In a Digital Age, High-End Outdoors Magazines Are Thriving in Print

I think that this whole smartphone scrolling, content consuming, ubiquitous posting, Extremely Online thing is going to go the way of the Fedora, or the Marlboro smoked at cruising altitude in economy class. In the end it is all going to fade. This may not happen for a good number of years, but I truly believe it will happen. I think we’ll look bac... See more

When I discuss it with my friends, we sing in unison about how we wish we just weren’t on it and how much it distresses us. This conversation, often followed with a sigh, as though we somehow don’t have a choice. Which is partially true, considering how many job opportunities and social opportunities haunt the little feed in which we scroll, it’s t... See more

Meanwhile, publications, still burdened with relics of a bygone era, like copy desks, fact checkers, human resource departments, and health care plans, find themselves locked in a losing battle against a nimbler opponent, one with none of the checks and balances that gum up the production of hot takes.

But the real reason is that the market for clickbait is saturated, and longform feels fresher, more vital, more rewarding.

Like many online brands, Outdoor Voices recently launched a lifestyle publication, The Recreationalist, featuring how-tos, interviews, playlists, and city guides. It looks nice, and I believe in the power of content, community, and commerce. But it’s too removed from the brand and product.

B2B media has long been looked down upon by the consumer side as a lesser form. That was somewhat deserved, since most trade publications were synonymous with being industry cheerleaders, shoddily reported and very boring. One of the bets we had at Digiday was to have a consumer media approach to reporting, design and product while not forgoing the... See more