While Others Fold by the Day, One Magazine is Making LOOT

Nov. 23, 2009 - PRLog -- Magazines are dropping like flies; Atlanta Peach, Gourmet, Playgirl, and even Vibe, have folded for good; some are suggesting that the publishing industry may never recover from what has been the worst climate for the sale of print advertising since the depression.  And most would agree, that the last two years, have not been the time to launch a magazine.  But a group of South Florida entrepreneurs bet everything against these odds, and now it’s paying off.  

Backslash Inc., a Miami based Media + Marketing Holding Company (incorporated by three former University of Miami students) has proven that with a hybrid business model, an untapped niche market, and a hell of a lot of work, print can still be profitable--very profitable.  

In 2008, the company began rolling out a national, localized, free college lifestyle magazine: backslash. Already, between the first issue (released on August 30th, 2008) and the fifth issue (released on August 30th, 2009), the publication’s ad sales have increased by 1,280%.  In addition, the magazine’s physical circulation has grown from 6,000 copies to 50,000 copies (833%).  At this point, a different version of backslash is published for over 15 colleges in Tallahassee, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami.  The 100-page quarterly magazine is circulated on campus (by hand and in news racks), and off campus, (in news racks at student frequented venues) specifically to students.

The backslash brand is becoming one of the most widely recognized college media brands in the United States, and the growing strength of the backslash brand is driving the financial performance of it’s parent company’s marketing firm.  In the last two years, backslash Niche Marketing (the parent company’s marketing firm) has worked with some of the most high profile organizations in the United States, helping them tailor their marketing initiatives toward students, including: the US Marine Corps, the US Navy, Universal Studios, and the Florida National Guard.

Even more surprising, is the fact that backslash is still expanding.  At the beginning of the 2010 school year, backslash magazine’s coverage and circulation will be expanded to include a total of ninety-four colleges, in twenty-one cities across the United States; there are more than 1.6 million students enrolled in these colleges.

By expanding, the company is beginning to unlock the true value of the business model (because of the economies of scale exist in the publishing industry, and because our advertising partners want to reach students across the country).



The company’s success can be attributed to the fact that the founders have been able to satisfy the entertainment needs of the college demographic, while simultaneously solving a fundamental problem that advertisers encounter in their attempts to communicate with college students.  In a forum, at the University of Miami, Backslash Inc. founder (Mike McCormack, 24) emphasized that: “Advertisers in the United States are unable to target the college demographic with one stop.  As a result of the over fragmentation of the college media industry, advertisers attempting to market to the college niche (and even their brokers and marketing agencies) do not have an effective way to communicate with students across the country; in order to do so, they have to go to as many as 120 media outlets—and are forced to negotiate advertising deals with local media (including school newspapers, college websites, etc…) at each university in which they intend to advertise.  

“Clearly, by creating a one-stop-shop, for local, regional, and national marketing, specifically targeting the college niche, we’re saving advertisers a significant amount of time and money.  And by localizing backslash, we’re opening the door for local businesses to advertise in a legitimate national magazine.  But most importantly, because we are providing advertisers with an array of marketing platforms to reach students through—ranging from video-out-of-home to print—I believe that we are revolutionizing the way that advertisers communicate with the college demographic.”

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Backslash magazine is the first national college lifestyle magazine dedicated to the college niche. We offer advertisers local, regional and national exposure to the college demographic with a one-stop-shop.