Keith Clinkscales - Brief Article

An innovator in event marketing.

Keith Clinkscales, president and CEO of Vibe, says that in the fickle young-adult music category, events have been crucial in differentiating Vibe from its competitors. "We see ourselves as a leader, but at the same time we are respectful of the work that Rolling Stone has done because they helped define the genre of music journalism," Clinkscales says. "So we've tried to find new areas to innovate to show ad clients that we're serious in the marketplace."

Under Clinkscales' guidance, Vibe has made some serious inroads; the 600,650-circulation title spearheaded nearly 30 events in 1998, such as club parties and fashion shows. It also lent its name to a multitude of advertiser-hosted functions and held two trade shows. Says associate publisher Len Burnett, "We've become an important brand in urban culture, and a link to the general market- today's young adults."

This influence is most recently apparent in Vibe's latest venture, VibeStyle. Most magazines cover fashion trade shows for a glimpse of the upcoming season's hot looks. In October, Vibe went one step further by sponsoring its own show at New York's cavernous Jacob Javits Center. Apparently, the brand has clout: 8,000 clothing buyers showed up for the event, which included 250 fashion exhibitors.

Cassie Ederer, presence and publicity manager for apparel company Levi Strauss, says VibeStyle, gave her access to their demographic. "[VibeStyle] is in sync with how we want to display our products and who we want to speak to."

Vibe's portfolio of events has not only been a boon for the magazine, it has bestowed a trickle-down appeal on the "urban" category for many advertisers, Burnett adds. For example, a declaration from a media buyer representing Ford Motor Company that Ford "will never advertise in Vibe" inspired Burnett to put together a sponsorship proposal for the Vibe Ride, a promotional vehicle that travels to Vibe events. That sold the auto maker on becoming a regular advertiser.

"We operate in the very competitive area of music and entertainment," says Clinkscales. "We have to show clients that when they work with us, they don't just get ads, they get the ability to create specific custom events.

To get in on a Vibe event, explains Burnett, advertisers must commit to a certain number of pages in the title. He points to the flagship, three-day Vibe Music Seminar, an urban culture trade show for the entertainment, fashion and technology industries, being held in mid-April. To date, VMS has secured about 75 ad pages from six sponsors. Burnett expects 1,200 attendees at $350 to $500 a head. The seminar has contributed to Vibe's ad page growth from 575 in 1994 to 1,168 in 1998.

Now that the brand is cast, Clinkscales says, event marketing is a formula for further innovations. "When we launched Vibe, we wanted to speak to a trendsetting audience," he says. "We've done that, and we can replicate that for all kinds of clients through events."

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