Drew Elovitz

While her name may not ring a bell, if you follow magazines like Teen Vogue on social media, you’re more acquainted with Drew Elovitz than you think. The New England-native is a pretty big deal in the social media world. She entered the space at a time where magazines were conflicted about how to build a social presence while simultaneously preserving the prestige of print. Tasked with building their channels in the face of minimal resources and ongoing deadlines she was not only instrumental in integrating print and digital teams, but also in kick starting the kind of fun, social-first activations that now seem commonplace.

In her current role as Senior Social Media Editor at Entertainment Weekly, she continues to be a powerhouse at the forefront of the new, yet she exudes a laidback confidence, one that’s rate in an industry based on imminent deadlines tied to the frenetic pace of the news cycle. Even as the focus continues to shift from print to digital and the pressure continues to grow, she has the enviable ability to remain calm – on and off duty.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Drew a stone’s throw from Entertainment Weekly HQ in New York, where she shared how she finds calm in the midst of it all – all while making sure that she’s leaning in and having a position at the table. Read on to find out more about her career journey, her workwear style and the New York spots she heads to for down time.


Drew ElovitzWORK & LIFE

ON ACCIDENTALLY FALLING INTO SOCIAL: Social media was definitely not a career path when I was starting out – it was still a lot of uploading pictures from parties and poking friends on Facebook – but eventually I was drawn to it because of the speed in which you could create something and get direct feedback from the consumer. I had several fantastic internships in the television world, but it would take ages to see the final work product, and even longer to determine whether or not it was successful. With social media, there was a very real conversation happening in the moment, which was exciting. I first got a taste of this when interning at Bravo and using social media data to analyse sentiment surrounding the controversial “Real Housewives of Washington D.C.” season. Fans had a voice, and it was interesting to witness first hand how traditional media was being affected and influenced by social conversations. During that time, the jobs that would evolve into “social media” roles were situated within research, marketing, or PR departments. Once brands realized they needed to start participating rather than just listening, content creation teams became part of the picture.

LIFE BEFORE MAGAZINES: I joined Attention, a boutique social media agency, while finishing up my final year of graduate school at NYU. I was looking for a robust internship to help me transition from thesis writing into the working world, and discovered the agency through a fellow 20-something I followed on Tumblr. I ended up interning at Attention for a few months before graduating and starting full time. My biggest account was Mattel, and I created monthly content calendars for Facebook and Twitter in the voice of the various dolls. For example, Barbie would often tweet about going to brunch and yoga with her “dolls” aka friends, and the Monster High crew was always doing something “freaky-fab.” There was a language that we created for these characters to use on social media, and fans really embraced it, which was cool to see.

ON JOINING TEEN VOGUE: My love of Teen Vogue started in 2003, when I was in high school. It was a must read for aspiring cool girls, and I loved how they were always ahead of the trends, especially when it came to breaking young talent. My favourite feature of the magazine has always been their visuals. The photography is just incredible, and when they reached out to me about a social media role, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to work with content I already enjoyed, but reimagining it for the digital generation. By 2013, traditional magazines already knew they needed a presence on social, but they were very conflicted about how to preserve the prestige of the print product in the digital realm. There was also the challenge of innovating online in the face of minimal resources and imminent deadlines tied to the frenetic pace of the news cycle, as opposed to the monthly slate. Having already worked with ‘heritage’ brands in the social space, this seemed like a fun challenge that could make a real, immediate impact.

THE OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES AT THE MAGAZINE: Every job has its own unique set of challenges, but I really loved my time at Teen Vogue and will always count it as a career highlight. It was inspiring to be surrounded by such talented and driven colleagues, and it was fun to grow and develop our brand offerings as the magazine evolved online. One of the major undertakings was integrating across print, digital, and advertising, and social media was a natural linchpin. In this capacity, I worked on campaigns and tent pole events with the advertising and marketing departments, which helped me to understand the business side of publishing and appreciate the revenue streams tied to a brand’s social presence. I also forged original content partnerships and custom activations with Instagram, Snapchat, and a variety of talent, which remain some of my favourite projects to date. It really was a crash course in business, art, and editorial, and making sure each of those factors were considered in Teen Vogue’s overall social media persona and presentation.

