Two hundred fifty million Facebookers, 184 million bloggers and 14 million tweeters, that’s a lot of opinions. Some traditional media call these noisy threats, but Vogue’s Editor in Cheif Anna Wintour sings their melodies. Last month Anna was quoted by Fashionista,
“We laude as much coverage on fashion as possible—we don’t care where it comes from,” she says. “But with all the noise, it actually helps Vogue, because we have authority.”
With the magazine industry crumbling, is Anna overly optimistic or are some industries impervious to social media’s leadership qualities?
Vogue’s authority might be in jeopardy as advertisers dive deeper into social media. Marc Jacobs’ “Fashion Victim” Foursquare badge, Jimmy Choo’s London treasure hunt, and Diesels' Facebook connected fitting room cameras show advertisers aren’t just interested in social media, they are signing on to the newest outlets.
So what does this mean for Vogue’s powerhouse editor? Anyone who saw the documentary The September Issue or the film The Devil Wears Prada knows Anna Wintour is one tough cookie. As people continue to Facebook, blog and tweet, Anna is still sitting in meetings with Bergdorf & Goodman or Armani where a single nod or look from her can change the creative and marketing direction for the season.
As long as she is Editor in Chief, Vogue will fight to retain authority and I think, succeed. The fashion industry isn’t impervious, but Anna may be.
What about other special interest categories? Do established media still rule?