RPM Magazine

Website Links

Description

Editors Rant October 2010 TRADITIONAL VS TRENDY First, let me say that I don't appreciate when a writer has their Dictionary and Thesaurus always in hand in an attempt to talk above or mystify his/her readers with their wordsmithing abilities. With that in mind, I will keep this short and to the point. So what is trendy? A word that first started being used around 1962, by definition is; "marked by ephemeral, superficial, or faddish appeal or taste." "Ephemeral" is something of no lasting significance. Trends are generally short lived and we follow them usually because of the influence of either society, peer groups or someone considered famous or a "trend setter". Don't confuse a trend with change due to necessity. Deciding on your own direction based on your own requirements combined with true individual wants is tough. Can we follow a trend on a path to create something original and still not be trendy? I say yes. For RPM we determine direction and style based on the wants and needs or our customers, being trendy is down the list quite a ways Remember the "Pro Street" movement in the performance car world? Who would have ever thought that one would die... but that trend set off an entire new area of the sport which continues to grow today. In our not so distant past was the Pro Touring craze, it is still around but much faded over the past few years. The good ol' hobby of making a car look good and go fast seems to remain a tradition through it all though. The world comesfull circle in almost everything; fashion, haircuts, clothing, habits, even styles of automobiles. The influence of the sixties and seventies styling in cars and trucks of today is proof of that. Society finally got tired of the "round and lifeless" and demanded back "style and presence". At some point it will go back the other way I'm sure. Over the past 11 years with RPM there are a lot of things I have learned about our readers, but the most important I believe is to always have an open ear and listen to them. And, to continue to pay attention to industry trends, react to them, yet not become trendy. Call me a print media purist or someone bent on tradition (in both cars and magazines), or maybe just an Editor who sees beyond our own walls and focuses on what our readers, advertisers and the subjects of our stories actually want and need! Don't be mistaken though, none of these prevent RPM from being cutting edge as far as content, technology and quality go, but when it comes to format, we believe being overly trendy is short lived. Instead, give the people what they want! I personally am all for progress, I just strongly believe in listening to our customers and agree with them that there is great value in history and tradition. In giving you what you deserve in a magazine, something to help entertain you, interest you, along with a product that serves a much more important "big picture" purpose"” to help sustain an industry for many years to come. This is paramount to RPM. For example, when it comes to photographs, we work hard to bring our readers what could be best referred to as the most uncut" version possible.

Companies nearby