It's Wednesday: 5 Things About the World Of Magazines & Media - Issue #18
Detour Ahead:
How much has the Covid-19 pandemic changed your life? Your career? Your family? Your friends? Your business plans? Your career path?
I was thinking about that a lot this weekend while working as a volunteer at the Chicago Marathon. It didn't happen live last year. Being called to volunteer was unexpected. Earlier in the year my wife and I had volunteered for the county health department at their mass vaccination clinic. The health department reached out to us to work the marathon as non-medical "Spotters" because they were short, by several hundred, medical volunteers. Why? As one worker put it, "Burn out."
My wife and I love to run and have competed in races for years. Driving down to the city early Sunday morning I could feel that high tension singing in my body - begging me to let it run. All jangly nerves and wires and "Where's the starting line?"
But because of the pandemic and a changing workout schedule. I may be in some sort of shape, but I'm not ready, in any event, to consider a race.
Covid-19 has reshuffled the deck. We can fight that, like some have. But to what end? Or we can adjust. Re-align our sights. Move on.
I'm training for the next race season. Want to join me?
#1. What? You thought I wouldn't mention Meredith's acquisition by IAC's Dotdash?
IAC's Dotdash to Acquire Meredith in $2.7 Billion Deal — www.adweek.com The resulting company, Dotdash Meredith, will reach 175 million monthly users.
Barry Diller’s IAC Acquires People Magazine Publisher Meredith Corp. – The Hollywood Reporter — www.hollywoodreporter.com Dotdash, a subsidiary of Barry Diller's IAC, has acquired Meredith Corp. in a deal valued at $2.7 billion.
<<Lies down on floor>>
<<Breathes slowly and deeply>>
Remember that BoSacks newsletter where he said that the pandemic would "fast forward" everything five years?
Yeah. This will be interesting. How many of these print properties will get spun off again? Shuttered? Converted to all digital? Turned into SIPs?
Stay tuned.
#2. From Forbes: "How Failing Magazines Fueled a 3,800% Return for Shareholders..."
How Failing Magazines Fueled A 3,800% Return For Shareholders In This British Publisher — www.forbes.com Future Media’s CEO has used cost-cutting and e-commerce sales to drive the company’s stock up 3,800%, in what now looks like a playbook for the entire magazine industry.
I suppose if the magazines stay healthy, visible, well edited, does the whole "digital first" concept actually matter? Good publishing companies create good magazines in any format and take care of their employees and their readers.
A few paragraphs in, the article mentions that a former title I worked for back in my Family Media days (Family Media was a heavily leveraged, multi buyout publisher), Golf Digest, had been purchased for $30 million. Future offered to buy it at what it must have considered a fair price: $2 million.
<<Lies down on floor>>
#3. Town & Country Mag Editor on How to Write a Coverline.
Town & Country Coverlines - How to Write a T&C Coverline — www.townandcountrymag.com The ultimate guide after 175 years of puns, jabs, quips, and immortal questions.
So pay attention here! Few do it better than this longtime Hearst vehicle.
And no, a magazine dropped onto the newsstand without coverlines is not chic, trendy, edgy and will not sell out. It will most likely fail.
Don't @me.
If you want to produce a magazine cover without coverlines, by all means. Please proceed. Send it to your subscribers.
But if you put that on the newsstand and it doesn't sell? Don't call me.
Please.
#4. Two Articles from Retail Dive: Who is still vulnerable to bankruptcy and why bankruptcies have stopped dead. For now.
Retail's pandemic bankruptcy bloodbath is over. But these 20 companies are still at risk. | Retail Dive — www.retaildive.com Retail industry news, voices and jobs. Optimized for your mobile phone.
Why retail bankruptcies have stopped dead — for now | Retail Dive — www.retaildive.com Retail industry news, voices and jobs. Optimized for your mobile phone.
Both bricks and mortar and e-commerce retailers are vital to the health of magazine publishers. They are a source of both circulation and advertising revenue.
If they struggle, magazine publishers struggle.
Right now, we're all catching our breath and planning for what's next. The big question, of course: What's next?
#5. Bretman Rock is the first Gay Male on the Cover of Playboy. But Playboy is all digital now so...
Social media star Bretman Rock makes history as first gay man to appear on Playboy cover — www.usatoday.com The Philippines-born influencer has had a meteoric rise to stardom, and is now the first gay man to appear on the cover of the famous publication.
Bretman Rock, wearing Playboy’s iconic bunny suit, is magazine’s first gay male cover star — www.nydailynews.com "For Playboy to have a male on the cover is a huge deal for the LGBT community, for my brown people community and it’s all so surreal. "
As an ally, I think this is cool and a breakthrough of sorts. Playboy, has, of course, always focused on the female form as a source of entertainment for males. Does this mean it is now more gender "neutral"? Willing to celebrate all forms? That would be a breakthrough to celebrate.
As a member of the publishing community...
How much of a deal is this? You can no longer find a "live" version of Playboy at retail and they're not going to mail you something in a discrete plain envelope.
On the day that I visited the website, the first thing I scrolled by were Halloween Bunny suits. Where was the magazine? Down below the fold.
And now, your moment of Magazine Zen...
And now, your moment of Magazine Agita...
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Got any questions or comments? Please drop me a line. You can always reach me at joe.berger at newsstandpros.com.
That's it! May the rest of your week not be filled with emails that start with "I hope you are well."