The time was late 2008. The recession had hit hard, and people were feeling the effects worldwide. One such company was a Slap Magazine. In publication since 1992, Slap Magazine was a publication run by skateboarders for skateboarders. However, as 2008 rolled around, they found it was becoming harder to compete with industry giants such as Transworld Media. They decided then to stop print production of the magazine, and instead focus on the growing Internet community of skateboarders.
Slap Magazine now exists entirely online. Generating large amounts of traffic through their extensive message boards, video content, and promotional giveaways, they are able to sustain their business model through ad revenue and merchandise sales. But the biggest difference is the green effect they have had on the business, a positive externality of this transition.
The magazine publishing industry consumes vast amounts of resources, in terms of paper production, inks, and energy. On top of this, shipping thousands of these magazines around the world consumes even more energy, emitting huge amounts of CO2. Switching to an entirely Internet based format has eliminated all of this.
It’s interesting seeing some companies desperately trying to jump on the green bandwagon, only to lose credibility through greenwashing, spinning, and poor practice. It’s even more fascinating when companies such as Slap find themselves on a greener path of business, purely by coincidence.
The time was late 2008. The recession had hit hard, and people were feeling the effects worldwide.
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