Staying cool is straightforward for a second, however staying related for over 20 years is uncommon. Advanced has carried out it by sticking to a easy formulation: put youth and tradition first, and maintain experimenting.
On this episode of The Pace of Tradition, Matt Britton sits down with Moksha Fitzgibbons, president of Advanced, to learn the way the media firm grew from a scrappy journal into a worldwide media and commerce model, why IRL experiences like ComplexCon matter greater than ever, and the way leaning into know-how and creators retains the model contemporary in a crowded media world.
From surviving the 2008 crash by pivoting to digital, to constructing deep ties with creators, Moksha shares how Advanced retains its edge by specializing in what younger audiences truly care about.
With greater than 20 years within the trade, Moksha has helped form how youth tradition is curated, celebrated, and commercialized. He started his profession at Advanced in 2002, rising from account supervisor to chief income officer over 15 years because the model developed from a print journal right into a digital powerhouse.
After serving as group CRO at Valence Media — house to MRC, Dick Clark Productions, The Hollywood Reporter, and Billboard — he took on the position of president at Advanced, scaling it right into a Gen Z commerce chief via stay purchasing and cultural drops.
His profession displays a constant theme: leaning into change, discovering new methods to attach with audiences, and constructing companies that flip cultural credibility into business impression.
Hearken to Moksha Fitzgibbons on The Pace of Tradition to find out how Advanced has remained the definitive voice of youth tradition by curating deeply, leveraging know-how, and remodeling neighborhood into lasting connections.
Key Takeaways:
[06:04] Depth Over Attain — Many publishers chase mass audiences and find yourself spreading skinny. Advanced selected the other and went deep with youth tradition, even when it meant a smaller footprint. That focus constructed credibility and loyalty sturdy sufficient to fill ComplexCon with tens of 1000’s of followers. The lesson right here is that when a model connects deeply, it doesn’t simply get viewers, it earns a neighborhood.
[09:41] Betting on Youth and Tech — Moksha calls youth and know-how the one constants. Each era of 16-year-olds affords a brand new viewers to develop with, and each new platform is an opportunity to adapt. Advanced’s edge has come from assembly followers the place they already are, from early blogs to TikTok and past. Lacking these shifts, he warns, is how once-dominant manufacturers fade.
[12:12] From URL to IRL — Experiences like ComplexCon, pop-ups, and meals festivals flip on-line fandom into real-world connections. They’re expensive and complicated to supply, however for followers, they really feel like a reward, an opportunity to stay the model collectively. In a digital world, Moksha sees bodily occasions as proof that neighborhood isn’t simply measured in clicks, however in individuals displaying up.
[16:06] Partnerships With Substance — Advanced goes past promoting impressions. Collaborations like a Murakami x MLB capsule in Tokyo or DoorDash’s meals competition integration present how the model combines cultural entry, commerce, and creativity. For companions, it means greater than visibility, it’s impression with followers and even enterprise outcomes, like onboarding high-profile eating places to DoorDash’s platform.
[21:45] AI as Danger and Alternative — AI threatens outdated publishing fashions, however Moksha sees it as a device for velocity and scale. From automating video visuals to streamlining design and authorized evaluation, Advanced makes use of AI to maneuver sooner with out shedding its viewpoint. The wager is evident: authority plus creativity will maintain the model high of thoughts, even in a world the place search seems to be extra like a chat.
[33:17] An Entrepreneurial Mindset — Moksha credit Advanced’s survival to its scrappy roots. The group at all times needed to hustle, there was no countless money cushion. That bred a tradition of iteration, risk-taking, and urgency. His mantra, formed early in his profession: deal with each assembly prefer it’s your final, keep ready, and don’t concern discomfort. Consolation kills; curiosity and urgency maintain you related.
