Pop quiz: name the first person to grace the cover of 窪蹋勛圖厙 magazine.
Reinhold Messner? A worthy candidate, but wrong. Robert Redford? Nope. Also a strong guess, but he didnt show up until 1978. The correct answer, of course, is none other than seventies country-rock superstar Linda Ronstadt.
To be fair, that was a trick question. I dont expect anyone to answer correctly unless youre or . (And if you are either of those people, Hello! Thank you for inspiring my career.) The truthsomething our legendary fact-checkers have demanded since our inceptionis that the very first edition of 窪蹋勛圖厙 was published as an insert in , which featured Ronstadt on the cover, along with a large 窪蹋勛圖厙 logo positioned above her left shoulder. You can think of 窪蹋勛圖厙s launch strategy back then as a sort of benign bait and switch. An established media brand gathered its formidable audience in one place, only to direct readers attention elsewhere and expose them to an exciting new business idea.
It seems fitting, then, that 43 years later were executing the same tactic for what is effectively 窪蹋勛圖厙s relaunch. The real reason weve brought you here today is to introduce , a new membership program for anyone and everyone that loves the outdoors. In case you missed the news, by Pocket Outdoor Media (since renamed 窪蹋勛圖厙 Interactive), linking us to dozens of other like-minded resources, from fellow media titles like and and , to revered services such as , , and , to iconic experiences like the bike series and the annual ski-and-snowboard film tour. Our new parent company has bundled the features of all these properties into . Sign up, and youll gain access not only to our award-winning journalism but to a host of additional perks and benefits, including:
- A subscription to 窪蹋勛圖厙 magazine and your choice from 12 窪蹋勛圖厙+ member titles
- Digital access to members-only content across all 窪蹋勛圖厙 properties
- Over a thousand hours of exclusive TV content via the
- Access to hundreds of virtual health, fitness, cooking, and outdoor classes
- Two free books a year from
- Personalized, ad-free experiences at 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online
- A subscription to , so you can download maps offline and
- Free training plans for running, cycling, and triathlon via
- Discounts on everything from gear to race-entry fees to event photography
窪蹋勛圖厙+ also represents a significant shift in our business strategy. Back in the 1990s, we followed other magazines in committing the industrys original sin: abandoning consumer revenue in the digital space by deciding to give away all website content for free. That made us almost entirely dependent on ad revenue, and for the next two decades, 窪蹋勛圖厙s fortunes followed the boom-bust cycles of the marketing industry. Many titles didnt survive those lean periodsRIP National Geographic 窪蹋勛圖厙and while 窪蹋勛圖厙 managed to stay afloat, we also knew that wed eventually have to make the shift to a paid digital model to get back on solid ground. We had confidence that our digital readers would be as willing to pay for our storytelling as our print subscribers, but building the infrastructure for member-only access requires millions of dollars of investment. It took the resources of our new company to finally make it happen, and we couldnt be more excited to put that confidence in our journalism to the test.
launched in May, but today marks our brandsofficial integration into the membership program. That means youll notice some changes here at 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online, including registration and log-in features that allow you to customize your feed and see more of the stories you want, from 窪蹋勛圖厙 as well as all of our partner titles. More significantly, were no longer giving away everything for free. Going forward, well be putting 30 percent of our content, including all of our print-magazine content, behind a member wall. We feel strongly that the work we produce at 窪蹋勛圖厙 is distinct and valuable, a vital service that readers are nowwilling to pay for. Whats more, we plan to roll out some exciting new member-only exclusives in the coming months, including an 窪蹋勛圖厙 Book Club, member access to our gear testing, serialized longreads, and unique travel opportunities. We believe that when you see all the additional perks of an 窪蹋勛圖厙+ membership, the value will be evident.
I should also add that there are many things that wont be changing at 窪蹋勛圖厙, starting with our decades-long commitment to quality, in-depth reporting. Each day at 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online, youll continue to find one-of-a-kind longform stories, comprehensive travel advice and unbiased gear reviews, and clear-eyed coverage of critical outdoor topics that affect all of us, from the ongoing bike-safety crisis to the importance of making our nations outdoor spaces welcoming and accessible to all. And a significant amount of our content will always be free.
In short, the new 窪蹋勛圖厙 has more to offer than everbut we cant succeed without your continued support. I hope youll explore the benefits of an 窪蹋勛圖厙+ membership on our site today and join our growing community. Maybe one of you can even help us get Linda Ronstadt signed up.