Just as museums have wised up to the advantages of having an editorial edge, so too have auction houses with their content, catalogues and marketing.
In line with that ideology is the addition of Kristina O’Neill to Sotheby’s roster of full-time employees. The former editor in chief of the Wall Street Journal’s luxury lifestyle publication WSJ. Magazine has been named editor in chief of Sotheby’s Magazine. She announced her departure from the Dow Jones-owned operation in late April.
The well-regarded O’Neill is stepping into a newly created role and is overseeing a new entity starting Jan. 8. She will report directly to Gareth Jones, Sotheby’s chief marketing officer.
Her appointment is part of the launch of Sotheby’s Media, which includes the magazine and related omnichannel content including digital, audio and video elements. At ease with celebrities and other high-profile types, O’Neill will also roll out a signature event for the auction house’s magazine next fall.
A Sotheby’s spokesperson declined to share any details about that Monday.
Along with her editorial know-how and hefty list of well-heeled contacts, O’Neill also offers insights to the fashion and luxury sector, which are increasingly gaining ground with Sotheby’s and its rival Christie’s in terms of sales and clients.
The auctioneer has been making strides to build its social media engagement and consumer reach. Another recent addition was Nick Marino, who has joined Sotheby’s as global head of content. In that post, he is developing and expanding a global content strategy for Sotheby’s site, its app, newsletters, livestream auctions, social media, and other elements. With 87,500 Instagram followers of her own, O’Neill knows all about bulking up consumer bases. Her 25 years of experience has included runs at Harper’s Bazaar, New York magazine and Time Out New York.
O’Neill had first joined the WSJ. Magazine in 2012, overseeing its relaunch as a culture and fashion title that was available to Wall Street Journal subscribers. She was the third editor of the magazine, which had debuted in 2008 as part of Rupert Murdoch’s effort to transform the Journal into a national general-interest publication — and to compete directly with The New York Times. O’Neill introduced a new logo in the Journal’s austere Escrow font. She also recruited some bold-faced names to moonlight as columnists, including the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, former NBA-er and entrepreneur Dwyane Wade and the performance artist Marina Abramovic.
During her reign, O’Neill added a fully staffed style news desk to cover breaking industry news. She also built up the magazine’s digital and social media strategy, Apple News+ expansion, weekly Saturday newsletter, and marquee events, including the magazine’s annual Innovators Awards.
