Are Traditional Media Dead? “Garden and Gun” Says No.

In this week’s agenda for my class of HPM200 Managing Service Organizations in Social Media, we will discuss the impact of social media on TV networks, newspaper, and magazines. Statistics have shown that people rely less on traditional media for information than they did before.  The viewership of TVs and printed media declined. Then, are traditional media dead already or will be replaced by social media soon? 

Garden and Gun, the magazine that was established by a New Yorker in 2007, dares to say no. As a matter of fact, the magazine is doing quite well in terms of subscriptions and industry recognitions.

What’s good about this magazine? Based on what I saw in this CBS News video, I contribute its success to the following factors:

• It positions in a niche market. While there are many magazines and newspaper covering stories of either the Northeastern Region or the West Coast, there is a lack of attention to the “world” in between.
• It has a clear focus: the southern lifestyle --- “authentic, old-school, and unapologetic.” No politics, religion, and SEC football.   
• It has a metaphor yet eye-catching name for branding. 

What are the other attributes for this magazine’s success? From this example, do you think printed media still have room to grow? How so? If you believe that there is no future for printed media, please tell us why you think that way.   

If you are interested in our discussion, please join our conversation on Twitter (#HPM200) every Tuesday and Thursday between 9:30 am and 10:50 am Eastern.

References: The picture was downloaded from Garden and Gun.