Canada's Word of Mouth Discovery #8 - Spacing Magazine

Welcome to the future of magazine publishing - it's called Spacing.

When I first came across this magazine a couple of years ago - I knew there was something special here. It was passionately built on the backs of volunteers, it had an interesting orientation to public space and it invested just as much resources in "live urban  experiences" and "the web" then merely the printed guide.

Here's the cool stuff about Spacing:
- a worthy cause - using their own words "this city  is a special place — we’re excited by its people and its neighbourhoods, its sidewalks and its graffiti. Spacing is here to help our readers understand and take ownership of Toronto's urban landscape." NOTE: To other notable activists and bloggers, Spacing proves you can rally behind a local grassroots cause without all the unnecessary blustery angst. It shows how the weight of the ideas can effectively outmanoeuvre the blunt force of the critical diatribe. 

- a great idea - subway buttons - the founders of Spacing have been a thorn in the side of the TTC for the massive shortage of thought dedicated to getting people to rally around Toronto's public transit system - this idea of badging each subway station in Toronto and their trademark tiled background in aset of buttons is brilliant and endorsed by our public transit paying mayor. Unfortunately, the TTC blissfully remains unaware and oblivious to the word of mouth potential found in its public transit riders.

- an engaging online forum - well designed and something at all times to keep you interested - online editorial, urban Toronto photos of the day and a Spacing blog

- buzzable experiences - in talking to publisher Matthew Blackett, each magazine issue is launched with a party somewhere in town linking the publishers to their writers to their public space influencers. One of their lead editors Shawn Micallef has also originated a very inventive mobile phone curated tour of public space called murmur which has now expanded to four cities

- conversation worthy editorial - insightful writing that, whether you agree with it or not, makes people think, expands their perspective and gets people to take action or a little more heart with the neighborhoods around them

Intentionally or not (I'm sure they would hate any remote association with most forms of marketing), Spacing is exercising the following laws of "word of mouth marketing":

#11 The Law of the Brand Cult - Spacing harnesses the weight of a tight community of passionate loyalists and gives them a voice and a bullhorn for conversation
#16 The Law of the Badge - if you've walked by someone with a Spacing subway button on their lapel, you immediately know a little bit on how that person thinks
#18 The Law of the Underdog  - I think Spacing and its readers relish the role of the underdog as being frequent the  defender of causes found on the "other side" of development, corporate and commercial interests
#22 The Law of the Category Jumper - although it describes itself as a magazine, Spacing is really a mash up of public activism, cool urban ideas and events, a community of like-minded people and a multimedia platform

With such positive word of mouth associations, perhaps that's why Spacing has been decorated by a who's who of local press, national media and influential global design and press-savvy awards.