Rolling Stone Magazine's Creative Promotion

i am extremely impressed with a line of tote bags i just saw on the rack from rolling stone magazine. the bags feature famous covers from their long, colorful history and easily stand out from the pack at the store. in addition to being an attractive product, this line recalls the nostalgia in their brand and would provide a great boost for sagging magazine sales. imagine my surprise when i grabbed for the tag and not only saw a ridiculously low sticker ($9.00!) but also an offer for a 12-issue annual subscription – included with the purchase! all i had to do was fill out the card to tell them where to send it! further inspection revealed a partnership with a company that produces apparel. it’s definitely smart to cooperate and mutually benefit from such a venture than to move too far from your core business. not sure if they have diversified in other ways, but i know they can’t thrive on the magazine alone. more companies should get innovative like this. i bet these bags are selling very well!