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS DURING HER TEEN VOGUE YEARS: I’m very proud of the work I did at Teen Vogue, not only in terms of exponentially growing our overall social media following, but also in making social media an integral part of all brand touch points. During my tenure, social media went from being an afterthought or added value proposition to a primary agenda item in nearly every conversation. It was validating not only to earn a seat at the table, but also to know that I was making an impact on both the industry and our fans. I still meet Teen Vogue readers who tell me how much they love the brand, and unlike me, their first exposure to it was actually on social, through our Instagram activations, Twitter #AskAnEditor series, and Snapchat events coverage. As someone who grew up loving the print product, it feels good to hear I’ve done it justice in the digital world.


Work-life balance is something I really struggle with, and the 24/7 nature of social media makes it exceptionally difficult to unplug…I also genuinely believe in experiencing the moment first hand and not through a screen, so I’m not constantly documenting everything, for better or worse. That said, when Beyoncé dropped ‘Lemonade’ on a Saturday night, you bet I was working—but come on, it’s Beyoncé!


ON MOVING TO ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: While I obviously appreciate fashion and beauty, I’ve always been an entertainment girl at heart. My favourite issues of Teen Vogue were always the Young Hollywood portfolio, which profiled up and coming talent (think Jennifer Lawrence, Brie Larson, and Hailee Steinfeld, all featured in 2010.), so, already Entertainment Weekly’s content was compelling on that level, and I liked the idea of taking it to the next step by focusing on the actual movies and TV shows, not just celebrities. Also, I knew I wanted my next role to involve managing a bigger team, which EW already had in place. It was a very tough decision to leave Teen Vogue, especially after I was so confident and established in my position there, but ultimately I decided it was time for a new challenge in order to continue advancing in my career.  

WHAT HER ROLE NOW INVOLVES: The biggest parts of my role at EW are managing talent takeovers and the social media team—we’re five people and growing. In fact, we just hired the first social media team member for our LA office! It’s wonderful to have so many resources, which allows me to operate with more of a bird’s eye view and spend more time developing fun, social-first activations that compliment the daily content. Everyone on the team brings a unique skill set, which is guided by the same basic brand principles plus a robust social voice guide, which I developed shortly after arriving last year. My past experiences have given me a solid understanding of what it means to speak as a brand on social media, while also forging relationships as part of the larger business. EW hosts tons of fantastic events for talent, consumers, and advertisers that we cover extensively through social media. Whether it’s flying out to LA for Awards Season, moderating panels at film festivals, or hosting an intimate party to kick off Upfronts in NYC, we’re there covering it all for the fans with an exciting, compelling social narrative.

ON WHAT SHE WANTS EW’S SOCIAL CONTENT TO STAND FOR: I want EW’s social media content to reflect the mission of the brand as much as possible: smart, funny, first. The magazine was founded in 1996, so there’s a rich legacy there, and it’s important to me that we not only preserve it, but also enhance it on social. EW strives to be a part of the conversation in real time – I like to say we’re the ultimate fan – so while we regularly get great scoop, we’re not just telling fans about it, we’re excited as fans ourselves, and that comes across in everything we do. We also keep things fresh by implementing a lot of social video into our daily content. For example, I was recently at the Hershey’s store in Times Square interviewing “Room” star Jacob Tremblay on Facebook LIVE. Later that week, I interviewed Susan Sarandon at the Crosby Hotel. Both experiences were challenging for different reasons—the kinds of questions you ask a nine year old are very different from the conversation you have with a Hollywood legend—and it was just me and my iPhone broadcasting to millions of people. But, that’s the kind of exclusive, immediate content that fans expect now.


