Fatal Move From Print to Internet

While ad sales continue to fall across many newspapers and magazines, it occurred to me that big media companies have made a fatal mistake when they tried to run both print and web version of their content simultaneously.

The internet is a source of infinite information made accessible only by those who have permitted themselves to make it accessible for free.

Newspapers and magazines have made their revenues from advertisers for over a century before the internet came along. Whether it used to be $0.10 or $0.50 for a printed newspaper, to a few dollars for a glossy magazine, media companies made their money through ads, this is a given.

When the internet came along, though it was neat to be able to share information in one common world wide web, advertising on the web was, right from the get-go, very cheap. Pennies were made based on impressions, clicks, and leads. Then, when content was reproduced on the web, the print media followed. However, the fatal mistake from print media was to reproduce their content for free.

If I were a business person, who made their fortune by offering a service for a price in person, and then offering the same service for free on the internet, of course my client base will grow on the internet. But my internet clients aren’t paying for my services, they’re getting it for free. And everybody, and I mean everybody, loves the word “free”. So it’s only logical that you would attract more people online than you would in person. By the end of if, I wouldn’t be making any money at all since my in-person clients will flock to me indirectly and get my services for free rather than in person.

Thus, my question to the big print companies such as the New York Times, The Globe and Mail, and the thousands of other newspapers…why did they make their content online free? It’s like shooting yourself in the foot. The Wall Street Journal was smart, they limit their free content and still rely on paid subscriptions to generate some revenue and it isn’t free falling into a black hole like other newspapers. Women’s Wear Daily is also able to stay alive with their subscription base model, while offering just a trickle of free content. It’s content is still linked to from numerous websites despite it being mostly off limits to casual browsers. Newspapers could have still been afloat if they would’ve offered their news for the same subscription price online as their print version. The only foreseeable problem with that is having their content reproduced by users - however, with hundreds of articles being printed each week, I doubt all of the content would be made public.

Fashion magazines however are not entirely at fault. Fashion brands have established their own sites and thus can propagate their ad campaigns from their home base without the need to pay for space in a physical world. The internet allows them to reach a much wider audience than their print (and costly) versions ever could. Combine that with viral marketing from blogs, and cheap web space, there’s little need for fashion magazines except for the fashion gurus to cherry pick the cream of the crop of products. I suppose a temporary solution for fashion magazines is to also privatize their content online and have users pay to read their fashion experts’ opinions.

If print media companies would’ve started out with privatized paid subscriptions online, then I doubt there would’ve been such a global meltdown in the print world, perhaps saving thousands of jobs. Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of sophisticated users who can pirate content, but quality content as the big medias were known for, wouldn’t have disintegrated so quickly if they did some planning and foreshadowing.

If print work does indeed die out in the next decade (and reduced to an art form), I expect online advertising prices to go up. With no ulterior source of income, I think coveted online fashion websites will have the opportunity to break out a new standard for online advertising. Of course, online fashion magazines will have to compete for attention with the very brands who are buying their ad space.

April 21, 2009 | Filed Under Featured Articles | Leave a Comment

The Outnet Arrives - A Good or Bad Thing?

From the creators of Net-a-porter, The Outnet discount retailer went live today.

Quality discount clothing from a quality website owner. No loose pieces of lint, no dramatic catfights, no torn dresses, no overcrowded meltdowns, and no bitchy shoppers to deal with.The joys of shopping online. The only frustration I encounter regularly, even if I’m not purchasing, is how lightning fast online shoppers are in clicking those “Add To Cart” buttons.

Calvin Klein dress at 60% off, $646

Even during these massive discount times and that I don’t like discounts in general, I applaud Net-a-porter’s approach in offering only last Spring’s styles instead of this year’s. I’m also assuming last year’s fall collection will end up on the Outnet in a few months. They seem to be sticking to the traditional formula in offering the discount much later rather than only a few weeks online. How that will play to their advantage, however, will remain to be seen. Most physical stores on the retail playground are no longer adhering to traditional sale seasons due to the recession. I’m not quite sure if the same rules apply to online stores in general, such as online counter parts like Banana Republic seem to echo their prices as to what goes on the retail sales floor, so it’s difficult to say if original prices have a longer shelf-life online.

Outnet also offers sort of an Ideeli-like “flash sale” where deep discounts on certain items will only last for 72 hrs. The first of it’s kind is 8 days from now, a bundle of Spring dresses.

Granted, the Outnet is not that much different from other online discount retailers or the high end department stores who have sales of their own on their website. Here, they have to tread carefully. In today’s Wall Street Journal, Death to Discounts? The Designers Rebel, deep discounts are rifting the relationship between department stores and their designers. If retailers are too eager to put items on sale, designers may look for alternative solutions to keep discounts to a minimum and may look to open their own retail corner to control prices and keep some integrity over their products.

So, will The Outnet aggravate the already fragile relationship between consumer and designer? Only time will tell if it will survive this year’s price wars.

