The Awe-Inspiring Brand Equity of Established Publishers
Jan 5th, 2008 by Dan Blank
On a recent outing in New York City, I couldn’t help but notice three buildings in particular, each representing a publishing giant.
The New York Times building is brand new, the Hearst Tower is a new building built on top of the old one, and the McGraw-Hill building (their former headquarters) is vintage art deco.
Standing in the presence of these buildings is somewhat awe-inspiring. You realize the power of these brands, and fully appreciate their place in our lives. It is one thing to have a reputation for quality and serving the community - it is another to see such a massive artifact of what they represent.
As I look at web-only media brands that are gaining authority online, I can’t help but think: will The Huffington Post or Drudge Report have massive buildings like this in the future?
While traditional publishers are faced with new competition on the web and threats to their business model - there is no mistaking the brand equity that they have built in the world. Once they fully leverage it on the web - their authority and influence will only grow.
Dan, it certainly made sense for these big media companies to establish themselves in large buildings in NYC, the heart of it all. And while NY is still considered a media mecca, the truth of the matter is newer media operations are more virtual and find themselves spread out around the world. So no, I don’t think you’re likely to see many with buildings like this in the future. There will be exceptions, of course, but there probably won’t be many.
Joe Wikert
Publishing 2020 Blog (www.joewikert.com)
Kindleville Blog (www.kindleville.com)
Joe… bummer. They are kind of nice to look at!
-Dan