What Elle and Popular Mechanics (along with a coffee) can tell us about modern Business Trends
I am sitting here this morning doing something I NEVER do. I’m relaxing, drinking a coffee, and gasp, reading a magazine. A real one. Like a tree shaved into thin paper one. I must admit — it feels delightfully decadent.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t own an e-reader, and my New York apartment groans at my attempt to keep bookstores open. But — magazines are different. I now consume all of my news online, checking my fav sites at least twice a day. It’s strange, as I used to read magazines all the time as a teenager. The only reason I now have them lying around is because a dear colleague sent me a bunch of free subscriptions. I am never one to say no to free stuff.
The print industry is, of course, suffering due to more accessible online content. Even online publications are suffocating due to changes in advertising revenue and an insatiable appetite for zero cost tidbits. According to Chris Wiggins, head of the Data Science Team at the New York Times, presenting at a talk I attended about Machine Learning, companies know everything done digitally. They are tracking every click to optimize this shrinking market. He claims even established publishers have to govern with a start-up mentality just to keep up.
The second point is spot on. It seems in today’s changing, technologically-warp-speeding-world so many industries need to keep innovating and switching business models just to stay relevant. His first point is what catches in my craw. Are we becoming too focused in our content targets? Too single-minded in our drive to personalize? What does this tell us about consumer-based industries in general?
Let me walk you through some of the publications I’m looking through, now on my second coffee. The female-targeted Elle features swimsuit styles and beauty transformations that their writers gamely agreed to go through, including a facelift. I must admit, I just tore out a page on clay facemasks, but the content seems exceptionally specific, limited even, and overwhelmed by advertising. The Town and Country, has more fashion/beauty, but also some creative takes on living forever, sex, and other interests for the wealthy or wannabe wealthy. I do have to point out a ridiculously titled article, “Heavy Lifting — A very important debate rages in the nation: Should you wear jewelry to the gym?” That definitely goes on my list of important national debates, let me tell you. Strangely, the online content for both of these is a lot more compelling.
Moving on to the male-dominated fare, the Esquire has a very well written article on Javier Bardem, but the cover flap is dominated by an Alpha Romeo ad. If I didn’t like Mr. Bardem, I would never open the magazine. There is nothing else to indicate the other fashion, film, politics (two articles on Donald Trump), and lifestyly schtuff (poker, wine) inside. I only read that one article.
Popular Mechanics is the outlier, the issue about Cancer Research, another about “Smart Everything”. Cool — great if you like innovative science/tech stuff. There is a fashion article or two, a couple booze related passages, car stuff, mechanical (hee hee) stuff. AND, gasp, the first article outside of the target audience — about women in computing and how men should be paying attention to the shrinking gap. Woah, hold the horses! Ding!
Yes, this is a limited sample to judge on, but it seems to highlight what is becoming ever more apparent. The world is changing, and so many industries, not just publishing, are taking too much time to catch up. This goes for the way we use technology as well. So — what does all this mean?
1. Less is more
There are zillions of articles, products, TV and film — it’s enough to make our heads spin. So much of the same, so little variety between each. Quality suffers in the attempt to get there first, to compete. We should be more focused on consolidating to make really, really good stuff. Even our Netflix content gem had to excise some of its herd today. Spread too thin is only good for Vegemite.
2. Gender fluidity
Come on, guys and gals. It’s pride month, for heaven’s sakes. It doesn’t matter your personal feelings as to the acceptance of everyone as equals (well, it does, but that’s another topic all together!). What is vitally important is that you acknowledge an increasingly aware, switched-on population. Do we really need everything so tailored to male and female? Studies are indicating the younger generation is more gender fluid than ever. The push towards one or the other is often shocking and will be left behind in the tidal wave coming. Get on board.
3. Ads are annoying.
We have become absolutely obsessed with marketing. Everywhere. So much. Every other page in a magazine. Every website. Practically every street corner. We are spending more money on marketing than the actual content/product/idea. Doesn’t this strike you as unbalanced and odd? Streaming services don’t have ads. Bingo! Revolutionizing. You give me a site with no ads, or a publication with less, this is the one I will pay for.
4. We can only stand so much fashion and beauty…
It might be a lot of tolerance, or in my case, a lot, a LOT, but even those of us loving or working in this realm grow weary of having it shoved in our face all the time.
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Thanks for the read! Somehow I ended up getting degrees in Business and Psychology, despite my best attempts, and then a meteor hit — and I ran to the arts. I encourage all to look meteors in the face. Have a wonderful day! Twitter, Instagram
