Media owners around the world are scratching their heads, asking why magazines and newspapers aren’t selling anymore. Why? Because you’ve downgraded the experience. When you are competing against digital, which can zoom in and animate? then your print experience needs to be tactile and exciting and, for magazines, a bit collectable.”
— Tyler Brûlé
via The Independent. Thx Myles
5 Comments
Its still unclear if Monocle is going to be more than a niche publication. From the article, they haven’t net any money: “(The investors) have yet to be paid a dividend, however.” So all his grandiosity is that and only that.
Also – this: “We’ve sold over 5,000 bags – it’s a huge business!”
So the magazine doesn’t really make money, its just there as a brand to help sell bags. And the magazine itself is built upon the success of the FREE podcasts. Which is fine – but not necessarily some new and innovative approach. All the magazines are branching out into other forms of business. Fashion lines, cooking shows, conferences, anything to draw on the creative capital from the magazine’s brand. Like, say, aphotoeditor/aphotfolio. Here’s the shop: http://www.monocle.com/Shop/
The downside is that Mr. Brule feels the need to live an extravagant lifestyle in order to maintain that image of ‘arbiter of taste’ (gag me). It the long run it is unsustainable. He could really use a visit from McKinsey + Co.
” …then your print experience needs to be tactile and exciting and, for magazines, a bit collectable.”
Here are two magazines that are a bit collectable. The oldest is “Automobile Quarterly” currently on sale is Vol. 49 No 1 ($87.95 yr.) http://www.autoquarterly.com/
The newer is “The Rodder’s Journal” http://www.roddersjournal.com/ (also a quarterly) issue #45 ($48.00 yr.) is on the stands now.
Unlike the above which were a commercial venture from the start, “Vintage Motorsport”, started out, in 1982, as a news letter for the Southeast Vintage Racing Association. It has since separated itself from the club (SVRA). Six issues a year, $45.00. http://www.vintagemotorsport.com/
What do the three magazines have in common (besides being about cars), niche, high quality and aimed at an affluent audience. And they are all collectable. ALSO hey use lots of photos!t
As an early subscriber to Monocle I found it to be full of promise and short on delivery. Tyler Brule is infatuated by himself and for the time being, so are others. I trust that in time people will see that “The Emperor has no clothes”.
The idea is brilliant, the execution is boring.
I love monocle.
You can bash Brule and other editors and art directors without end and this just shows how lame blog sometimes can be and why we still need things printed on dead wood to support the healthy and meaningful culture of print.
Also ALL magazines of all times have always be there to support someone or something or to connect with someone or something. So who cares if he only can sustain its business by selling bags and using free potcasts as a promotion. That’s how the magazine business functions godddamnit.
I too really liked Monocle at first but something has become off-putting. And I sure wish they used photography better.
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