Too Little, Too Late?

As a former magazine owner I was intrigued to see the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of Conde Nast’s efforts to engage girls with their new Flip.com. Flip is supposed to be a social networking site focused around the ability to create multi-media scrap books.

While I applaud Conde’s effort (disclosure: I sold three of my magazines to Conde in 1998) I wonder if it isn’t too little of an effort, too late. Magazines have notoriously set their editors, writers and photographers on a pedestal – did you see The Devil Wears Prada? – and cast the readers as lost souls hanging on every fashion spread.

Do you hear that sucking sound? That’s the sound of readers leaving. They have gotten tired of this one-way conversation and have decided to have a conversation on their own, one they can participate in with their peers. Sorry, Conde the magazine game, as we know it, is over. The kids have the keys to the pool house and you’re not invited to the party.

Not unlike any middleman, magazines (like other old media) served the purpose of making a market more efficient by connecting two different groups of people, advertisers and readers. Now, advertisers and readers can have their own conversation with out the magazine being involved.

If magazines can survive, and I hope they will, they will need to slash their budgets and staffs and realize that the new paradigm will be one based on the analogy of an iceberg. While a magazine might be the visible representation of a subject it is only a reflection of the dynamic conversation that is happening below the surface, between all members of the community, including advertisers and readers.

The real question is, do magazine publishers have the courage and the humility to reinvent themselves? Only time will tell.

Comments

[Geralynn]

I was seroisuly at DefCon 5 until I saw this post.

[シャネル メンズ]

,,,,,A variety of wineries a have established wines to assistance military groups like Operation Homefront.
シャネル メンズ http://www.claysheriff.com/log/chanel-bags-09.html

[mbt shoes]

mbt professional shoes Too Little, Too Late? - John Winsor
mbt shoes http://cuedspeech.org/mbt-shoes.asp

[discounted gucci handbags]