Image credit: The Outnet

April 16, 2009 | Filed Under Featured Articles | Leave a Comment

Adam’s Casual Wear Appeal

Over the years I’ve sort of lost sight and well, appeal to the “American Casual” look that was onced deemed cool in the fashion world. These days, when I think of American casual wear I think of American Eagle Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch. College print t-shirts, cuffed shorts, short jersey skirts and flip flops. Not particularly what you would call very chic. Or the Polo Ralph Lauren sportswear look, which is a bit too stiff for someone my age. This formula had been imprinted in my brain as bland and uncreative, thus not paying much attention to casual wear ever since.

However, coming across a brand like Adam Lippes, where there’s just small touch of glamour, with amazing fabrics and overall such a cool and relaxed look, I can’t help but be drawn to the clothes.

This spring I find myself fawning over so many articles in Adam’s 2009 collection. The variety of fabrics chosen for each dress gives each piece a character of their own: linen, crinkled chiffon, crochet, silk, linen, jersey etc. It’s a refreshingly casual collection and most of all of, the most reasonable prices I have come across in a while. On average prices come between $295 to $695 for most dresses, and the basics are all under $100.

While not a newcomer to the fashion world, he had previously worked for Oscar De La Renta, which probably could explain his keen eye for amazing fabrics and color.

Having never heard of Adam in any articles recently, I find this quite a pleasant and amusing discovery. His clothes came to speak for themselves instead of heavy marketing, and honestly the price of his pieces are justified, affordable and attractive, especially when people are looking for the most bang for their buck.

Consider me sold. If only my wallet wasn’t dried up like a parched desert…

Image credits: Adam

April 8, 2009 | Filed Under Featured Articles | 1 Comment

Stylist’s Own - Avant-Garde Pieces for Sale

Montreal is reknown to be pretty fashion forward city in terms of independently held events, organized for artists by artists. A focus on the avant-garde looks and a penchant for the monochromatic palette. It’s a place where the creative wonders, the indy do-it-yourself attitude, and sense of community really makes it feel like fashion is not just for kicks, it’s a lifestyle. Simultaneously, Montreal also tries to cater to the big retail chains downtown, I would safely say that Montrealers have a voracious appetite for fashion, no matter how big or small the event, shoppers are abundant.

Thus bringing me to this event called Stylist’s Own curated by Azamit, a Montreal fashion stylist who is mostly reknown for organizing the annual artist bazaar of Souk@SAT. I first stumbled upon the event while surfing on Montreal State of Mind, and the event was only two steps away from where I lived, why not?

It was held at Domison, one of the many fashionably sleek furniture stores on The Main, and was nothing short but impressed at the items displayed. I met Azamit in the store and we briefly chatted what the event was about.

The idea behind Stylist’s Own was that many of her friends would always be envious of many avant-garde pieces she wore, and she felt she could share her bountiful secrets with the public by establishing this event. Fashion buyers may pick a number of items for their store, but often times many of those pieces never make it to the sales floor for fear of them being too “out there” for normal shoppers to come across. Stylist’s Own is actually putting those unsold pieces on the sales floor for shoppers who are looking for something unique or “out there” to wear.

While Souk@SAT brings together shoppers and artists together under one roof, Stylist’s Own is more about letting the product speak for itself. And today, being the first official day of the event, I would say a good 20 people were in the store when I came by, trying stuff on, and many were buying.

Brands include Montreal’s own Denis Gagnon, Renata Morales, Complex Geometries (btw, some of their pieces were featured in the March/April issue of Clear mag), and more European brands such as Designers Remix, Costume National and Thakoon eyewear.

Although I’m personally not quite avant-garde in clothing, I was duly impressed with the amazing accessories. Necklace cut outs made of the softest leather, a braided neon pink belt made of suede and interlocked with a gold chain, a neon yellow/green cage belt/suspenders in elastics, hand made jewelry in shades of gunmetal gray and silver.

The prices are also quite reasonable to be honest. Pieces this nice deserve every penny they’re posted for. I saw a Renata Morales strapless dress running for $300, many items were priced between $45-80, and belts were hovering around $80-$300. Needless to say, it’s not an extortion for what you get.

Unfortunately, since it’s a sample sale, every single piece shown is unique, so what you see is what you get. There is little room for a petite size 0, so I was better off with the accessories. I ended up hovering over the jewelry section, wishing my wallet was a bottomless well of money as many of the pieces were beautifully handmade and had an edgy gothic feel. I settled on a pair of hand crocheted chain earrings by Rosemary Hedges for a nice $78. I have a penchant for dangling earrings. Some of the silver cast bracelets were really cool, but out of my price range at over $100.

It’s these kinds of events that I personally love about Montreal. Those in the local fashion industry befriend a lot of artists in different mediums, whether it’s painting, music, furniture, clothes, magazines, or even festivals. Montreal is like a close knit family. Everyone is willing to help everyone in their area, just to spread the word and help them pay their bills.