stock Exchange. Our Class B Common Stock is not listed
or traded on any exchange, but is convertible into Class A
Common Stock at the option of its owner on a share-for-share
basis. The following table sets forth the high and low sales
price of our Class A Common Stock for each of the periods
listed.
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2006
2006
2006
2006
2007
2007
2007
2007
High Sales Price
$
19.80
$
21.47
$
19.30
$
23.21
$
22.50
$
19.50
$
17.27
$
13.96
Low Sales Price
$
16.30
$
16.01
$
14.76
$
17.46
$
16.70
$
16.65
$
10.80
$
8.75
As of March 10, 2008, there were 8,602 record holders of
our Class A Common Stock and one record holder of our
Class B Common Stock. We believe that there is a
significantly greater number of beneficial owners of our
Class A Common Stock than the number of record holders
since many shares are held by nominees.
Dividends
In late July 2006, our Board of Directors declared a one-time
special dividend of $0.50 per share on all the shares of
Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock
outstanding on August 31, 2006, in the aggregate value of
$26.9 million. We do not intend to pay any dividends in the
foreseeable future.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities and Use of Proceeds
The following table provides information about our purchases of
our Class A Common Stock during each month of the quarter
ended December 31, 2007:
Maximum Number (or
Total Number of
Approximate Dollar
Shares (or Units)
Value) of Shares (or
Total Number of
Purchased as Part of
Units) that May Yet Be
Shares (or Units)
Average Price Paid
Publicly Announced
Purchased under the
Period
Purchased
per Share (or Unit)
Plans or Programs
Plans or Programs
October
2007
(1)
2,544
$
13.37
Not applicable
Not applicable
November
2007
(1)
30,495
$
10.68
Not applicable
Not applicable
December
2007
(1)
7,560
$
10.42
Not applicable
Not applicable
Total for the quarter ended December 31, 2007
40,599
$
11.08
Not applicable
Not applicable
(1)
Represents shares withheld by, or delivered to us pursuant to
provisions in agreements with recipients of restricted stock
granted under our stock incentive plan allowing us to withhold,
or the recipient to deliver to us, the number of shares having
the fair value equal to tax withholding due.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in any of
our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that might
incorporate Securities and Exchange Commission filings, in whole
or in part, the following performance graph shall not be deemed
to be incorporated by reference into any such filings.
Performance Graph
The following graph compares the performance of our Class A
Common Stock with that of the Standard & Poors
500 Stock Index (S&P Composite Index) and the
stocks included in the Media General Financial Services database
under the Standard Industry Code 2721 (Publishing-Periodicals)
(the Publishing Index*) during the period commencing
on December 31, 2002 and ending on December 31, 2007.
The graph assumes that $100 was invested in each of our
Class A Common Stock, the S&P Composite Index and the
Publishing Index at the beginning of the relevant period, is
calculated as of the end of each calendar month and assumes
reinvestment of dividends. The performance shown in the graph
represents past performance and should not be considered an
indication of future performance.
COMPARE
CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
AMONG
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC.,
S&P
COMPOSITE INDEX AND SIC CODE INDEX
ASSUMES
$100 INVESTED ON DEC. 31, 2002
ASSUMES
DIVIDEND REINVESTED
FISCAL
YEAR ENDING DEC. 31, 2007
*
The Publishing Index
consists of companies that are primarily publishers of
periodicals, although many also conduct other businesses,
including owning and operating television stations and cable
networks, and is weighted according to market capitalization of
the companies in the index. The hypothetical investment assumes
investment in a portfolio of equity securities that mirror the
composition of the Publishing Index.
Certain prior year financial information has been reclassified
to conform to fiscal 2007 financial statement presentation.
Earnings
from continuing operations
Fiscal 2007
results include non-cash equity
compensation expense of $6.0 million due to the vesting of
the final warrant granted to Mark Burnett in connection with the
production of
The Martha Stewart Show
.
Fiscal 2006
results include a one-time newsstand
expense reduction adjustment of $3.2 million related to the
settlement of certain newsstand-related fees recorded in our
Publishing segment, a favorable dispute resolution with a former
merchandising licensee of $2.5 million in income, royalty
income of $2.8 million related to the successful
termination of a home video distribution agreement recorded in
our Broadcasting segment, non-cash equity compensation expense
of $2.3 million resulting from the vesting of shares
covered by a warrant granted to Mark Burnett in connection with
his participation in
The Martha Stewart Show
and a
one-time litigation reserve of $17.1 million in connection
with the
In re Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Securities
Litigation
matter, which included incurred and anticipated
professional fees, net of insurance reimbursement.
