Tom Branna, Editorial Director06.17.11
Editors Page
JUNE IS ALL ABOUT FINISHING one chapter and starting another—you know, the graduation thing. This time of year always reminds me of those lazy senior days in high school when sports were over, extracurricular activities were finished and, most distressingly, the students and teachers were done…even if the school year wasn’t. Most days, we’d leave campus, ride around for a while and end up at somebody’s parentless house, planning that night’s activities and trading unmemorable salvos, one more nonsensical than the next. But one brief conversation has always remained burned in my memory.The exchange went something like this:
“Dude, how often do you get Sports Illustrated?”
“I have a subscription. It comes to the house once a week.”
“Once a week? How do you have time to read a whole magazine in one week!?”
Back then, I thought my time-challenged friend was an illiterate moron. Now, I realize he may have been prescient. Fast forward nearly 30 years and consumers say that they don’t have time to read weekly magazines—let alone daily newspapers—on a regular basis. On top of that, there’s the siren’s song of cable TV, as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and other sites that siphon away the hours before you realize it.
At this time of year, add to it disrupted schedules and summer vacations, and suddenly, reading a business journal may not seem quite so paramount. That’s why we’ve made it easy for you to keep up with the industry. Sure, we’ve got our monthly issue that is a perfect beach companion, but we’ve also got a website that’s updated with daily news and features, as well as in-depth archives that will keep you coming back for more. And, we’ve got the obligatory presence on Facebook and LinkedIn, too.
Of course, we think this month’s articles will keep you flipping through the June issue. Be sure to check out our coverage of natural materials (p. 65), professional hair care (p. 77), active ingredients (p. 85), and packaging trends (p. 97). These and other articles make for great summer reading.
And what about my friend who couldn’t pick his way through a single issue of SI over the course of 168 hours? Don’t worry, the kid’s all right. He’s an engineer in Virginia, and more than likely getting his sports news from ESPN.com!
Wherever your travels take you over the next couple of months, we hope you enjoy this issue of HAPPI. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.
tomb@rodpub.com