Usurping Fast Company

A few weeks ago on Brand Autopsy, we asked you if Fast Company (FC) was still fast. (If you need a refresher course on our FC trilogy of posts … click accordingly: Post #1, Post #2, and Post #3).

This week, Rich (from Hello World) and I have been trading more thoughts on Fast Company and today, I just read Seth Godin’s post where he informs us he will no longer contribute to the magazine. (Hmm, that's discouraging.)

Given all this chatter, I still believe Fast Company is a good magazine – maybe not a great magazine, but certainly a good magazine.

To John Byrne’s point … there is not another business magazine on the market attempting to do what FC is attempting to do. (John Byrne is the editor-in-chief at FC and he posted a lengthy and passionate response to the trilogy of Brand Autopsy posts on his magazine. Click here and then scroll to read his comments.)

In trying to make sense out of all this “FC ain’t what it used to be" conversation … I got to thinking about REM, the band.

REM began as a cool, alternative band that appealed to a fervent following of young, forward-thinking, anti-pop audience. “Reckoning” never crossed the chasm. But “Document” put them on the precipice of crossing the chasm. REM tipped with “Green” and to REM’s fervent, young, forward-thinking anti-pop early adopters … REM sold out … they lost their edge … Michael Stipe’s vocals were no longer indecipherable mumbles … they now sold out stadiums (and not small clubs in Athens, Georgia). REM has gone on to sell millions and millions of records. They still make good music. Now their music might lack the edge it once had and they are not near as popular as they once were … but REM is far from being labeled bad music.

Fast Company began as a cool, alternative business magazine that appealed to a passionate following of forward-thinking, anti-Al Dunlap business professionals. Issue after issue, Fast Company put out cutting-edge business stories and rode the new economy tsunami till the magazine tipped (or so it thought). Fast Company became viewed by many as the new Fortune. Gruner+Jahr was so enamored with FC’s potential that they bought the magazine at an exorbitant price hoping to turn FC into the equivalent of a business magazine global pop music superstar. It is obvious Fast Company will never be the super-mainstream business magazine its owners hoped it would become. That doesn’t mean Fast Company still doesn’t produce good issues. It might lack the edge it once had … but it is far from being labeled a bad business magazine. (Just like REM is far from being labeled a bad rock group.)

So … what magazine is set to usurp Fast Company as the cool, alternative business magazine appealing to a passionate following of forward-thinking anti-Enron/Imclone/Global Crossing professionals?

Radiohead usurped REM and the White Stripes seem to have usurped Radiohead. Who’s gonna usurp Fast Company?

I dunno … do you?

Comments

[[no author]]

I think the answer is right in the FC graphic you chose - You. Sites like Brand Autopsy, BrandChannel and blogsites like Laura Ries' and Seth Godin's are the placing to look for cutting edge talk, ideas and information.

[Katherine Stone]

This is all so funny to me. I thought the Courage issue was good - they went out and got a lot of very interesting people to discuss a very interesting topic. I think this is all a matter of the perspective you take on business. I happen to like strategic discussions that don't give you a "10 Ways to do Such-and-Such" list. I think those lists are silly, because I think in most cases there isn't one right answer or one right plan to follow. There are different industries, different philosophies, different levels of expertise, different kinds of organizational entities and on and on, so how can there be one coherent, effective takeaway? When I do my speaking engagements, sometimes it bothers me when people in the audience just want step-by-step instructions on how to do experiential marketing. I don't think there is a step-by-step list. I think we businesspeople have become lazy and want things easily accomplished, and I think the more interesting companies out there have put in the time, effort and dedication to figure out what's right for their brand, their business and their customers.

I'm happy to have a magazine that discusses the more ethereal issues of business. Believe it or not, there are a LOT of people out there who care about such things.

[Evelyn Rodriguez]

John,
You nailed it. It's the EDGE I miss the most. And like Katherine I too like the ethereal intangibles that they've always been true to and is not replicated in ANY other business magazine - it's just not quite as edgy as before. That said, I very much enjoyed the October issue. I was stumped though if I liked it objectively or I liked it better because I felt listened to - I spent over an hour on the phone with Jena McGregor, associate editor, recently.

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

I also enjoyed the October issue and not just because Brand Examiner Paul was one of the 13 jurors helping FC select the winning companies of FC's Customer First Awards. (Look it up … Paul Williams is mentioned on pg. 80.)

The mini-case studies in "Putting Customers First" were informative and brought to light some lesser known companies and what they are doing to better connect with customers. And, I'm glad FC has brought back the Consulting Debunking Unit.

The edge (and Seth Godin) may be gone to FC but no other business magazine has a soul like FC.