Fiscal 2005
results include non-cash equity
compensation charges of $31.8 million resulting from the
vesting of shares covered by a warrant granted to Mark Burnett
in connection with his participation in
The Martha Stewart
Show
.
Fiscal 2004
results include royalty revenue of
$1.6 million related to the dissolution of a merchandising
licensing agreement. The results also include a non-cash equity
compensation charge of $3.9 million resulting from the
modification of the terms of certain previously granted employee
stock options related to the retirement of our previous Chief
Executive Officer.
Fiscal 2003
results include a $1.7 million
reduction in the net carrying value of certain assets located in
our television studio.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. is a leading lifestyle
company, providing consumers with original how-to
information, unique multi-platform content and high-quality
products. With our media and merchandising focus, we are
organized into four business segments: Publishing,
Merchandising, Internet and Broadcasting, each of which is
described below.
In 2007, we grew advertising revenues across our Publishing and
Internet platforms as a result of higher rates, increased
advertising pages in our publications and greater traffic to our
redesigned website. We also grew licensing revenues beyond the
increase in our Kmart minimum guarantee by launching several new
product lines including our
Martha Stewart Collection
at
Macys and our
Martha Stewart Crafts
line.
Circulation revenues from our Publishing segment remained
strong, contributing 22% of our total consolidated revenues. In
2008, we expect to focus on growing advertising revenues with
particular attention to leveraging our unique cross-platform
offerings, and to continue our diversification effort in order
to partially offset the negative impact of a decline in the
Kmart minimum guarantee. We expect our online advertising
revenues to grow as we drive more traffic to our updated website
and leverage our omnimedia, cross-platform sales
strategy. We will continue to optimize our existing programs
while also exploring new opportunities for growth. To that end,
in the first quarter of 2008, we announced two strategic
relationships: an agreement to acquire all of the assets related
to Chef Emeril Lagasses businesses other than his
restaurants and corporate office (subject to certain closing
conditions) in exchange for approximately $45 million in
cash and $5 million in our Class A Common Stock (and
an additional payment of up to $20 million based upon the
achievement of certain operating metrics in 2011 and 2012),
which we expect to close in the second quarter of 2008; and a
$5 million cash investment in WeddingWire, a localized
wedding platform that combines an online marketplace with
planning tools and a social community.
Publishing
Publishing is our largest business segment, accounting for 56%
of our total revenues in 2007. The segment consists of
operations related to magazines and books. Publishing is driven
primarily by magazines including
Martha Stewart Living,
Martha Stewart Weddings, Everyday Food,
and
Body + Soul;
these are supplemented by Special Interest Publications.
After testing a new magazine called
Blueprint
, we decided
to discontinue publishing the title on a stand-alone basis after
the January/February 2008 issue.
Publishing derives its revenues primarily from advertising,
which accounted for 58% of 2007 segment revenues; magazine
subscription and newsstand sales, along with royalties from our
book business, account for most of the balance of segment
revenue. In 2007, revenue growth was driven largely by increases
in both advertising pages and rates. In the fourth quarter of
2007, we signed an amendment to our agreement with Clarkson
Potter/Publishers to deliver an additional two books for a total
of 12 books to be published over multiple years. 2007 revenue
growth was accompanied by a corresponding increase in expenses
largely due to higher production costs for the increased
advertising pages and higher compensation expense. In 2008, we
expect to have higher paper, postage and distribution costs on a
comparable basis.
Merchandising
Through our Merchandising segment, we license our trademarks and
designs for a variety of products sold at multiple price points
through a variety of distribution channels. In 2007,
Merchandising represented 26% of our total revenues. It is a
high-margin business grounded in licensing agreements that
require us to maintain no inventory and to incur no meaningful
expenses other than employee compensation.
While Kmart currently represents the majority of revenues in
this segment, over the long term we expect to generate revenues
from a more diverse mix of business partners. This
diversification effort will be led by agreements with new
partners such as Macys for our line of
Martha Stewart
Collection
products; Costco for our co-branded assortment of
frozen, fresh and prepared foods; EK Success for a line of
broadly-distributed crafts products; 1-800-Flowers for a
co-branded floral, plant and gift basket program beginning in
2008; and KB Home for Martha Stewartinspired homes and
neighborhoods in communities throughout the country. Additional
licensing agreements currently in place relate to paint
(Lowes), furniture (Bernhardt), rugs (Safavieh), lighting
(Generation Brands) and carpet tiles (FLOR), among others.
