Outside's Go

Questions with Publisher Walker Mason

1. What do you consider the single most important achievement your magazine has accomplished in today’s marketplace?           

The creators of Go recognized that there was no magazine for the active, very affluent man with a passion for travel and unique experiences.  They have now tapped into this extremely elusive audience and we have created an editorial product that so perfectly serves their passion for travel and style.

2. Looking back, what was the most important hurdle you were able to overcome?

Assembling the right team of dedicated and passionate professionals who totally "got it”.
                                            
3.What was the biggest pleasant surprise? 

The media and advertising community also "got it" right away...the recognition that in today's world of travel, guys make more and more of the travel decisions, especially the more affluent they are, and they look to enrich their lives through unique experiences, sharing adventures and having tales to tell. 
    
4.What is the biggest challenge you are facing today?

The most successful new magazines are those that seek an untapped audience, not follow another’s path.  However, there is less of a comfort zone in the media community when a magazine doesn’t fit into an established segment.  Of course this becomes the most rewarding, opening the door to an exciting challenge when you know you have an outstanding editorial product.

5.Imagine you have a magic wand and you can strike the magazine and make it human.  Describe that human being.

When we need to describe Go's ideal reader, we use the brother in law of our Editor as the model.  Stephen is a successful entrepreneur, ranked triathlete and has a second home south of Lake Tahoe to satisfy his passion for biking and skiing.

Once a year Stephen and a group of friends go on a rafting/kayak trip somewhere in the Western U.S.  One member of the group is a chef while another's family owns a winery.  Throw in a battery powered blender for afternoon margaritas and they do it right, with style.  Every member of that crew has likely filled at least three passports in their lives, but they are all still on the look out for the next great adventure.

Like Stephen, the members of the group - and the prototypical Go readers - have the means to do almost anything they want, go to any part of the globe.  What none of them possess, however, is the time and patience to do something that isn't extraordinary.

6.The number of new magazine launches has been on a steady increase.  What advice do you offer someone wanting to start a new magazine?

Be original, don’t listen to skeptics if you truly believe in your product, fully commit, then take the ball, look for your opening and keep moving forward until you’re in the clear.

7.Finish this sentence: In 2011, your magazine will be…

the clear leader in a growing category of magazines devoted to the affluent, active male traveler and the gold standard for men who travel in style.