Dive Brief:
- Sneaker News -- an online publication that calls itself the "CNN for sneakers" -- serves as a shining example of the rise in niche publications of which advertisers are noticing the value.
- Sneaker News has pulled in ad deals with Mountain Dew, ESPN and the U.S. Army, meaning the niche publication's formula isn't going unnoticed by major brands.
- When Nike announced its Spring 2016 Air Jordan lineup nearly a year early Wednesday, Sneaker News was there to help break the story. The site's coverage of previous Air Jordan models have received thousands of visits and shares, according to Founder and Editor-in-Chief Yu-ming Wu.
Dive Insight:
The Internet has completely turned the world of publishing upside down, and among the fresh developments is the rise of industry-specific publications.
Before the rise of online niche publications, hardcore fans didn't have landing pages for must-read news. Per Google Analytics, the site gets 4 million unique visitors and 30 million page views a month. Sneaker News covers, in addition to new releases, in-depth looks at big-name brands and any developments in the space.
“From the beginning, the idea was to make something that operates 24 hours a day. Whenever something is coming in, we want to have something to say and publish it immediately,” Wu told Digiday.
Advertisers are aware of how powerful a loyal fan base can be, and Wu has crafted a formula to both attract "sneaker heads" and top brands. Now that Sneaker News has their attention, the question is, in a market where competitors are cropping up (Sole Collector, KicksonFire), can Sneaker News keep it?