Our multi-year agreement with Kmart includes royalty payments
based on sales, as well as minimum guarantees. The minimum
guarantees have exceeded actual royalties earned from retail
sales from 2003 through 2007 primarily due to store closings and
historic lower same-store sales trends. For the contract years
ending January 31, 2009 and 2010, the minimum guarantees
will be substantially lower than prior years. The following are
the minimum guaranteed royalty payments (in millions) over the
term of the agreement for the respective years ending on the
indicated dates:
1/31/02
1/31/03
1/31/04
1/31/05
1/31/06
1/31/07
1/31/08
1/31/09
1/31/10
Minimum
Royalty
Amounts
$15.3
$40.4
$47.5
$49.0
$54.0
$59.0
$65.0
$20.0*
$15.0*
* For the year ending January 31, 2009, the minimum
royalty amount is the greater of $20 million or 50% of the
earned royalty for the year ending January 31, 2008. For
the year ending January 31, 2010 the minimum royalty amount
is the greater of $15 million or 50% of the earned royalty
for the year ending January 31, 2009.
For the year ended January 31, 2008, our earned royalty
based on retail sales was $24.7 million. Furthermore,
$10.0 million of royalties previously paid have been
deferred and are subject to recoupment in the periods ending
January 31, 2009 and January 31, 2010.
Internet
Our Internet segment was historically comprised of three
businesses: online advertising sales at
marthastewart.com
, product sales of
Martha Stewart
Flowers
, and digital photo product sales. In 2007, revenues
from the Internet segment accounted for 6% of our total
revenues. In 2008, revenues from this segment will be driven
primarily by online advertising sales; the sale of flowers and
digital products (which accounted for 35% and 4%, respectively,
of segment revenues in 2007) will transition to our
Merchandising segment for management and reporting purposes.
Online advertising has become the biggest driver of revenues for
the segment, accounting for 61% of Internet revenues in 2007. We
expect to see continued growth in online advertising revenues
tied to traffic growth as we attract and convert users, maintain
focus on key strategic initiatives and deploy new tools and
functionality. Expenses related to
marthastewart.com
are
driven primarily by staffing and technology costs.
Broadcasting
The Broadcasting segment contributed 12% of our total revenues
in 2007. The segment consists of operations related to the
production of television and satellite radio programming.
Television programming is comprised of a daily syndicated
broadcast show,
The Martha Stewart Show
, and
Everyday
Food
, which airs on PBS. In 2008, we have added
Everyday
Baking from Everyday Food
, also airing on PBS. Satellite
radio programming encompasses the
Martha Stewart Living Radio
channel on SIRIUS Satellite Radio.
Broadcasting is driven primarily by
The Martha Stewart
Show
. Revenues from the show comprised 74% of segment
revenues in 2007 and were generated primarily from advertising.
In past seasons (seasons 1 and 2),
revenues included licensing fees. Additional revenues are
derived from product placement along with revenues from cable
replay (seasons 1 and 3 only) and international distribution.
For the current season of
The Martha Stewart Show
(season
3), nearly all advertising is sold-out. Ongoing efforts to
distribute
The Martha Stewart Show
(season 4) have
resulted in a national clearance of approximately 85% to date.
Revenues from
Everyday Food
and
Everyday Baking
is
provided by underwriters. Programming developed from the library
generates revenues primarily from licensing agreements with
cable networks. In 2007 such programming included
Martha
Stewart Crafts
, three holiday specials, and a wedding
special.
While the daily show operates at a loss, it currently serves as
a key promotional platform for us to launch new merchandising
initiatives and market our magazines, providing powerful brand
exposure that increases demand for our content and products
while minimizing our advertising expenditures.
Comparison
for the Year Ended December 31, 2007 to the Year Ended
December 31, 2006.
PUBLISHING
SEGMENT
(in thousands)
2007
2006
Variance
Publishing Segment Revenues
Advertising
$
106,691
$
83,285
$
23,406
Circulation
71,707
69,721
1,986
Other
5,329
3,553
1,776
Total Publishing Segment Revenues
183,727
156,559
27,168
Publishing Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
Production, distribution and editorial
93,312
83,770
(9,542)
Selling and promotion
72,655
63,386
(9,269)
General and administrative
5,034
2,777
(2,257)
Depreciation and amortization
1,188
600
(588)
Total Publishing Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
172,189
150,533
(21,656)
Publishing Segment Operating Income
$
11,538
$
6,026
$
5,512
Publishing revenues increased 17% for the year ended
December 31, 2007 from the prior year. This increase was
due to a $23.4 million increase in advertising revenues,
primarily as the result of an increase in both advertising pages
and rate in
Martha Stewart Living
magazine, which
accounted for $15.0 million of the increase. Advertising
revenues increased across all other publications including
Everyday Food
,
Body + Soul
and
Martha Stewart
Weddings
which contributed $6.1 million in the
aggregate from increases in pages and rates.
