Now, more evidence that digital has a crush on print.
“Nylon, the alternative fashion and lifestyle magazine founded in 1999, was scooped up by Bustle Digital Group for an undisclosed sum on Thursday,” writes Kayleigh Barber in Folio:.
“Effective immediately, Nylon’s editorial and design teams will join BDG, including editor-in-chief Gabrielle Korn, who will remain on in her capacity as top editor,” Barber continues. “Nylon Media president Evan Luzzatto, however will step down from his role, but will remain a partner to BDG, focusing on helping the company in its international expansion strategy.”
There’s a lot to love about this announcement. For the staff, naturally, we are happy to hear that BDG recognizes the importance of an experienced magazine staff and will be keeping it intact, from the EIC on down. And we love to see this title, which was shuttered in 2017, come back to life in print.
Finally, it’s exciting to see yet another digital brand embracing print as a fully modern and viable way to build trust and grow relationships with their audience.
“We will invest heavily in expanding Nylon’s editorial team and advancing its strength in live experiences. Additionally, we believe that Nylon should exist in a print format, and that is part of the future plan,” Bryan Goldberg, CEO and founder of BDG, said in a statement.
Congrats on the foresight of the team at BDG for recognizing that print is the long pants of brand fashion and gives digital-first brands a kind of real-world clout. Digital brands are longing to be tangible, as evidenced by so many recent stories: Netflix launched a magazine. Bumble launched a magazine. Airbnb launched a magazine. Facebook launched a ma … well, you get the idea. Digital brands are falling over their online roots to publish in print.
They’ve embraced the realization that their audience likes the way a print magazine feels. And that is a powerful step on the path to purchase. Twenty years ago we all looked to digital as proof of a brand’s social relevancy. “Do you have a website” was the first question you asked when wanting to learn more about a brand. As digital became ubiquitous, print has regained its status as the mark of a “real” brand.
Way to go, BDG; can’t wait to see what comes out of this.