If you “borrow” a magazine called GOOD from an office mate and don’t return it, does that make you a BAD person? Well, that’s what I did and currently I’m feeling no remorse. It’s a beautifully crafted magazine rich with thought starters for probably fifty or so Marketing for Good columns. And I have absolutely no doubt that I’ll return it—sometime soon.
Magazines are Dead
Well maybe not dead but a lot of them are fighting for their lives as advertisers turn to the more directly measurable internet. Mass targeted magazines will undoubtedly continue to struggle unless they find a fresh voice and a clear reason for being. They would also be smart to find new metrics to prove to advertisers that they can still get their money’s worth from print books. In a word, publishers need to enhance their product, making changes that make them irresistible.
Long Live Magazines
Introducing itself in the worst magazine industry downturn in 20+ years, GOOD certainly faces an uphill climb. According to their founder, Ben Goldhirsh, “we have a way to go before we hit our target of 50,000 subscribers and $1 million raised.” (They have 12,742 subscribers and have raised almost $254,000 through the Choose GOOD campaign which is part of their reason for being.) One quick flip through GOOD and you will see lots of interesting tidbits from a look at how ten of the biggest foundations spent their money in 2005 to a tongue in cheek “guide to picking the right [gas] pump” to a feature on CouchSurfing.com to a look at Street Artists. It is way to content-rich to describe it all here. The website, GoodMagazine.com, is a nice companion but by no means a substitute for the magazine. If you visit the website, be sure to see the GOOD “Portrait” on Mark and Sara Schiller and the “original” GOOD video on their Wooster project.
Here’s how GOOD describes itself:
Welcome to GOOD, media for people who give a damn… We see a growing number of people tied together not by age, career, background, or circumstance, but by a shared interest. This revolves around a passion for potential mixed with fierce pragmatism and creative engagement. We sum all this up as the sensibility of giving a damn. But to shorten it, let’s call it GOOD. We’re here to push this movement and cover its realization.
While so much of today’s media is taking up our space, dumbing us down, and impeding our productivity, GOOD exists to add value. Through a print magazine, feature and documentary films, original multimedia content and local events, GOOD is providing a platform for the ideas, people, and businesses that are driving change in the world.
Make that 12,743 subscribers. I’m in even if I didn’t pay for the first issue I “borrowed.”