Blueprint
contributed an additional $2.4 million of advertising
revenues due to the increase in frequency of the publication in
2007 as compared to 2006. Circulation revenues increased
$2.0 million primarily due to the increased frequency of
Blueprint
magazine of $2.2 million and the
Martha
Stewart Weddings
special; this was partially offset by
slightly lower circulation revenues from
Everyday Food
,
Special Interest Publications and
Martha Stewart Living
.
Other revenues increased $1.8 million primarily due to the
delivery and acceptance of certain manuscripts related to the
12-book agreement with Clarkson Potter/Publishers.
Magazine Publication Schedule
Year ended December 31,
2007
2006
Martha Stewart Living
Twelve Issues
Twelve Issues
Martha Stewart Weddings
(a)
Five Issues
Four Issues
Everyday Food
Ten Issues
Ten Issues
Special Interest Publications
Nine Issues
Five Issues
Body + Soul
Eight Issues
Eight Issues
Blueprint
(b)
Six Issues
Two Issues
(a)
In 2007, we published one special
Martha Stewart Weddings
issue.
(b)
Launched in May 2006 and
discontinued as a stand-alone publication after the
January/February 2008 issue.
Production, distribution and editorial expenses increased
$9.5 million in 2007 from the prior year, primarily
reflecting the additional costs associated with the increase in
advertising pages in
Martha Stewart Living
, which results
in higher physical costs, as well as the costs associated with
the increased frequency of
Blueprint
in 2007 and higher
compensation costs associated with the creation of books.
Selling and promotion expenses increased $9.3 million in
2007 from the prior year, primarily due to a favorable 2006
one-time
newsstand expense reduction adjustment of $3.2 million
related to the settlement of certain newsstand-related fees.
Additionally, selling and promotion expenses increased due to a
2007 non-recurring, employee-related separation charge, higher
compensation costs, an increase in newsstand distribution of
Martha Stewart Living
and higher marketing costs
associated with
Everyday Food
. General and administrative
expenses increased $2.3 million in 2007 from the prior year
due to higher compensation costs and allocated overhead.
Included within the Publishing segment is a $7.7 million
loss in
Blueprint
compared to a $6.2 million loss in
the prior year. Non-cash compensation included in the expenses
above increased $1.6 million to $4.3 million in 2007
from $2.7 million in 2006 due to a 2007 non-recurring
employee-related separation charge as well as new executive
hires.
MERCHANDISING
SEGMENT
(in thousands)
2007
2006
Variance
Merchandising Segment Revenues
Kmart earned royalty
$
25,190
$
29,853
$
(4,663)
Kmart minimum guarantee
true-up
39,102
26,126
12,976
Other
20,419
13,525
6,894
Total Merchandising Segment Revenues
84,711
69,504
15,207
Merchandising Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
Production, distribution and editorial
13,348
11,956
(1,392)
Selling and promotion
6,475
3,145
(3,330)
General and administrative
7,284
6,853
(431)
Depreciation and amortization
375
1,021
646
Total Merchandising Segment Operating Costs
and Expenses
27,482
22,975
(4,507)
Merchandising Segment Operating Income
$
57,229
$
46,529
$
10,700
Merchandising revenues increased 22% for the year ended
December 31, 2007 from the prior year. Actual retail sales
of our product at Kmart declined 17% on a comparable store basis
and 18% on a total store basis due to store closings, lower
same-store sales trends and decreased assortment of product
categories. The impact of the decrease in sales on the
calculation of our earned royalty was partially offset by a
February 1, 2007 increase in the royalty rate under our
agreement with Kmart of approximately 3%. The pro-rata portion
of revenues related to the contractual minimum amounts covering
the specified periods, net of amounts subject to recoupment, is
listed separately above. For the contract years ending
January 31, 2009 and January 31, 2010, the minimum
royalty amount is expected to be $20 million and
$15 million respectively. Furthermore, $10.0 million
of royalties previously paid have been deferred and are subject
to recoupment in the periods ending January 31, 2009 and
January 31, 2010. Other revenues increased 51% largely due
to the 2007 launch of the
Martha Stewart Collection
at
Macys and
macys.com
as well as sales from other new
initiatives including
Martha Stewart Crafts
and the
endorsement and promotional agreement with U.S. affiliates
of SVP Worldwide, makers of
Singer
,
Husqvarna Viking
and
Pfaff
sewing machines. Additionally, other
revenues increased due to services we provided to our partners
for creative services projects including KB Home model
merchandising and other related projects. These increases in
other revenues were partially offset by the inclusion in 2006
revenues of a $3.0 million favorable dispute resolution
with a former merchandising licensee.
