Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Outdoor Life Magazine Company History

Outdoor Life Magazine History


Address:
2 Park Ave FL 10
New York, NY 10016-5604
United States

Telephone:  (212) 779-5000
Toll Free:  800-365-1580
Fax: (212) 779-5109
www.outdoorlife.com

Statistics:
Private Company
Incorporated:  1898
SIC Code: 5192, Books, Periodicals, and Newspapers
NAIC:  424920, Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers

Company Perspectives:

Outdoor life is the go-to magazine for sportsmen who aim to enhance their hunting and fishing skills. The magazine provides practical guidance and useful information in every issue. The magazine provides sportsmen with everything they need to know in order to be successful in their areas of interest. Every issue comes with adventure stories and true tales from the wild.

Key Dates:
  • 1898: Outdoor Life was launched in Denver, CO, by J.A. McGuire.
  • 1934: Outdoor Life transferred its offices to New York City.
  • 1967: Time Mirror purchased Outdoor Life from Popular Science Publishing Company.
  • 2007: Time Warner sold Outdoor Life to Bonnier Corporation
Company History:

Outdoor Life magazine history was first launched in January 1898 with J.A. McGuire as the editor-in-chief.  The magazine was primarily designed to be a resource for sportsmen. The writers were also sportsmen who were experts in all sorts of outdoor activities. At present, Outdoor Life is among the leading magazines that deals with fishing, hunting, camping and survival.

The first Outdoor Life issue was quite remarkable. It was about the moose hunt in Alaska and relevant topics about Native Americans. The launch was considered to be successful with popular sections that included Trap and Target, Photography, In the Game and Field. Outdoor Life has been a very innovative publication since it was first launched. The very first entries in the photography section were in black and white. The first color cover surprised readers in 1906.

Outdoor Life made a major transition when it transferred to its new location in New York City from its headquarters in Denver in 1934. It remains there today. Popular Science Publishing Company owned Outdoor Life for many years. However, the company sold it to Time Mirror in 1967. Time Inc. bought Outdoor Life in 2001. Bonier Corporation then purchased Outdoor Life along with other publications from Time Warner in 2007.

Outdoor Life has remained true to its purpose since its inception. It provides a reliable source of information for outdoorsmen.  However, the editorial coverage ensures that readers can also get the latest developments in related fields such as motor vehicles, aviation and boating. Moreover, Outdoor Life has become the home of some popular contributors. From 1918 to 1932, Zane Grey was a frequent contributor. He was a big game fisherman and a popular adventure writer. In 1935, Ernest Hemingway was a part of the magazine’s special coverage issue. An Outdoor Life writer accompanied him on a marlin fishing trip in Cuba. Other famous Outdoor Life Magazine contributors include Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart and Clark Gable.

Outdoor Life Magazine Media and Recognitions

The Outdoor Life Network cable channel was awarded a broadcasting license in 1996. The network de-emphasized programs about hunting and fishing. The Outdoor Life Network changed its name to Versus. However, the name Outdoor Life Network remained the same in Canada.

J.A. McGuire presented the very first Outdoor Life Conservation Award to individuals who accomplished the greatest good for the many sportsmen in the country. The first recipient of the award was Jimmy Carter. In addition, the Outdoor Life Conservation Pledge came to life in 1946. Major changes and revisions in the criteria were made in 2006. Al Gore and Harry Truman were among the famous people that signed the pledge.  The pledge says, “I pledge to protect and conserve the natural resources of America. I promise to educate future generations so they may become caretakers of our water, land, air and wildlife.” PETA has been watchful over the magazine’s editorial content as it deals with nature and wildlife. The magazine has also been critical of anti-hunting groups and animal rights groups.

Outdoor Life Magazine at Present

Outdoor Life magazine is published monthly.  There are about 753,883 estimated total copies released every month that reach a broad spectrum of readers all over the country. A recent survey says that frequent readers and Outdoor Life subscribers are mostly travelers and people who live an active and healthy lifestyle. Recent statistics revealed that 63 percent of the readers are male and 37 percent are female. A majority of the readers hold college degrees. Recent issues include two special winter editions that featured articles and tips on skiing, ski fashion, ski industry news and famous ski destinations.

Outdoor Magazine considers itself as a truly innovative magazine. With this, it has come out with a new digital iPad edition. Now, readers will not only get access to this famous magazine through their computers or at the newsstand. They can have access to it on their iPad wherever they go.

Recent Retail Partnership

Bonnier Corporation has brought Outdoor Life into the clothing industry through its retail partnership with Sears. With this, Outdoor Life has now become a clothing brand for men.  According to Bonnier Chief brand Development Officer Sean Holzman, this recent move aims to promote the title and its associated properties. Over 800 retail locations around the country will soon stock the Outdoor Life clothing brand.

The brand will be sold through the Sears site. Outdoor Life products will include thermal crews, cotton flannel shirts, Henley shirts, cotton canvas cargo pants, hooded fleece zip jackets and other items for outdoor activities. The partnership is a big part of Outdoor Life’s expansion plans. The upcoming issues of Outdoor Life magazine will include advertisements that encourage readers to shop at Sears locations. Outdoor Life clothing will be exclusively distributed by Sears. The revenue shared between the two companies is yet to be disclosed. However, both companies are looking forward to driving customers back and forth to their sites and generating heavy traffic.  The launch of this clothing line will start in September of 2012. The clothing products promise to provide comfort, quality and utility for all outdoor enthusiasts and sportsmen.

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