How MEL Magazine reimagined the men's magazine for the 21st century

Peruse a newsstand full of men’s magazines and you’ll probably notice a few common themes. The cover either features a bikini model or a suit-clad male celebrity. Inside, you’ll find stories meant to appeal to what many in the mid-20th century would have considered the “ideal” man -- articles about scotch, cigars, and custom suits.

You won’t find many of those kinds of features in MEL Magazine, a digital-only publication that launched in 2015. Owned and operated by Dollar Shave Club, MEL aims its content at the under-40, educated, likely-urban male...a man less inclined to traditional gender roles who is much more in touch with his feelings and spends an inordinate amount of time on the internet.

I recently interviewed editor-in-chief Josh Schollmeyer about how he came to define this 21st century male, where his staff sources its article ideas, and how Dollar Shave Club will profit from its investment in the magazine.