Production, distribution and editorial expenses increased
$1.4 million in 2007 from the prior year primarily due to
higher compensation and allocated payroll costs. Selling and
promotion expenses increased $3.3 million in 2007 from the
prior year primarily due to expenses associated with services we
provided to our partners for creative services projects
including KB Home model merchandising and other related
projects. Included in the expenses above are non-cash
compensation charges which increased $0.6 million to
$1.6 million in 2007 from $1.0 million in 2006.
Total Internet Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
25,326
16,306
(9,020)
Internet Segment Operating Loss
$
(6,137)
$
(531)
$
5,606
Internet segment revenues increased 22% for the year ended
December 31, 2007 from the prior year. Advertising revenues
increased due to higher rates and an increase in inventory sold
following the relaunch of the website, with a majority of the
increase realized in the fourth quarter. Product revenues
decreased slightly due to recognizing most of the minimum
guarantee from Kodak in 2006 partially offset by higher units
sold in 2007 from both Kodak and Shutterfly.
Production, distribution and editorial costs increased
$3.6 million in 2007 from the prior year due primarily to
higher staffing and technology expenses associated with our
updated advertising-based website which launched towards the end
of the first quarter of 2007. Selling and promotion expense
increased $2.7 million in 2007 from the prior year due to
higher compensation expenses associated with developing an
internet advertising sales force and higher marketing costs
associated with attracting new users to the website. General and
administrative expenses increased $1.6 million in 2007 from
the prior year due to increases in facilities allocations and
personnel. Depreciation and amortization expenses increased
$1.1 million in 2007 from the prior year due to the 2007
launch of the redesigned website and the related depreciation
costs. Included in the expenses above are non-cash compensation
charges which increased $0.3 million to $0.5 million
in 2007 from $0.2 million in 2006.
Total Broadcasting Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
47,782
48,119
337
Broadcasting Segment Operating Loss
$
(7,519)
$
(1,616)
$
(5,903)
Broadcasting revenues decreased 13% for the year ended
December 31, 2007 from the prior year. For season 3 of
The Martha Stewart Show
which began in the middle of
September 2007, we entered into a revised distribution agreement
to replace the season 3 license fees with additional advertising
inventory. Therefore, season 2 revenues are reported net of
agency commission, estimated reserves for television audience
underdelivery and NBC distribution fees, while season 3 revenues
are reported net of only the agency commission and estimated
reserves for television audience underdelivery. Due to the
partial impact of this change as well as higher product
integration revenues and higher advertising rates, advertising
revenues increased in 2007 by 24% as compared to 2006. The
increase was partially offset by a decline in ratings. Licensing
and other revenues decreased 47% primarily due to the partial
impact of the new season 3 distribution agreement as well as
lack of distribution in the secondary cable market for season 2
of
The Martha Stewart Show
and lower license fees from
stations for season 2 compared to season 1. Licensing and other
revenues in 2006 also benefited from the successful termination
of a home video distribution agreement. These decreases were
partially offset by the season 3 agreement to distribute
The
Martha Stewart Show
in the secondary cable market.
Production, distribution and editorial expenses increased
$2.1 million in 2007 from the prior year due principally to
a non-cash charge of $6.0 million associated with the
vesting of the final warrant granted in connection with the
production of
The Martha Stewart Show
. These costs were
partially offset by lower production costs for
The Martha
Stewart Show
which were approximately $1.7 million less
for season 2 as compared to season 1. Production costs are
expected to continue to decrease for season 3 of
The Martha
Stewart Show
. General and administrative expenses decreased
$1.3 million in 2007 from the prior year due to a 2006
asset write-down, the reduction of 2007 facility expenses due to
the shutdown of the Connecticut television studios in the prior
year and lower compensation costs.
Corporate operating costs and expenses decreased 11% for the
year ended December 31, 2007 from the prior year. General
and administrative expenses decreased $4.6 million
principally due to lower non-cash compensation costs, lower rent
expense and higher allocations of personnel, technology and
facilities expenses to each of the segments. These decreases
were partially offset by non-recurring, employee-related
separation costs. Depreciation and amortization expenses
decreased $1.3 million as certain computer software assets
are now fully depreciated. Included in the expenses above are
non-cash compensation charges which decreased $1.0 million
from $6.9 million in 2006 to $5.9 million in 2007.
INTEREST INCOME, NET.
Interest income, net, was
$2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2007,
compared with $4.5 million for the year ended
December 31, 2006. The decrease was attributable to lower
average cash, cash equivalents and short-term investment
balances and lower interest rates.