[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1751967″]


ON THE PRESSURE FOR EDITORS TO BE HAVE LARGE SOCIAL AUDIENCES OF THEIR OWN: I’m probably one of the worst examples of this. I definitely shy away from social media in my personal life – I rarely post on Facebook, and didn’t have a public Instagram account for a long time. In fact, I launched @DrewBlahBlah in tandem with the second edition of the Teen Vogue Handbook, which came out in November 2013. I was meeting so many readers that wanted to follow me specifically on Instagram, but my personal account was totally unrelated to my work, just un-curated snaps from my life in NYC that I posted for fun. With that in mind, I consciously created a public account that shared more about my work at Teen Vogue. Looking back, I definitely should have had a more public presence on social media earlier, but when I was starting out, social was such a behind-the-scenes thing that it seemed uncouth to pull back the curtain and put the spotlight on myself. But, at the end of the day, it’s still all about supporting the brand I work for – my personal feeds are an extension of that, not the other way around.

ON GROWING UP PROFESSIONALLY IN SOCIAL MEDIA: The biggest, and honestly best change I’ve experienced is that people, brands, and businesses are finally taking social media seriously. When I was first starting out, I spent a lot of time persuading people that social media was worth the investment – this was before there were more uniform standards of measuring engagement and ROI. Now that we’ve crossed that hurdle, the biggest change upon us is social video. From Vine, to Snapchat, to Instagram, and the latest iteration, Facebook Live, video has become a priority for content creators and brands of all sizes, and fans expect unique experiences on each. It’s not always easy, but it forces creativity and experimentation, which definitely keeps the field interesting.


I grew up wearing an all girls school uniform and later a co-ed high school dress code, and have never really deviated from that – it’s pretty preppy, which luckily was very in style in the ‘00s, but I’ve added a lot more black since living in New York.


ON SWITCHING OFF: Work-life balance is something I really struggle with, and the 24/7 nature of social media makes it exceptionally difficult to unplug. The last time I truly was offline was on a family vacation in a place with no WiFi. That was fantastic – but also very stressful, because I felt like I was missing so much. And to be honest, I missed a lot! I’m getting better at it, though. I have a work phone and a personal phone, and I try to leave my work phone behind – or at least in my purse – when I’m off the clock. I also genuinely believe in experiencing the moment first hand and not through a screen, so I’m not constantly documenting everything, for better or worse. That said, when Beyoncé dropped ‘Lemonade’ on a Saturday night, you bet I was working—but come on, it’s Beyoncé!

DOWNTIME FAVOURITES: I’ve lived in downtown Manhattan for five years, well before the big publishing houses moved south, so I’ve had time to scope out the best post-work happy hour spots: Ward III, Loopy Doopy, and Terrior Tribeca rank high on my list. On Friday nights I’ll usually plan a low-key dinner with friends near work. A ton of great new restaurants have moved into the neighbourhood, and I like to think I’m a recognizable face at places like El Vez and North End Grill. My ideal NYC weekend is just one long walk with various detours. I live at the very end of the island, so I usually stroll up the West Side Highway to poke around the village, or amble through Tribeca to meet friends for brunch (routine haunts include Bubby’s, Tiny’s, and Zucker’s) and then walk into SoHo or Nolita for some shopping on the side streets at unique spots like Trademark or Love Adorned. I also love going to museums with my sister. She works in the arts, so she’s the perfect guide. We love The Met, and MOMA, of course, but historical places like the South Street Seaport or Tenement Museum are fascinating in a different way. When I need to clear my head, I try to get lost in the West Village. The streets intersect irrationally—it’s really quite a maze compared to the rest of Manhattan’s grid—and it takes my mind off of things. Somehow, I always find myself outside of the townhouse where Carrie Bradshaw lived on ‘Sex and the City.’ It’s trite, but pausing there to reflect makes me remember everything I love about living in New York. Plus, it’s close to one of my all time favourite restaurants, The Mermaid Oyster Bar!

ON STYLE:

ON THE EVOLUTION OF HER STYLE: I grew up wearing an all girls school uniform and later a co-ed high school dress code, and have never really deviated from that – it’s pretty preppy, which luckily was very in style in the ‘00s, but I’ve added a lot more black since living in New York. I don’t really follow trends, but rather gravitate to traditional pieces with interesting colours or textures. Fit is the most important quality above all. I recently spent a lot to have a very structured dress tailored—almost as much as the piece itself, which I don’t recommend—but I loved the dress and wore it when I attended the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January so it was worth it. The biggest changes to my style include giving up collared shirts in favour of a leather jacket and pairing tennis shoes with skirts and dresses, both of which I adopted during my time at Teen Vogue. One thing I never leave home with out? Sunglasses. I’ve been collecting them since high school. A particular favourite is a pair of oversized purple Gucci frames I picked up in college, which seemed very cool at the time, but have since been retired because, well, they are ridiculous.

