Eastmans’ Hunting Journal is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It has been a long road and we have seen a ton of companies grow along with us and a few that were not so lucky – this industry can be tough at times. The consumers or average hunters are different than any other segment of our society. They are very passionate and educated about the sport and gear. They spend more time in their research in studying hunting areas, animal behavior and most importantly to you, gear, than any other sport. The average western hunter has several thousand dollars of gear on him when he leaves the trailhead. The western market is the trend setter for the hunting industry because if it works in our extreme environment it will work anywhere.
Helping these hunters do the necessary research is where Eastmans’ has been the leader in the western market. We started the magazine to help hunters become better outdoorsmen, teach them how to hunt and take that trophy of a lifetime, and give them a platform to share their stories with other hunters. This has propelled us to be the biggest western hunting magazine. In fact, we are larger than all the other western magazines combined, almost three times the size of number two.
The subscribers of Eastmans’ have paid a premium to be in this group. The average subscription price paid is $40. That’s almost four times the mainstream magazine price and shows a dedication/investment to the information we provide. This audience has been so avid that EHJ has been the launching pad for some of the industry’s game changing brands. These brands have changed entire market segments, such as clothing, backpacks, weapons, and optics to name a few.
This audience also shares the Eastman family values and hunting ethics. That is why we are very careful about what we allow in our magazine. We only allow the best stories, articles, and a select number and type of advertising. I never want anyone to be offended or embarrassed to read or watch an Eastmans’ product. This is the reason that tobacco, alcohol, male enhancement drugs and the like are not allowed to advertise. They have thrown huge numbers at us to brake into this market, but I want kids to be able to thumb through and not worry if they are being influenced by those products or offended by them.
So how does 25 years of Eastmans’ help you, the advertiser, reach out to the western market? We have our ears and eyes constantly on the market and our subscribers trust everything they read and watch from us. We wouldn’t have made it this long if we weren’t the most trusted name in the western hunting market. This, in turn, gives your company piece of mind that when you are spending your marketing dollars with us, you are hitting the most passionate, most dedicated, and most discerning audience the hunting market has to offer.
We are looking forward to the next 25 years in continuing our partnerships with many of you. We’ll see you at the shows this winter and have a great fall hunting season!