LEGAL SETTLEMENT.
During 2006, we recorded a
litigation reserve of $17.1 million associated with the
estimated settlement of the class action lawsuit known as
In
re Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Securities
Litigation
. In the second quarter of 2007, the settlement
received Court approval and the related reserve was adjusted by
$(0.4) million to reflect our final costs related to the
litigation.
INCOME TAX PROVISION.
Income tax provision for the
year ended December 31, 2007 was $0.6 million,
compared to income tax provision of $0.8 million for the
year ended December 31, 2006. The current period results
exclude any potential tax benefits generated from current period
losses due to the establishment of a valuation reserve taken
against any such benefits.
LOSS FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS.
We had no loss
from discontinued operations in 2007 compared to a loss of
$0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2006.
Discontinued operations represent the operations of The Wedding
List, which we decided to discontinue in 2002. The prior year
expenses are related primarily to facilities. In the third
quarter of 2006, we signed a sublease. As a result, we do not
expect to report further loss from discontinued operations of
The Wedding List. We believe that the additional reserve taken
in the second quarter of 2006 is sufficient to cover any future
charges.
NET INCOME.
Net income was $10.3 million for
the year ended December 31, 2007, compared to a net loss of
$(17.0) million for the year ended December 31, 2006,
as a result of the factors mentioned above.
Comparison
for the Year Ended December 31, 2006 to the Year Ended
December 31, 2005.
PUBLISHING
SEGMENT
(in thousands)
2006
2005
Variance
Publishing Segment Revenues
Advertising
$
83,285
$
52,032
$
31,253
Circulation
69,721
68,607
1,114
Other
3,553
5,126
(1,573)
Total Publishing Segment Revenues
156,559
125,765
30,794
Publishing Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
Production, distribution and editorial
83,770
75,342
(8,428)
Selling and promotion
63,386
62,076
(1,310)
General and administrative
2,777
2,695
(82)
Depreciation and amortization
600
987
387
Total Publishing Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
150,533
141,100
(9,433)
Publishing Segment Operating Income/(Loss)
$
6,026
$
(15,335)
$
21,361
Publishing revenues increased 24% for the year ended
December 31, 2006 from the prior year. This increase was
due to a $31.3 million increase in advertising revenues,
primarily as the result of an increase in both advertising pages
and rate in
Martha Stewart Living
magazine. Increases
were found as well in both pages and rates at
Everyday Food
and
Martha Stewart Weddings
. Circulation revenues
increased $1.1 million primarily due to increased
subscriptions and newsstand sales of
Body + Soul
and the
launch of
Blueprint
magazine; this was partially offset
by lower revenues from our Special Interest Publications, as the
2005 period contained two additional issues as compared to 2006
(see chart below). Other revenues decreased $1.6 million
primarily due to the 2005 release of
The Martha Rules
book versus no comparable publication in 2006.
Magazine Publication Schedule
Year ended December 31,
2006
2005
Martha Stewart Living
Twelve Issues
Twelve Issues
Martha Stewart Weddings
(a)
Four Issues
Five Issues
Everyday Food
Ten Issues
Ten Issues
Special Interest Publications
Five Issues
Seven Issues
Body + Soul
Eight Issues
Eight Issues
Blueprint
(b)
Two Issues
N/A
(a)
In 2005, we published one special
Martha Stewart Weddings
issue.
(b)
Launched in May 2006 and
discontinued as a stand-alone publication after the
January/February 2008 issue.
Production, distribution and editorial expenses increased
$8.4 million in 2006 from the prior year primarily
reflecting the additional costs associated with the increase in
advertising pages in
Martha Stewart Living
, which results
in higher physical costs, as well as the costs associated with
Blueprint
. Selling and promotion expenses increased
$1.3 million in 2006 from the prior year primarily due to
expenses associated with our 15th anniversary event along
with higher commission costs associated with the increase in
advertising pages as well as higher compensation costs. The
increase in selling and promotion expenses was partially
offset by a one-time newsstand expense reduction adjustment of
$3.2 million related to the settlement of certain
newsstand-related fees. Included within the Publishing segment
is a $6.2 million loss in
Blueprint
for 2006
compared to a $1.6 million loss in the prior year.
