• by Michael Shields , September 15, 2004

Martha Stewart said she would miss celebrating the holidays, would miss her pets, and that she hoped to be back in March to plant her spring garden. But will advertisers still be there when she returns?

The domestic diva announced on Wednesday that she was notifying the bureau of prisons of her desire "to begin my period of incarceration as soon as possible," citing frustration with the slow nature of her appeals process.

With her voice at times quivering, she described a "very harsh and difficult decision."

"I have an intense desire to put this nightmare behind me," she said. "The only way to reclaim my life is to surrender to authorities."

During her speech, during which Stewart apologized for making the announcement both on the day before her mother's 90th birthday and the day before the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, she specifically thanked advertisers, among others. "I understand your special needs," she said, perhaps implying that she expected that many would have to avoid her products, particularly Martha Stewart Living, in the near future.

Yet several media planners expressed confidence in the magazine's resiliency.

"I think she has such a support system, such loyal fans - if the magazine is still standing, that loyalty will come back," said Robin Steinberg , vice president, director of print services at MediaVest.

"As long as Martha Stewart Living has readers, we will continue to look at it as a viable option," offered Ginger Taylor White, director of print services at Carat USA. "I don't think there will be a moratorium."

While buyers were optimistic, it appears as though the damage may already be done. Ad pages have tanked this year, dropping 43.6 percent through August, and revenue is down an even heftier 53 percent, according to the Publishers Information Bureau.

Living's readership has suffered as well, as subscriptions were down 20 percent through the first half of this year, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, with newsstand sales slipping an additional 9.3 percent (-18.9 percent overall).

Stewart's daily TV show was also pulled of the air earlier this year, though the company did launch a TV version of Everyday Food while purchasing Body & Soul magazine in August.

However, Sharon Patrick, Martha Stewart Omnimedia's president and CEO, admitted Wednesday that the scandal has been detrimental. "Psychologically, it's been very traumatic for the company," she said, adding, "Advertisers are looking for resolution."

But she too expressed confidence in the power of the magazine's brand. "Martha is the gold standard of the domestic arts, she said. "If you talk to our subscribers, the brand transcends the situation."

Stewart will not be involved in the day-to-day running of the company during her five-month sentence. She said yesterday that she put her trust in the company's board and that she looked forward to returning to work as soon as possible.

"I have labored long and hard to build this company," she said. "I love this company, and I firmly believe in the company's future."

Stewart's lawyers still believe in her case, and will press ahead with her appeal, reiterating that they believe they have a strong case despite Stewart's decision not to wait.

Meanwhile, a resolute Stewart even ended her press conference with a light joke, closing her remarks by saying, "See you next year."

She likely hopes that "you" refers to her advertisers.