PR Play

Ever since I was legally old enough (is there such an age?) to subscribe to magazines, I’ve been a glutton. I love them and the stories, topics, trends, photos, personalities, across a huge spectrum of industries, they deliver. And they’ve always — even today — been a screaming bargain as subscriptions are a pittance of the cost of production and distribution.

This fascination has not waned. In fact, it has only intensified as our business success depends on knowing what’s going on in consumer and business trends and trying to apply these trends to our customer needs. I pride myself on not being myopic too, as perusing magazines from a mix of industries, appealing to many vertical audiences, sharpens my senses for trends applicable in different disciplines. So each month, Utne Reader, Money, Worth, Fast Company,

Fortune, Governing, Cooks, Surfing (hey, I’m being a good uncle as my nephews are on the pro tour) and others land in the mailbox. At work, a flurry of PR and client trade magazines hit the desk also as we must, to be effective, try to stay current, or on good days, a step ahead of our clients.

Each has something of interest to offer. My latest best read is Fortune Small Business, and not just because they featured a couple recent clients, CEO Challenges and Pedal to Properties. Fortune Small Business is applicable to both our small business and our clients’ world, many of whom are risk-taking entrepreneurs who seem to grow despite the economy. Bottomline: if you dont’ already, subscribe to a publication or two — even far-flung-outside-your-arena pubs such as Surfing. For less than $15 and a dozen issues a year, you’re guaranteed to see one design, idea or topic that could be applied to your field.