GQ is giving marketers the chance to have 57 “elite readers” promote their brands – if they spend at least $100,000, Ad Age reports. The move represents a concerted effort toward boosting digital advertising revenue.
The GQ57 – so designated because the magazine was founded in 1957 and is turning 57 this year – will tout the brands through social media, content on their blogs and websites, and in print and online ads. Influencers like style blogger Blake Scott, Tumblr standout Tyler Stewart, Men’s Style Pro founder Sabir M. Peele. While they won’t be paid, they will still be “transparent,” according to GQ, as they’ll receive samples, gifts, and even free trips.
“Magazines’ digital ad revenue is forecasted to climb 22.4% to $3.9 billion this year and reach $7.6 billion by 2018. Overall digital ad spending is projected to grow 66% to $194 billion in 2018. Magazine publishers are, for the most part, looking to attract digital budgets,” Michael Sebastian writes.
“GQ has been trying to capitalize on its digital audience in earnest since January 2013, when it started GQ Insider, an online community of readers that work with advertisers on consumer research and, to a lesser extent, marketing campaigns with brands like Gap and Unilever. … GQ57 is an outgrowth of that effort.”
To read more about elite readers promoting GQ ad buyers, visit Ad Age.
[text_ad]
