This time, like all other times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’ve had some interesting conversations lately with many of our advertisers. In the course of these discussions I have noticed an interesting trend—business owners who are open to creative, new ideas and who speak with positive expectations are the ones surviving in spite of the current (apparent) market. Those unreceptive to new ideas or resistant to change have either already closed their doors or appear close to that unfortunate end. As the dynamics of our economy have changed over the past two years, this trend has become increasingly apparent. But it is much more than just “positive thinking”—it’s all about doing.
Here at ALIVE, we are acutely aware of changes in our own industry. One of the primary elements of that awareness is that in order to better serve our readers and advertisers we have to leave outdated methods behind. We know that our readers enjoy the printed version of ALIVE, but we also know many of them expect more, as increasingly they look to the internet, video, and mobile devices for enhancements to their “ALIVE experience.”
In lock step with this is a change in how we work with advertisers. Today, the printed version of ALIVE Magazine provides but one dimension in a multi-media platform called ALIVE Mediaworks, where our advertisers’ access to consumers extends far beyond the vehicle of print, with a growing online, cable television and mobile device presence. For example, we recently launched a consumer-focused website, www.alivemarketplace.com, which serves as an enhancement to our exciting new ALIVE Marketplace iPhone application.
In addition to these cutting-edge methods of serving readers and advertisers, we have enhanced the “brick and mortar” of ALIVE’s impact by establishing a network of over eighty display racks for ALIVE in high traffic, upscale locations throughout the Diablo Valley, in addition to a strong, targeted mailed distribution program.
And what has been the result of these enhancements? We are enjoying explosive growth in our readership as evidenced by regular, week upon week increases—sometimes as much as 50%–in traffic on our AliveEastBay.com website. And as for our display racks, at locations like Whole Foods in Walnut Creek and Draeger’s Market in Blackhawk, no fewer than hundreds of issues of ALIVE each week are being chosen by their upscale clientele.
In the coming months, we’ll be adding even more to the value of ALIVE as we launch our Droid and iPad versions of both ALIVE Magazine and the ALIVE Marketplace program.
Indeed, for ALIVE readers and advertisers alike, this truly is a very good time!
