April Fool | Radical changes at ENDURO Magazine
Now that the whole ENDURO hype is over, our editorial team can slowly return to normality and devote our days to the growing market of dirt jump bikes. Since the renowned Dirt Magazine announced their withdrawal from the printing press, we’re spotted a pretty significant gap in the market…
“We always predicted that smartphones and iPads were only ever going to enjoy fleeting popularity, and that consumers would once again opt for print media,” explains ENDURO’s founder Robin Schmitt.
“When we first launched ENDURO in 2012, everyone thought iPads were super hip — and that’s really the primary reason we pushed for this format. This means we’ve actually been responsible for this aggravation and harmed the economy too. Printing companies have suffered. And at press camps it was no longer possible to chill out and enjoy a beer, secure in the knowledge that you had two weeks before the print deadline so you could write the article at home in peace. Nope, imagine this right: we actually had to work. Oh, and ride bikes too.”
But that’s all over now. The advantages of printing the magazine are undeniable. You can publish without time pressure by denying the existence of the Internet. In addition, we’ll swap precise analytical tools such as Google Analytics by setting up our own industry-funded magazine auditing office to monitor circulation. We can now also send free copies to countless friends, manufacturers and other interested parties, guaranteeing that the joy is spread. Printing gives you something tangible; you know where you stand with it. Quite simply, the printed word has more meaning.
How are we going to deliver to our international readers?
For North America and EU countries there won’t be a problem, but we do occasionally have issues here with high customs duties and taxation. In contrast to other publications, ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine is subject to a luxury tax in certain countries due to its elaborate and exclusive design. It is also the case that several countries have introduced an additional tax based on public health policies. According to experts, this has arisen from the increased likelihood of addiction, particularly given the interactive functions of the printed format.
For countries that are located further away such as Mongolia or Timbuktu, we’ve opted for local transport methods like camels, carrier pigeons, donkeys and even Genghis Khan himself in order to boost the local economy. This is our interpretation of ‘Think Global, Act Local.’ After all, it would be a bit shortsighted to rely on one single international company when you’re trying to artificially maintain national borders. As we know, the Internet tried in vain to globalize marketing and communication.
“Our recent recruitment drive has been a crucial part of our long-term strategy. You simply need more staff if you’re going to print the magazine. The logical consequence is that we streamline the programmers and the film team,” Max-Philip, ENDURO owner and financial director, outlines the vision.
The conversion to print media will result in less stress for our graphic designers. As it stands, creative director Christian can be found at home in the recuperative holiday destination of Bad Liebenzell ,Germany, art director Julian Lemme is on safari in the South American jungle, spending his mornings fighting monkeys and afternoons battling fatigue in the hammock, frantically trying to work on the layouts. While the (design) bosses are on holidays, the media designers naturally have their heads down in the office, focusing on preparing the data for print.
Forget this video! Back then we were still young and optimistic!
But it won’t only be printed pages that function as an information portal for ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine in the future:
On that note, kick back and enjoy the day and its fine offerings. We should take this opportunity to say this: We appreciate all (ok, most of) our colleagues within the industry! Happy Wednesday, gents!