How (and why)Vice Media became successful

If you’re a fan of Vice Media, then this piece may be for you. If you have never heard of Vice Media, then this piece may still be for you.

In comparison to other media platforms, Vice is definitely an outlier. In particular, it is sarcastic, edgy, free-spirited, thought-provoking, and places an in-your-face ethos. In other words, it is very unusual. Simultaneously, though, it’s very unique, authentic, and unconventional.

Beginning in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi started Vice in newsprint as the Voice of Montreal, a free monthly culture magazine. From there, as the magazine became more sophisticated, it moved to New York City, where business continued to operate.

From the start, Vice was not as big and successful as it is now. In addition to its culture of hard work, Vice was known for its free flow of ideas, flexibility, and its quick and entrepreneurial approach to business ideas. From my experience, what Vice embodied is rarely observed and practiced in typical corporate culture.

Its business model involved unique and, as previously mentioned, edgy content. Unlike traditional news media, Vice’s character-driven and emotionally transparent approach prompted storytelling. In particular, “that allowed the 18- to 34-year old demographic to relate to the facts in a way that was not available in mainstream media. Vice’s experiential approach was also well-suited for social media. Thus, many young people connected with Vice better than with the mainstream media” (Alvi 3). As a matter of fact, I did too. On Instagram, if there’s one social media account worth scrolling, it is Vice.

Vice emerged onto the digital media platform at the right time. It did not just create edgy content, but it also displayed some of the most fascinating documentaries. And, “as the company diversified into creating video content for the Internet, the business model evolved concurrently” (Alvi 5).

It developed a niche presence, because that was the way financial solvency could have readily been achieved. Richard Szalwinski, software millionaire founder of Discreet Logic, bought Vice for $4 million. By 2002, Vice began its international expansion to various countries. In addition, to its international expansion, it launched a record label, Vice Music. By 2006–2007, Vice had its first experience in creating video content by forming its own travel guide. Instead of traditional advertising, Vice established an in-house agency so to work with brands more efficiently. In terms of organizational structure, “Vice aligned its organization structure with business strategy, thereby improving its business outcomes” (Alvi 7). In 2012, Vice developed into a strong brand, which contributed to it starting a growth-through-acquisitions strategy.

In regards to global strategy, “Vice prioritized connections with individuals who could transmit the Vice ethos in another culture” (Alvi 8). Although Vice’s global expansion plan had five phases, none of them were backed up by formal market research. However, it still “provided an outlet that united global youth sub-culture” (Alvi 9). This not only united the global youth sub-culture, but it also educated it. From my own personal experience, there have been times where I’ve actually learnt a lot more from Vice than I had in high school, and during my undergraduate studies. Not to say that higher education isn’t useful, but Vice is definitely out there to turn the global youth sub-culture into a much smarter one.

I believe Vice’s future global growth will continue to evolve, and succeed. Vice isn’t there to create an image of cultural imperialism. Rather, it is there to consistently achieve its goal, which is to create authentic content and tell stories. “By the end of 2013, Vice’s strategy was to become the largest youth media platform in the world, and the company had a plan to make it happen” (Alvi 11). And, it all worked out better than expected. Throughout the years, global audience has grown a lot more steadily. With an increasing number of digital media platforms (e.g. social media), the global youth sub-culture has gained more access to Vice than ever before. “It had taken 19 years of building on unique competitive advantages to establish a global youth media brand that was becoming an alternative to the mainstream media” (Alvi 11).