Different can be GOOD!

This month is a very special month.  We are changing our format for the magazine and rebranding our company Nationally as the Dive News Network Media Group.   I have been publishing regional magazines for 17 years, so this was a big step – not one we took lightly.  

A few months ago we conducted an experiment.  We combined all regional editions: Northwest Dive News, Midwest Dive News, Northeast Dive News, Southeast Dive News and our newest magazine, Southwest Dive News into one combined National Edition.   We maintained our usual regional content, just combined all the areas together into one magazine.  That edition we labeled North America Dive News and sent it out to our entire database across the USA and Canada – then we waited  to see if anyone noticed.

What would our readers and advertisers think of our new format? Where we crazy to abandon our regional approach in an effort to go National? Crazy? Yes, but stupid, No! The response was overwhelming. They loved it!  Our readers almost unanimously said Wow, this is terrific, and demanded more! They loved something about this new product. They loved looking at the local diving in their area but also the diving in the other areas too.
So this month marks our birthday as we are officially launching North America Dive News and going national. We are combining all our regional editions into one magazine each month but are still keeping our regional approach.   Each section will be separate and complete.  We will still be focusing on local diving, promoting the events and activities for local dive shops, we will just be sharing that message with a much larger audience, and more mobile audience.  

Besides sending the magazine to every dive shop in our regional areas, we also have the magazine available online 24-7-365. Divers can read all our stories, view photos, and even comment on them using social media.   Divers can use our new E-Reader (click here).  The magazine looks fantastic and it’s easy to read on whatever device you might want to use - iPad, PC, laptop, mobile phone, etc.  Try it out!

Another new item, we eliminated our free readership.  The only place you can get a free magazine is at one of our participating dive retailers. We no longer offer the magazine for free - anywhere.   According to a recent survey we conducted,   nearly 90% of our readers we talked to love the print magazine but want it for free.  We understand. We love free too.  However, we can’t print and mail it for free so we had to think of an inventive way to get that done.  We came up with a solution.  We made a deal with our local dive shops to carry and support the magazine.   They purchase a shop subscription and then can hand them out to their customers.   If you want a printed copy, go to your local dive shop and asks for it.  If they don’t carry it, call or e-mail me and I will offer them a shop subscription, so that you can get a free printed magazine whenever you visit your local dive shop, hopefully inspiring you to visit and dive more often.    

So, try out this edition. Hopefully it will inspire you to get into or back into diving-locally where it really matters

See you on the next dive!

Rick