I have some good posts in the cue, but Tim over @ Rad Collector turned me onto something New Era is doing and I thought I’d build off it while it was on my mind.
The strategy of consumer brands becoming media isn’t anything new, but it is something that many brands could do better. Sony had (has?) their Sony Style Magazine, Lexus has their own magazine and L Studio video channel, NHS has been doing Strange Notes since I was a kid, Rome has made it easy-ish for shreds to interview their riders via Twitter, Mike West has his column on Malakye… heck so do I (and I could do a much better job of writing for it too). And the list goes on. Depending on the initiative, some of these are more commercial than others, but they all serve a similar purpose: to generate additional exposure for their brand outside of ad buys, events and PR opportunities.
Anyway, while cruising Rad Collector today, I saw New Era is in the brand as media game too. They’ve launched a new magazine and on the cover is former Vernon Valley shredder Danny Kass (one of many in a long line of industry-tied former Vernon Valley shredders, including myself, Rob Campbell and I think Tim Swart too).
What this magazine about? I have no idea, I haven’t read it yet. But, if it’s anything like the other efforts I mentioned above, it probably has some content that touches on New Era (new designs, how to fix dented hats, debates on if you should leave your size sticker on, etc.) and a lot of content focusing on what the folks @ Lexus would call “the Lexus Lifestyle” which Justin and Braden probably call something else (survival of the fitted?).
Kudos to New Era on expanding your marketing mix in this direction.
If you want to check out a digital edition, click here. If you want advice on fixing dented hats, I read online that holding them over a steaming tea kettle will work.
Disclosure: Anyone that’s a Facebook friend of mine (or a real friend for that matter), knows that I hate when PR agency types sneak in little promos for their clients under the “hey, look at this cool thing I saw online” wall updates. With that in mind, I’ll let you know that in the past 12 years or so, I’ve worked with Sony, Rome SDS and Lexus in one capacity or another. I wasn’t trying to plug them as much as it’s simply easier for me to reference brands I’ve worked with on marketing projects vs. researching those I haven’t, but regardless, it’s still a plug.
