现如今纸质出版业已经大幅缩水，而Berrics却选择在这时收购曾经的The Skateboard Mag杂志，这项举动似乎看起来并不符合逻辑，不过Berrics的这个举动必然有其目的，身为Pro的评论员Anthony Pappalardo就在Jenkem上刊登文章为大家一起解读这今昔强者联合的内涵
In a world where print media’s impact and page counts are shrinking, it doesn’t seem like the most logical thing for The Berrics, one of skateboarding’s most trafficked websites to purchase one. Or is it?
在这个纸质低迷期间，Berrics购买了The Skateboard Mag杂志，TSM的合作创始人J.Grant Brittain将这大举动发布在了Instagram上：“我们开始了新的努力，The Skateboard Mag现在归属The Berrics旗下”
据猜测The Skateboard Mag的纸质印刷服务将会保持不变，网站也会继续运营，不过除了新闻之外，他们将专注于打造高质量的TSM内容。
不过这可不只是收购那么简单，全新的合作可以产生非常客观的效益，不论是给TSM还是给Berrics。这次收购可以让Berrics获得宝贵的数字平台，让他们更好地推广自己的内容，也可以印制出版想要的东西而不需要承担较大风险。通过获得TSM旗下经验丰富的摄影师摄像师还有编辑，也可以增加Berrics团队的实力，Berrics现在可不止用广告来盈利，他们现在拥有了出版业的资源，拥有了附属网站，这次收购绝对可以让Berrics大赚一笔。
这不仅仅是Berrics开始收购，拥有或是对杂志业界产生影响，这是Berrics宏大计划的一个必要补充，只要出版业存在，他们也可以出现，尽管针对的只是少量人群。如果我们从2014年中学到了什么，针对人群绝对是一个不小的新兴市场。TSM一贯不循规蹈矩，总有着自己独特的观点，Berrics这次资金的注入会不会改变TSM的现状呢？
我们会不会在杂志上看到更多关于Battle Commander的档案访谈之类的，会不会为了争取更大利益而多了几页广告？Steve Berra极端的想法会不会出现在杂志之中？Berra绝对不会羞于表达，所以他不会在投入一笔钱之后坐在背后什么都不管。
别忘了，他曾经职责Thrasher SOTY就是狗屎，尽管这里不是公共滑板场，不过Berrics的性质是互动性的，每天都会有很多内容在通过网站，邮件，社交网络发布，比如他们的Pros VS Joes比赛，他们可能会利用TSM来对年度滑手的选拔进行平衡，创造一个真实的读者选择的年度滑手，对Thrasher也是一次考验。
这举动也会给Transworld带来挑战，他们也在统一领域竞争，但是只有非常单一传统的覆盖面，如果Berrics和TSM的合作可以形成，将会给TWS带来冲击，带走广告收益或者至少让TWS开始思考如何改变。
对于那些发家于印刷业的人们，让他们继续从事杂志印刷继续工作，比让他们去卖那些他们根本不关心的产品要好的多。我们所知晓的印刷业已经凋亡，不过印刷并没有完全死去，它们还拥有它的价值，你可以继续在上面登广告。也是品牌传达对消费者讯息的又一条途径。在Berrics庞大的网络基础上，现在又增加的刊物出版，附属网站，以及拥有了TSM的员工，Berrics将会在滑板世界里发挥更大的作用。
From: Jenkem
Words: Anthony Pappalardo
Follow his Instagram: @anthony_pappa or his site Cornered Songs.
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In a classic buy low move, The Berrics now has acquired some portion of The Skateboard Mag. The news broke via a few Instagram posts and this quote from TSM’s co-owner J. Grant Brittain, “We started a new endeavor, The Skateboard Mag is under The Berrics skateboarding umbrella.”
It’s speculated that The Skateboard Mag in print will indeed stay intact, and their website will continue, but instead of just churning out the news, they will be focusing on creating high quality original TSM content.
But there’s more to this than TSM simply shifting over to The Berrics, as the new collaboration potentially opens up a ton of revenue streams for both parties. This acquisition gives The Berrics a valuable digital asset which can help them better allocate their content to either site, and gives them a print outlet, with minimal risk. Having access to a skilled staff of photographers, filmers, and writers from The Skateboard Mag to beef up their already deep staff is huge too. Huge in terms of amplification and opportunity, as The Berrics now has much more to offer brands than just banner ads and video on their already massive site—they now own a print outlet and a secondary website. By buying into a print—a industry on assisted breathing—they can actually make a shit load of cash.
This isn’t just about the Berrics starting, owning, or influencing a magazine, it’s about filling in the holes in their overall content plan. Print exists, so they might as well have a presence, even if it only appeals to a niche audience. After all, if we’ve learned anything from 2014, niche audiences are the new mass market. The Skateboard Mag has always been a bit unconventional and carved out their own voice, so will this new influx of money change what appears on the actual pages of the mag?
Are we going to see really extensive “Battle Commander” profiles/interviews in the magazine now, or will it just have more pages due to more ad revenue? You also have to wonder if Berra’s often polarizing opinions on the skate industry will spill over into the content. Berra’s not shy, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see his views influence TSM—he’s not just going to float money to something and sit back.
Don’t forget, he once called bullshit on the voting behind Thrasher’s SOTY award. Despite not being a public park, The Berrics model is interactive, with a lot of the content coming from the audience via social comments, emails, texts, or even their bodies as with Pros Vs. Joes contest. It won’t be a shocker if they leverage TSM to create a truly reader / viewer selected Skater of The Year and take a little jab at Thrasher in the process.
This also puts the heat on Transworld, as they’re now competing in the same space and only have their business coverage angle and heritage to set them apart. If this new partnership works, it could actually hurt TWS by taking away some ad dollars or at least make them think about aligning themselves differently.
As someone whose career began in print, it’s nice to see another mag stay alive and keep people working, rather than using their skills to sell shit they don’t care about. Print as we knew it is dead, but it’s not totally going away because it has value because you can put an ad on it. It’s another place to deliver a message from a brand. With their already massive website and now the addition of a print outlet, secondary website and access to The Skateboard Mag staff, The Berrics are positioned to be even bigger players in the skate world than most realize.
From: Jenkem
Words: Anthony Pappalardo
Follow his Instagram: @anthony_pappa or his site Cornered Songs.
Daily updates on our Facebook
Get brainwashed on our on Instagram
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