Tom Asacker

• Home
• Tom's books
• About Tom
• Thought pieces
• THE Network
• Contact

Watch highlights from Tom's speeches

 

« In today's marketplace, every game is on the line | Main | The 7 wonders of branding »

A brand is first about why, then about who

Salon.com's CEO Richard Gingras is tasked, like many of his counterparts in the content business, with saving the business.  His solution?  The "brand," as described in a recent ClickZ article:

"[I]ncrease readership by focusing on relevancy and SEO; bring in advertisers by modernizing the ad inventory; and create new revenue streams, such as an online store. What makes Gingras thinks he can accomplish this amidst the most dire ad market in decades? The magic bullet, he says, is the brand."

"'I do think that in the content space, as we see the print publications decline, I think brands matter more than ever,' he said. 'I think brands with sharp personalities matter more than ever, and I think that presents an opportunity for salon.'"

He doesn't get it.  He's living in some 1950s fantasy world of brands.  A brand is not primarily a "personality;" not any longer.  Snap, Crackle and Pop are impotent in today's age of skepticism and abundance. 

In addition, content providers are living in an age of free, where writers trade work for attention and marketers increasingly launch their own media properties funded with the same ad dollars that Gingras and others so desperately seek. 

Here's the reality: Today's readers are searching for unique value; a compelling why to trade for their scarce time, attention and money.  The why comes before the who.  Where are the whys in Gringas' solution?  Relevancy? C'mon. Relevance is simply another word for niche.  And every strong brand is a niche brand today.

Here's what I think (call me crazy, many have): I think emerging platforms, like Apple's forthcoming tablet, are the whys that will save niche content businesses like salon.  When people have the cool, portable media device in their hands, they'll want their who -- their cool content -- to be on it and travel with them.

Salon.com presently has about 5 million readers a month, with only 25,000 selecting the ad-free version at $45/year.  Fast forward 18 months, and if Gingras gets the SEO and experience right, salon may have millions of people downloading a $9.95 tablet version of the digital magazine.

And then, instead of starting an anemic on-line store to "'curate' lifestyle goods from around the Web," salon can create and sell branded APPs for their community; social tools for their community; and other useful and meaningful innovations for the benefit of their community.  And that's when the salon brand will matter more than ever.

Posted November 20, 2009
Email this post

The comments to this entry are closed.