Building Out Their Brands, Retailers Look to the Power of Print
It’s plenty hard for a battle-tested publisher to launch a print magazine these days. Nevertheless, a bold (or delusional) company that’s in a retail business will occasionally think, “Hey, we can do that!” — and so chooses, against great odds, to dive into the magazine fray. It seems crazy, counterintuitive, and financially irresponsible, right? But it does not foreclose the possibility that these outfits can actually put out interesting books. Cash and smart hiring can go a long way. As to why they’d want to get into something as last-century as ink-on-paper mags — well, one word: “Brooklyn.” Meaning there’s always a place and a time for throwbacks (craft beer and artisanal bread, anyone?), even if it turns out to be ephemeral. “Vintage” is what’s new right now, and that’s reflected in both of the magazines I address in this edition of “The Modern Magazinist.” Click Read More below for additional information.