Saltwater GIRL - Defying the odds

"It's a real David and Goliath type story," says Saltwater GIRL publisher John McCarthy. "Here we are, a small Durban-based publishing house without the heavy marketing muscle and international backing that our competition enjoys, and yet our edgier content and unique positioning has seen us once again emerge as the South African market leader in the teen female publishing industry. We're stoked!"

Saltwater GIRL was born out of Atoll Media's unique insight into the dynamics of the youth market. As the publishers of Zigzag and blunt magazines, Atoll Media realised the key factor, when dealing with the youth market, is positioning and set about creating a cool and credible publication that provided authentic comment on the aspirations, hopes and interests of a very active and dynamic consumer group - that of the affluent teenage girl. Packaged in a user friendly format, with a relaxed but confident editorial tone and an amazing selection of lifestyle imagery, Saltwater GIRL soon broke all the rules about what was and wasn't possible in youth publishing circles and enjoyed a 582% circulation growth in three years!

"Saltwater GIRL has never been interested in being the circulation leader," continues McCarthy. "Our aim is to be the most influential, and that, we believe, has been the fundamental key to our success. Our circulation growth has been a bonus and we can now offer our advertisers better value, but the real power of Saltwater GIRL still lies in the relationship between the magazine and its readership."

It's a realisation that slowly seems to be dawning on South Africa's more conservative marketing and advertising industries - that mainstream isn't necessarily where it's at anymore. The past few years have seen a trend towards more niche titles, both locally and internationally. There has also been an incredible boom in the lifestyles that Saltwater GIRL reflects - extreme sports, beach and street culture, and alternative music. And while the South African youth have been privy to this and began turning to the alternative, a large portion of the South African marketing industry has lagged.

"Brands that have been on the ball have evolved with the development of these lifestyles and are reaping the rewards, while those that haven't find themselves still puzzling over the 'mystery of the youth market,'" says Sims.

"Most of the magazine's content is based on direct experience with our readership, rather than distant second-hand research, and the lifestyle portrayed mirrors our own," says editor Lari Brown.

This organic approach has kept Saltwater GIRL real, and the result is a publication that young women continue to turn to because they trust it. "This is the secret to successful communication with the youth market," says Sims, "influence the cool kids and they in turn will influence everyone else."