Decatur Living Magazine Revolutionizes
Publishing Paradigm
While newspapers and magazines around the country suffer reduced circulation and revenues at the hands of ever-increasing media choices, local start-up Decatur Living magazine has unveiled what they call “a new publishing paradigm… internet-proof, recession-proof, the whole deal.”
The model is simple: Create flattering editorial content that resembles extended ad copy and the subjects of those profiles will enthusiastically purchase ad space to go along with it.
“Advertisers have become gun-shy,” notes the publisher. “Why would they risk purchasing advertising when there’s always a chance your editorial staff will uncover unflattering details about them or, worse, ignore them completely? In some lofty quest for ethics and credibility – and this is the part that kills me – publications drive this separation between reporting and advertising. It kills their profit-potential.”
Instead, Decatur Living keeps things simple with an intuitive, and fair, adjective-to-ad size policy. Purchase a full-page ad and you’re guaranteed at least 10 fawning adjectives, ranging from “delightful” to “exceptional” to “elegant.” By contrast, an eighth of a page ad will get you “unique.”
The idea is catching on. “It’s the answer to a lot of industry prayers,” she asserts, “and not just in print media. For example, consider this Decatur Blur online thing. Have you seen it? Not too savvy. I mean, who’s going to advertise with them when it’s only a matter of time before they try to make you look like a total jerk?”
“Grow up, kids,” she offered. “You’ll never get rich biting the hand that feeds.”
11 comments:
I've heard of this magazine but haven't yet seen it. I must agree that an "adjective-to-ad size policy" is sheer marketing genius. Perhaps the publisher of Decatur Living is right, Blurmeister. After all, isn't the first rule of corporate ethics, "If your loyalty isn't to your shareholders, then your loyalty is misplaced?" Wait, maybe I'm paraphrasing.
"Funky"
And "Eclectic", don't forget that one. I mean, who in Decatur doesn't describe themselves as having "funky" decor or an "eclectic" assortment of merchandise?
Why bother with some restaurant critic who might mistake "funky" for "smelling of old cheese and grandma's toilet seat." Why take a chance that some reporter might confuse "eclectic" with "pre-stressed, faux-antique, barely covers-my-potbelly crap that cost ten times what I'd pay at the mall and 50 times what you see at Wal*Mart."
No, the new advertisers are smarter than that. Like I learned at my high school prom, you're always better off with a sure thing.
Blurmeister, why blame the shovel when its the shat that stinks?
Sir Farmer, your insightful comments bring us much joy here at the Blur. Could it be that the resounding stench is actually the result of both parties? Have you, in fact, uncovered evidence of a most unholy union?
In Broadcast News, Albert Brooks said the devil won't destroy us in an obvious way. He'll simply lower our standards one tiny bit at a time.
We may be spared this fate with watchful folks such as yourself at the helm. Keep at it. --BG
This blog is terrible.
However true Anonymous' comment may be, it leaves us hungry for a little constructive criticism to help further the Blur's rise to perfection. Is it the inept writing? The painfully weak analysis? The youthful exuberance of teasing things in the public domain?
Decatur, this is your blog. You have the power to make it suck less. Are you with us?
I think the problem is that we Decaturites really have nothing entertaining to complain about. I, for one, have been racking my brain for weeks now for suggestions for the Blurmeister General to expound upon, and I've got nuthin'. Absolutely nuthin'.
Anyone? Complaints? No?
Sammy,
Maybe that's the problem. Perhaps we've run out of things to complain about, and what kind of life is that?
Are we so sterile, are we so controlled, have we have managed every little detail so perfectly that even John Wieland would be envious!
Makes me shudder to consider Decatur is safer and cleaner than the suburbs. Somebody throw a brick through my window, Please!
Well, I can add some fuel to the smoldering ashes of this shining satiric rubble...how about the homeowner on Adair who parks BICYCLES in front of his property so that NO ONE who has to unload their kids/stroller can park in front of his falling down hovel of a home. He even chains them to his property. Who cares about the house if the grass is perfect, and God forbid any of those horrible children touch his neatly combed patch of fescue. What a putz...
more later...I am a bitchy kind of person...
That guy on Adair is what we fondly refer to as 'local color'. You gotta have some of that to keep things from being too perfect.
Now we're getting somewhere. While some of our more, shall we say, "reactionary" readers still don't get it, Anonymous immediately preceeding this clearly does. The Blur is not about having a gripe session, it's about embracing the quirks, idiosyncracies and minor annoyances of something we love on a far more substantive level.
No one who's ever made love last expects perfection. And those minor stumbles can be funny if you can learn to lighten up.
There used to be a front yard on Church with a pint-sized replica of Stonehenge made out of cobblestones as the focal point. Now that's what we're talking about. Without that kind of stuff, this just wouldn't be Decatur.
Just built my dream home in the great lakes neighborhood and have lived here (Decatur,Dekalb County) for forty years. I like this town alot but there are too many darn stop signs and cars parked on the streets. Example is Superior at Scott. This is dangerous. In order to turn onto Superior you have to cross into the other lane because some fool has to park in front of his house on the street.Where do I go to get this looked at.
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