HER FAILSAFES: My go-to brands are those that have a consistent quality and fit, so for me that’s a lot of J Crew and Club Monaco for everyday wear. I keep it pretty casual in everyday life and have about six pairs of Paige jeans on rotation (just enough stretch!), but I love dressing up for special events. I’m obsessed with jumpsuits, especially for working parties or red carpets—you just throw it on and go. Plus, it’s a great way to let accessories shine—I tend to be a little more adventurous in that part of my wardrobe anyway. I love browsing and window-shopping, especially with friends, but rarely shop without a specific purpose or item in mind. That said, a metallic shoe always catches my eye – I recently counted and have five pairs of silver shoes, including Vans, pumps, strappy sandals, Birkenstocks, and my favourite pair, woven Prada loafers, which were a splurge a few years ago in LA. They’re a neutral, right?!

THE BRANDS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW: I’m really into Everlane lately. They just have great silhouettes, simple but interesting colours, and the material quality is really great—they have a new linen line that will be perfect for summer. Everlane is also experimenting in cool ways on Snapchat—definitely check them out. I also like the recently launched Tory Sport, which speaks to my prep school roots. Their tennis, collared, and tunic dresses are exactly my style. Just add a fun jacket, structured bag, reflective sunglasses, and a fresh pair of white sneakers and you have my take on a casual, downtown New York look.


Drew ElovitzON THE INFLUENCE LIVING IN NEW YORK HAS ON ONE’S STYLE: I can’t pinpoint a singular person who’s had a profound impact, but rather the experience of living in NYC has shaped my style the most. Arriving in New York was a stark contrast to going to school in preppy New England. My personal colour pallet shifted from blues, pinks, and purples, to a lot of black, white, and grey. Of course, working several New York Fashion Weeks also helped refine my style, just merely by being in the presence of people who were obsessed with aesthetics and presentation. I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve achieved a signature “look” that I’m satisfied with, but I definitely appreciate the effort and vision that goes into creating one.

WORKWEAR 101: When I first graduated, I assumed all offices had a corporate dress code, so I bought a lot of sweater sets and pencil skirts that I no longer wear. Luckily, media is a relatively casual industry. I can wear jeans and sneakers to work if I like, or I can dress it up with pumps and a blazer and still feel comfortable. My best work wear secret is to find pieces of clothing or outfits that look polished and fit properly, and buy them in at least three colours. It makes getting dressed so much easier in the morning. When all else fails, swipe on some lip colour — my current favourite is Lime Crime’s Velvetine Matte Lipstick in Polly, but Benefit’s Lip Tints are my choice for every day.

INVEST, INVEST, INVEST: I seldom shop the high street stores, but I frequently pop in to places like Aritzia and Zara to see how trends are being interpreted. Actually, I have been saved a few times by Zara shoes — nothing like a broken heel on the way to a wedding to make you appreciate fast fashion! Generally, I prefer to invest in pieces I’ll love forever as opposed to one off, seasonal items — plus, ample closet space in NYC comes at a premium — but whenever I’m in need of an exceptional party outfit, Topshop is the first destination on my list.

WHAT IT TAKES FOR HER TO BUY A PIECE: I’m trying to pair down my wardrobe to the essentials, so it really takes something special for me to add to my closet. I’m slowly amassing a collection of jackets though. They can totally change the tone of any look, which is helpful when going from the office to events. I have a hot pink, cropped blazer from my Barbie days that I break out on fun occasions. Other than that, I stick to black, navy blue, white, and grey in almost everything. My beauty cabinet? That’s another story. Zillions of products in rotation, except for my signature fragrance, Stella by Stella McCartney, which I’ve worn since college.