File this one under ‘Did Not See Coming’. With TeenPeople and ElleGirl’s recent demise, is MySpace really looking to expand to print? Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb…
MySpace is actively considering whether to launch an ink-on-paper magazine to complement its insanely popular and remarkably valued online property. The editorial mix would likely cover standout MySpace members and their interests, from music to their social scenes.
OK, like a gossip sheet? A tabloid? Or, more likely, a place for all the cool advertiser pages to be announced…
“We’re in the process of modeling it,” said an executive privy to the discussions. “Our main concern is the MySpace brand. We don’t want to do anything that would hurt the brand.”
Familiar partnership
MySpace, which News Corp. bought last year for more than half a billion dollars, is looking at potential business models, the most likely of which would see a MySpace Magazine published by the crew at Nylon magazine, the hip music and fashion title edited by Marvin Scott Jarrett. Nylon and MySpace have worked together before; the two partnered in May to bring the magazine’s 7th annual “Music Issue” online with interactive features.
AdAge comments that MySpace has little to lose with this idea. I’d say they could lose lots of money, lots of cred and their winning social networking strategy. But, who am I to second-guess the bigwhigs at NewsCorp? Surely they’ve researched this to the ninth degree so they certainly are more qualified to make this pronouncement than those of us who use the site daily and live and breathe social networking.
In all seriousness, I really don’t have a clue as to whether this is a smart move or not, but it sure FEELS wrong. What are your thoughts?
I have mixed feelings about this as well. But, I believe it depends on who they target. Really, MySpace has been adopted by a variety of different age groups (ex: my sister, my parents, and I all have Myspace pages). They need to find out who is their bread and butter here.
On the business side, this could be beneficial for advertisers and music artists. Already MySpace is being used for movie advertisements and as supplementary web sites for music artists…so here’s another way to “touch” their target markets!
This is an interesting find, please keep me updated on how this roles out.
Christopher,
I’ve been crazy sick this week so I haven’t been able to follow this as much, but note the link from last nite. I’ll post on it later today 🙂