WHAT’S THE NEW STAB LOOK LIKE?
Real similar to what it was. Sizewise, a little narrower, a little shorter.When you double your print run, you gotta trim costs somewhere. Frequency-wise, we’re bi-monthly (or is it bi-curious?) except we split the November/December issue and make them two separate issue’s. With one big Summer book (sold in newsagents for $19.95). The paper is the same but we’ve ditched the gatefolds: too pricey on such big print runs. We’re now $4.95 down from $9.95.
Bi-monthly magazine:
Double pages: 299mm (h) x 420mm (w)Singles: 299mm (h) x 210mm (w)
Summer hard cover books. Release in September, lead up to summer.
WHY THE MOVE TO SURF SHOPS?
We’re still in newsagencies via Gordon and Gotch, and now Newslink, Australia wide… We wanted to get the mag in the hands of the people who buy the product so that’s why we’ve aimed at surf stores. It’s the circle of life. The stores support the brands by buying product, the companies support the stores (and us) by placing ads and marketing their product. We’re selling the magazine to the surf stores for $1 a piece with a retail value of $4.95. It has now proven to be a positive help to retailers, we’re absorbing a good hit of the print price. Has it worked? Well naturally we have had a few decline due to the content of our mag, but over all they have loved the added value they can provide their customers. If any stores would like to stock the mag, they can contact us direct (getus@rollingyouth.com).
WHY HAS STAB CHANGED?
First, why the great shock? Advertising budgets have been cut. And there are five surfing magazines in Australia. Each magazine begs the advertiser to effectively double and triple-up his reach. Is the Tracks reader significantly different to the ASL reader or the SW reader or the Waves reader? We decided that rather than be a low-circulation title skewed at the point of the demographic triangle, we’d attempt to be a magazine that reached across the demographic spectrum.
We’re taking a risk by printing vastly more magazines than any other surf title in Australia. The same mags who said we wouldn’t last three issues are still at it five years later that we’re destined to fail. We do things because we believe in them not, or at least not entirely, because of the profit motive. There’s no need for all of these magazines. You advertise in Stab and you reach almost your entire market. Y’know, we don’t have investors. We don’t care if we rent houses for another 10 years. That’s why we hire choppers, fly business class, spend over seven grand using Sydney’s best to shoot Steph Gilmore, throw $25k on a pool party, 35k on a Harbor party, take a hit on mags in surf stores and produce 3000 Little Weeds tees to send to our readers. Profit isn’t a dirty word but crude revenue models haven’t governed us this far and they certainly ain’t gonna start now.
THE DEMOGRAPHIC
Stab’s typically got two reader pools, both miles apart demographically. The first is our 13 - 17 year old, moneyless (although persuasive to parents) poorly performing school student, habitating in regional Australia, who lives and breathes by the words and actions of Dane Reynolds, Bruce Irons, Julian Wilson and the evergreen Taj Burrow. Stab turns him/her on cause we have the inside track on these guys. From chopper shoots to wavepool sessions to super remote super sessions, the magazine choice of A listers is STAB. Take Jamie O’Brien for example, decided against selling his movie Freakside in-store and gave it to Stab just so he could reach the most switched on, hi-fi kids. More than anything, Jamie wanted to target what he regarded as the most important demographic and the only vehicle was Stab.
Our other primary reader is a 23 - 30 year old urban professional. He has a high disposable income, owns a variety of unconventional surfboards and is dressed head-to-toe in whatever his prize portal deems fashionable. He reads these pages because the vision of salubrious parties, naked women and well shot garments inspire him. These people are an advertisers dream, their absorb anent tendencies, find themselves heavily influenced by our Stab pages and particularly editors choice. Stab is his magazine of choice for its edgy commentary and biting satire and its super high end design.
Oh, and we have one more alluring yet cynical demographic. Stab is undoubtedly read by all reps, marketing managers and ex pro’s in and around our industry... Whether they like the content of the words or not, Stab is their number one choice in print entertainment.
In 12 months, with daily online reporting, our 22-year-old University of Sydney communication’s graduate, Jed Smith, has become the most visible online surf editor in the world. Our comments and daily stories have opened up a new demographic to Stab magazine.
THE IDEA’S FACTORY
Stab works very closely with all of its partners. Stab will leverage your voice within in the market to deliver uber creative and experimental marketing outlays. Derek Rielly and Sam McIntosh are two of the most creative writers/producers/publishers in the magazine industry. Stab was the first magazine to use helicopters to document hi-fi surfing; it was the first to use jetskis in wavepools. Prior to launching Stab in 2004, Derek and Sam created first, The Location Issue, where an entire magazine is made on a remote island (Derek, ASL), and two, a Location Issue with Movie (Sam, Waves). When you advertise in Stab, Derek and Sam’s ideas are part of the deal. You want something a lil different? We’ll create it for you, whether movie, fashion shoot, advertising campaign or party.
STABMAG.COM
In 12 months, with daily online reporting, our 22-year-old University of Sydney communication’s graduate, Jed Smith, has become the most visible online surf editor in the world. Our comments and daily stories have opened up a new demographic to Stab magazine.
WEB STATS
Little Weeds has taken our web stats into the stratosphere. It has opened our reader base beyond comprehension. During the Little Weeds competition period we were averaging around 90,000 unique hits a month with over half a million page views.
Our readers also spend seven minutes average on the site.
With Little Weeds over for the year (and relaunching March 2010), we were expecting a drop, but this certainly hasn’t been the case. Online editor Jed’s getting plenty of play and the readers come back daily.
Stab is published by Rolling Youth Press
Level 1, 158 Bondi Rd,
Bondi NSW 2026
02 9389 7599
Advertising-
Tom Bird:
tom@rollingyouth.com
m: 0403 578 362
Other crap-
getus@rollingyouth.com
