Shiftin’ On The Fly
It’s Déjà Vu (All Over Again)
If you’re a Jeep® enthusiast, you already know us. That is, ”us“ as in J Rations. ”What’s that?“ you ask. ”Know you?“ You got it. Maybe not in the way that we call you every week or converse daily via e-mail or through Internet forums (although we keep our ear to the ground). The reality is, know us you do…in more ways than one. First and foremost, we are you—Jeep enthusiasts. Good people looking for a challenging trail, a fun romp in the mud, a good winching out of a nasty predicament, conversing by a warm campfire, searching out a much-wanted part, accessory or any of countless other Jeep pursuits. That’s you. That’s us.
Beyond all that, there is our past. You see, shortly before the end of the last century we created a little something known in the niché publishing industry as a marque-specific title. To you, it was simply a Jeep magazine. You know the name, and until now, it was the only game in town. How we got there then and here now is a long and somewhat wacky road trip.
More than 10 years ago, when we first proposed a new publication, then simply called Jeep® Magazine, to the corporate powers-that-be, it went over like a lead balloon. But we were resilient, standing our ground for a cause we believed would let us indulge our interests while contributing to the bottom line.
Determination notwithstanding, our proposal wasn’t gaining any traction. That is, until a lifesaver suddenly materialized from a most unlikely source. While we had been presenting our case to the upper tier of management, the company owner had been reading our research and development documentation. By the time he finally made his belated appearance, our steadfast façade was beginning to show serious signs of wear. Would he end the discussion as it now stood, or was there any beacon of hope? There was stunned silence when he stated simply, ”You’ve got four issues to make this work, a limited budget, and you’ll have to do it on your own time.“ (Truth be known, only one issue was actually budgeted.) We didn't wait around for further discussion, grabbed the deal and headed off for our first build. But we had another problem. Remember that name? Everybody loves a trademark! Bye-bye Jeep Magazine, hello…what? After much ado, we hurdled that obstacle and satisfied yet another corporate mindset. Lo and behold, the country’s first Jeep-specific magazine was born.
The response was unprecedented. Within weeks of the first newsstand appearance, phones were ringing off the hook, e-mails were flooding the office, readers were sending blank checks for subscriptions that didn’t even exist. Newsstand sales were putting up healthy numbers. Advertisers were watching. And, the corporate powers-that-be were miffed.
Go ahead, try to wipe the smiles off our faces.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Within three years of our original launch none of the original staff was on board. In fact, by then, our saving grace had sold the company, triggering a feeding frenzy among automotive publishing companies. The bigger fish ate the big fish, who were then devoured by an even bigger fish until there was but one fish left. Sounds fishy, I know, but that’s how these things go.
The story could have ended there, but it didn’t. Once again, we held onto our confidence and, thankfully, didn’t get swallowed in the frenzy, although we were left floundering for a while before finally resurfacing as this incarnation you now see.
Ten Years After
As it was then, none of this will matter without you. Your support will determine our success now, just as it did then. But this time you’ll get the opportunity to see, feel, hear and interact with what that other magazine might have been had we been given time, resources and, most important, the freedom to be who we are. We really are you. We know you’re tired of being a target market. So are we. With J Rations there are no opt-outs, hidden clauses or trick questions. No pop-ups, popovers, unders or sideways down. Sure, we’ve made a commitment to our advertisers, because we need them on board to stay viable. But our golden rule of thumb is this: Publish what is in the best interest of our readers.
Reinventing the Wheel
When we decided to return to the Jeep enthusiast marketplace (which in our minds we never left), we chose to reinvent the wheel rather than turn the same tired old lug nut. We addressed the pros and cons of a print-only publication, the limitations of the Web, and how to give our sport the action it so richly deserves. We chose instead a radically different approach to both presentation and distribution. With Standard Issue 1, you’ll see what I mean.
First, there are no issue dates, and you won’t find us on newsstands. You can order Standard Issues here only, online.
Then we decided to add a new wrinkle with the inclusion of a CD-ROM. Now we are able to expand our technical articles without incurring huge print bills with added page count. Using PDFs, articles on the CD now allow us to include details and images that traditionally have been limited by paper and printing costs. The PDFs are designed to be printed from the computer to your home printer, with enough latitude for easy on-screen viewing. Go ahead, blow those pages up, then print ’em out, head to the garage, do the wrenching, then use the paper for cleanup. You still have the original copy neatly stored on disc.
CD technology also allows us to add motion and interaction to what would otherwise be nothing more than a static piece. A little fun mixed with a healthy dose of information. Finally, the CD gave us the sights, sounds and motion inherent to our sport. Watch a feature story come to life.
From there, we’ve added a full-bodied Web site to keep timely matter exactly that...timely. By moving certain articles and features to the Web, we freed up valuable magazine space. No more publish dates three months in advance just to look current on the newsstand. The Web also gives us our ”community.“ Forums, tips, tricks, links, rigs on display, events and club pages to give enthusiasts a place to meet, share and have a voice. A universal hub for all things Jeep, from an aftermarket parts vendor to the latest in backyard wrenching from some guy in Utah.
The 3-in-1 Basics
The convergence of the three media serves the reader a richer, vibrant, more utilitarian vehicle, one that can go basically anywhere it chooses. That’s in keeping with this 60-plus year-old go-anywhere vehicle that we all love in the first place.
Now imagine selling this concept to the powers-that-be.
As I wind down this long-winded piece, I also begin what I believe will be a long friendship and mutual partnership with Jeep enthusiasts worldwide. I’ll make it clear from the get-go that this will always be a family-oriented publication devoid of tasteless images, language and content. We’re not going to be everything to everybody. If you’re looking for monster trucks, bikini-clad women, mega-damage or the latest yahoo stomping ground, look elsewhere. We’re not for you. But if you’re an everyday, love my family, my Jeep and the off-road experience person, then welcome back. It’s been a long time.
We hope you enjoy this initial offering and that you’ll be on board for many more, as this is just the start of things to come. Now you know from where we came and where we’ re now at. Just imagine the ride ahead. —Wayne Godfrey
Wayne Godfrey is the president of Outgate Media, Inc. Don’t be too impressed. It’s not as though this is some multinational corporation with offices around the globe, or that we have millions to spend accessorizing the executive restrooms. There aren’t any corporate restrooms. In fact, there aren’t any corporate offices.
So how does one attain such a lofty position? Scaling the corporate ladder? Nah. Incredible business savvy? Ha. Barrels of cash? Would be nice, but unfortunately far from reality. This position was attained in the way we do everything at Outgate Media: pure democracy in action. We drew straws. Wayne lost.