MERCHANDISING
SEGMENT
(in thousands)
2006
2005
Variance
Merchandising Segment Revenues
Kmart earned royalty
$
29,853
$
31,126
$
(1,273)
Kmart minimum guarantee
true-up
26,126
18,708
7,418
Other
13,525
8,985
4,540
Total Merchandising Segment Revenues
69,504
58,819
10,685
Merchandising Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
Production, distribution and editorial
11,956
10,475
(1,481)
Selling and promotion
3,145
3,135
(10)
General and administrative
6,853
5,655
(1,198)
Depreciation and amortization
1,021
845
(176)
Total Merchandising Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
22,975
20,110
(2,865)
Merchandising Segment Operating Income
$
46,529
$
38,709
$
7,820
Merchandising revenues increased 18% for the year ended
December 31, 2006 from the prior year. Revenues related to
our earned royalty at Kmart declined due to lower same-store
sales and store closings, partially offset by a higher royalty
rate. Actual retail sales of our product at Kmart declined 5% on
a same-store basis and 8% on a total store basis. The royalty
rate under our agreement with Kmart increased by approximately
3% on February 1, 2006. Other revenues in 2006 included
revenues related to a favorable dispute resolution with a former
merchandising licensee of $3.0 million. Other revenues in
2006 also increased due to revenues related to our October 2005
agreement with KB Home. Revenues for this agreement were
recorded based on minimum guarantees.
Production, distribution and editorial expenses increased
$1.5 million in 2006 from the prior year, and general and
administrative expenses increased $1.2 million in 2006 from
the prior year, both due largely to support the growing number
of merchandising initiatives.
Total Internet Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
16,306
14,795
(1,511)
Internet Segment Operating Loss
$
(531)
$
(3,537)
$
3,006
Internet segment revenues increased 40% for the year ended
December 31, 2006 from the prior year. Advertising revenues
increased due to an increase in web traffic and sell-through at
marthastewart.com
. Traffic on our site increased in 2006
from 2005 to a monthly average of 38.5 million page views
and 2.5 million unique users. Product revenues decreased
due to the discontinuance of our catalog,
Martha By Mail
in early 2005, partially offset by sales of digital photo
projects which was a new business venture in 2006 with Kodak
Imaging Network as well as an increase in the sale of flowers,
plants and accessories through
marthastewartflowers.com
.
Production, distribution and editorial costs decreased
$0.3 million in 2006 from the prior year due to the
discontinuance of
Martha Stewart: The Catalog for Living
in early 2005 which resulted in lower cost of goods sold as
well as lower fulfillment expenses partially offset by
investment in personnel for
marthastewart.com
. Selling
and promotion expense increased $1.7 million in 2006 from
the prior year related to higher compensation expenses
associated with developing an Internet advertising sales and
marketing force for
marthastewart.com
. General and
administrative costs increased $0.9 million in 2006 from
the prior year due to investment in personnel related to our
focus on developing our Internet segment. Depreciation and
amortization expense decreased $0.8 million in 2006 from
the prior year due to fully depreciated assets in 2006 as
compared to 2005 depreciation of the original website.
Total Broadcasting Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
48,119
43,792
(4,327)
Broadcasting Segment Operating Loss
$
(1,616)
$
(27,201)
$
25,585
Broadcasting revenues increased 180% for the year ended
December 31, 2006 from the prior year. Both advertising and
licensing revenues increased primarily due to the inclusion of a
full-year of 2006 revenues related to
The Martha Stewart Show
which launched on September 12, 2005. Revenues from
Martha Stewart Living Radio
was $7.5 million for the
year ended December 31, 2006 compared to $0.9 million
for the year ended December 31, 2005; the radio channel
launched in the fourth quarter of 2005.
Production, distribution and editorial expenses increased
$2.7 million in 2006 from the prior year due principally to
the timing of a full-year of 2006 production-related expenses
for
The Martha Stewart Show
versus approximately a
quarter in 2005, largely offset by 2005 non-cash equity
compensation that included a $16.8 million charge related
to the vesting of certain shares covered by a warrant granted in
connection with
The Martha Stewart Show
. As of
December 31, 2006, our deferred production cost balance was
$4.6 million. Depreciation and amortization expenses
increased in 2006 from the prior year due to leasehold
improvements and fixed asset additions related to our new
television studio begun in 2005.
Corporate operating costs and expenses decreased 25% for the
year ended December 31, 2006 from the prior year. General
and administrative expenses decreased $17.8 million
principally resulting from lower non-cash compensation costs due
to the 2005 vesting of certain shares related to a warrant
granted in connection with the airing of
The Apprentice:
Martha Stewart
of $14.9 million versus no comparable
award in 2006. In addition, 2006 consultant and professional
fees decreased from the prior year offset by increased employee
cash compensation costs.
INTEREST INCOME, NET.
Interest income, net, was
$4.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2006,
compared with $3.4 million for the year ended
December 31, 2005. The increase was attributable to higher
interest rates.
LITIGATION RESERVE.
