Ultra-Specialization

On Wednesday, the Columbus Dispatch carried a feature article that reiterated what I have been saying about magazines for years: general interest titles are a thing of the past and niche based publications are the golden child of our industry. We know we can’t reach everyone so now we target a subset and make the best product for that group as we can.

And that group is not limited by its size. Niche publications can serve groups whether those groups are 1000 people small or 100,000 people strong. This week we showcase two new launches that are ultra-specialized. These new launches zero in on a subgroup of already existing niches and fill spaces on the newsstands that some of us may have never realized existed.

Woman Poker Player and Boca Dog are great examples of how our industry should not worry about hitting the proverbial wall. Last year saw several poker magazines launched. But even with the 9 poker or poker-related launches last year there is still room for even more: enter Woman Poker Player. This is yet another magazine that shows us that we should never see the general population as our audience. Instead we should realize that the general population should be seen as our audiences.

The same applies to Boca Dog. Can there be a narrowing of this launch’s audience any further? Not just for the pet owner, or even just the dog owner; this publication is for the dog owner in Boca Raton, Florida.

We have seen the passing of magazines such as Look and the retooling of magazines such as Life. Newsweek and Time have smaller staffs and tightened budgets. But the decline of general interest magazines cannot be seen as a failure of our industry. Rather, it should be seen as a sign of the ever-evolving nature of industry to stay current with our readers.