It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad Mag World

The ski and snowboard print media, long one of the chief resources for readers and advertisers alike, has gone through many changes in the past few years, from Snowboarder’s broadened scope to Freeskier’s redesigned website. To help sort it all out, SAM asked the executives and top editors at the leading magazines to describe their audiences and their strategies for growing their readerships, the sport, and ultimately your market share as a resort advertiser.

Some common threads? Whether the book is produced by a mega media corporation or a bare-bones “boutique” outfit, an enhanced Web presence has become a vital complement to the print products. Corporate partnerships and event sponsorships are also viewed as key components of the marketing package. But there are wide differences in how each company defines and pursues its market. Here’s how the publishing execs themselves describe it. Starting at the top.