During 2006, we recorded a
litigation reserve of $17.1 million associated with the
estimated settlement of the class action lawsuit known as
In
re Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Securities
Litigation
. In the second quarter of 2007, the settlement
received Court approval and the related reserve was adjusted by
$(0.4) million to reflect our final costs related to the
litigation.
INCOME TAX PROVISION.
Income tax provision for the
year ended December 31, 2006 was $0.8 million,
compared to income tax provision of $0.4 million for the
year ended December 31, 2005. 2006 results exclude any
potential tax benefits generated from current period losses due
to the establishment of a valuation reserve taken against any
such benefits.
LOSS FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS.
Loss from
discontinued operations was $0.7 million for the year ended
December 31, 2006, compared to $0.5 million from the
same operations for the year ended December 31, 2005.
Discontinued operations represent the operations of The Wedding
List, which we decided to discontinue in 2002. The 2006 and 2005
expenses were facility-related.
NET LOSS.
Net loss was $(17.0) million for the
year ended December 31, 2006, compared to a net loss of
$(75.8) million for the year ended December 31, 2005,
as a result of the factors mentioned above.
Our primary source of liquidity is currently from cash generated
by operating activities. Specifically, our Publishing and
Merchandising segments provide the majority of cash generation
and we believe these businesses will continue to resonate with
our consumers and advertisers alike. If our Internet strategy is
successful, we expect that business will generate cash flow from
operations over time. As with other industries, operating
results and cash flows may change due to a variety of factors,
including changes in demand for the product and changes in our
cost structure. Any such changes in our business can have a
significant effect on cash flows.
If we consummate our transaction to acquire certain assets of
Chef Emeril Lagasse, we will be obligated to pay the sellers, in
2008, cash of approximately $45 million (and
$5 million of value of our Class A Common Stock) and,
in April 2013, a potential additional payment of up to
$20 million based upon the achievement of certain operating
metrics in 2011 and 2012, a portion of which may be payable, at
our election, in shares of our Class A Common Stock.
Given our future operational expectations and acquisition
strategy, including the recent announcements of our investment
in WeddingWire and agreement to acquire certain assets of Chef
Emeril Lagasse, we expect cash on hand, internally generated
cash flow and potential debt financing to provide adequate funds
for operating and recurring cash needs for working capital and
capital expenditures into the foreseeable future.
Sources
and Uses of Cash
While cash flow from operations improved year-over-year by
$17.4 million, our overall liquidity decreased. Cash, cash
equivalents and short term investments decreased
$6.6 million in 2007 due largely our investment in Wilton
Products and capital expenditures.
Operating
Activities
The largest source of operating cash inflows is cash received
from advertising customers (43% of revenues in 2007), licensing
partners (27% of revenues in 2007) and magazine circulation
sales (22% of revenues in 2007). Other sources of operating cash
inflows include cash received from the creation of books and
sales of products. Operating cash outflows are primarily driven
by employee and related costs, the physical costs associated
with producing magazines, including related direct mail
expenses, and the cash costs of facilities.
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities were
$11.7 million, $(5.7) million and $(30.3) million
for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
respectively. The improvement in cash from operations across the
three-year period was primarily due to an increase in
operational performance led by advertising revenues as described
in the segment results above, partially offset by an increase in
compensation expenses and physical costs to produce magazines
and in 2006, the cash settlement of a class action lawsuit.
Investing
Activities
Our cash inflows from investing activities generally include
proceeds from the sale of short-term investments. Investing cash
outflows generally include payments for the acquisition of new
businesses; short- and long-term investments; and additions to
property, plant, and equipment.
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities were
$(6.6) million, $40.1 million and $(58.3) million
for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
respectively. Cash flows used in
investing activities in 2007 resulted from the investment in
Wilton Products, Inc., and capital expenditures, partially
offset by the net proceeds of the sales of short-term
investments. Cash used for capital expenditures was due to
technology upgrades and leasehold improvements to our offices,
the investment in the website
marthastewart.com
and the
purchase of an additional fractional ownership interest in
corporate aircraft. Cash used for the acquisition of WeddingWire
of $5.0 million and the expected acquisition of certain
assets of Chef Emeril Lagasse will be shown as investing
activities in 2008.
Cash flows provided by investing activities in 2006 resulted
from the net sale of short-term investments, partially offset by
capital expenditures. Cash used for capital expenditures was due
to the investment in the website
marthastewart.com
,
leasehold improvements to our offices and the purchase of two
fractional ownership interests in corporate aircraft.
Cash flows used in investing activities in 2005 resulted from
the net purchase of short-term investments and capital
expenditures primarily related to the set preparation and
build-out of the television studios for
The Martha Stewart
Show
.