[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheap-gucci-sukey-medium-totegucci-sukey-medium-totegucci-sukeygucci-sukey-sale100-free-shipping/]gucci sukey medium tote[/url]gucci bags sale[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheapest-gucci-bags-salegucci-bag-outlet-salegucci-men-bags-for-salegucci-bags-for-sale-sale-online100-secure-shopping/]gucci bags sale[/url]gucci bag sale[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/wholesale-gucci-bag-salegucci-bags-salegucci-bags-for-salegucci-bag-for-sale-store-onlietop-quality-sale-at-discount/]gucci bag sale[/url]gucci discount[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheap-gucci-discountgucci-discountdiscount-gucci-outletgucci-discount-storediscount-price/]gucci discount[/url]gucci outlet secaucus nj[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheapest-gucci-outlet-secaucus-njgucci-outlet-in-secaucus-njgucci-outlet-in-secaucus-njsecaucus-gucci-outlet-storeup-70-off-with-free-shipping/]gucci outlet secaucus nj[/url]authentic gucci outlet[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheapest-authentic-gucci-outletauthentic-gucci-bagsauthentic-gucci-outletgucci-outlet-authentic-storebig-sale/]authentic gucci outlet[/url]gucci outlet vacaville[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/wholesale-gucci-outlet-vacavillegucci-outlet-vacavillegucci-outlet-vacaville-cagucci-vacaville-outlets-storeup-70-off-with-free-shipping/]gucci outlet vacaville[/url]gucci outlet ny[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheapest-gucci-outlet-nygucci-bags-outletgucci-outlet-orlandogucci-store-store100-quality/]gucci outlet ny[/url]gucci outlet cabazon[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/authentic-gucci-outlet-cabazongucci-storegucci-outlet-mdgucci-outlet-orlando-sale-onlineup-70-off-with-free-shipping/]gucci outlet cabazon[/url]gucci waist bag[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/wholesale-gucci-waist-bagbig-gucci-bagsgucci-ouletgucci-outlet-review-official-website-sale100-quality/]gucci waist bag[/url]gucci pouch[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/discount-gucci-pouchgucci-man-baggucci-messenger-baggucci-bags-com-salefree-shipping/]gucci pouch[/url]gucci messenger bags[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/wholesale-gucci-messenger-bagsgucci-outlet-gilroygucci-store-onlinebuy-gucci-bags-sale-storeup-70-off-with-free-shipping/]gucci messenger bags[/url]gucci cross body bag[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheapest-gucci-cross-body-baggucci-outlet-guccigucci-outlet-official-sitegucci-oulet-store-onliediscount-price/]gucci cross body bag[/url]gucci pelham[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheapest-gucci-pelhamgucci-1973-bagbuy-gucciclassic-gucci-bags-sale-online100-authentic-guarantee/]gucci pelham[/url]gucci made in italy[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/authentic-gucci-made-in-italygucci-duffle-baggucci-jacketbags-gucci-outlet-sale-onlinefor-customers/]gucci made in italy[/url]gucci for sale[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheap-gucci-for-salegucci-jacketgucci-outlet-locationgucci-bags-for-women-sale-store100-quality/]gucci for sale[/url]gucci leather handbags[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/authentic-gucci-leather-handbagsgucci-handbags-sale-outlethandbags-guccigucci-handbags-outlet-stores-salebig-sale/]gucci leather handbags[/url]vintage gucci handbags[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/authentic-vintage-gucci-handbagscheap-gucci-handbagsgucci-handbags-authenticbuy-gucci-handbags-storefree-shipping/]vintage gucci handbags[/url]gucci factory outlet online[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheapest-gucci-factory-outlet-onlinegucci-outlet-online-bagsgucci-outlet-online-shoesgucci-sale-outlet-online-store100-authentic-popular/]gucci factory outlet online[/url]gucci outlet stores[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheap-gucci-outlet-storesgucci-bags-outlet-storegucci-outlets-storesgucci-outlets-stores-sale-storediscount-price/]gucci outlet stores[/url]gucci sukey bag[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/authentic-gucci-sukey-baggucci-sukeygucci-sukey-handbaggucci-sukey-medium-tote-sale-online100-secure-shopping/]gucci sukey bag[/url]gucci outlet secaucus[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/wholesale-gucci-outlet-secaucussecaucus-outlets-guccigucci-outlet-secaucusgucci-outlet-in-secaucus-sale-onlinewith-70-off/]gucci outlet secaucus[/url]gucci sunglasses outlet[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/wholesale-gucci-sunglasses-outletgucci-bag-outletgucci-kidsgucci-on-sale-sale100-authentic-guarantee/]gucci sunglasses outlet[/url]black gucci bag[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheap-black-gucci-baggucci-watchesgucci-hobo-baggucci-laptop-bag-sale100-authentic-popular/]black gucci bag[/url]gucci man bag[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheap-gucci-man-baggucci-man-baggucci-watches-outletoutlet-gucci-sale-storewith-unbelievable-price/]gucci man bag[/url]gucci italy[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/authentic-gucci-italygucci-pouchgucci-ouletgucci-messenger-bags-saleup-70-off-with-free-shipping/]gucci italy[/url]gucci outlet houston[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/discount-gucci-outlet-houstonofficial-guccigucci-crossbody-baggucci-clutches-store100-authentic-popular/]gucci outlet houston[/url]used gucci bags[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/cheap-used-gucci-bagsofficial-gucci-outletgucci-tote-bagsgucci-horsebit-hobo-sale-onlineup-70-off-with-free-shipping/]used gucci bags[/url]gucci pocketbooks[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/discount-gucci-pocketbooksgucci-jackie-baggucci-outlet-on-linea-gucci-storebig-sale/]gucci pocketbooks[/url]gucci sale handbags[url=http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/wholesale-gucci-sale-handbagsgucci-handbags-for-womengucci-classic-handbagsvintage-gucci-handbags-official-website-saletop-quality-sale-at-discount/]gucci sale handbags[/url]gucci coin purse
discounted gucci handbags http://www.erikkiesewetter.com/discount-discounted-gucci-handbagsgucci-handbags-discountgucci-handbags-sale-outletgucci-handbags-outlets-storeup-70-off-with-free-shipping/

[ivboxfhvq]

cxToSi cxkebeujffdl, [url=http://jqifubncctag.com/]jqifubncctag[/url], [link=http://qcrbigsonsia.com/]qcrbigsonsia[/link], http://jmtswmbwycrk.com/