Jason Binn

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Jason Binn
Born Jason Frederick Binn
1968[1]
Roslyn, New York, U.S.[1]
Nationality American
Citizenship United States
Alma mater Boston University[2]
Occupation Publisher
Known for DuJour Media, Ocean Drive Magazine,[2] Niche Media

Jason Binn is an American publisher and entrepreneur known for founding Niche Media  and DuJour Media.[3]Binn helped define, and chronicle, South Beach glam in Florida in the ‘90s with Ocean Drive, which he co-founded in 1992.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

Education

Born to a Jewish family and raised in Roslyn Harbor, New York. He graduated from Boston University’s College Of Communications with honors.

Publishing career

Ocean Drive

Binn began his publishing career at the age of 23 at the advertising agency, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, by moving with $5,000 to his name to South Beach, Miami and co-founded Ocean Drive magazine, a luxury publication focusing on Miami, in 1992. The inaugural issue captured the upscale luxury market created by the fashion boom. Ocean Drive was designed to be a mirror image of its Ocean Drive (South Beach) namesake – “glamorous and gossipy and desperately beautiful,”  with supermodel Claudia Schiffer gracing the first cover. Photographer Francesco Scavullo, best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan and his celebrity “supermodel” portraits, did the Schiffer photo shoot. Subsequent covers featured Christy Turlington Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell.

Niche Media

In 1998, he founded Niche Media, a publisher of regional luxury magazines including Hamptons Magazine (The Hamptons), Aspen Peak (Aspen, Colorado), Boston Common (Boston, Mass), Capitol File (Washington, D.C.), Gotham (New York), Los Angeles Confidential (Los Angeles), Vegas Magazine] (Las Vegas) and Michigan Avenue (Chicago). Under Binn, he and his team created custom publications for Art Basel Miami Beach, Wynn Las Vegas and the Short Hills Mall for the Taubman real estate organization. Niche Media was acquired by GMG in 2007, for what is believed to be in excess of $100M. It operates under the umbrella of Modern Luxury. In 2010 Binn transitioned his role as CEO of Niche Media after the sale, Under Binn, Niche Media grew to have launched 10 major markets, publishing over 80 issues annually across the country, with city specific content, not sharing any content between the titles with local publishers and editors in each market, insuring the publication was unique and hyper-local, and making sure it was tapping into the bold face names who moved the needle in each region and often served as contributors.[10][11]

Gotham Magazine

Binn launched his third publication, Gotham Magazine, in the fall of 2001 with Liv Tyler on the front cover. While publishing a weekly Hamptons Magazine from Memorial Day to Labor Day, he saw that the same audience he was targeting over the summer often had similarly luxurious homes in the New York City area. He studies the marketplace and sees the opportunity, and formed the magazine that services the wealthy New York City dwellers.

Binn personally oversees the distribution of his magazines, aware that rich people everywhere are not the same. He carefully looks into each market and establishes its own sensibility.

BinnShot

Since founding Niche Media and DuJour, Binn has photographed the people and places he celebrates coast to coast through his personal photography titled "BinnShot' that is in published in DuJour and Wireimage, which Binn was one of wireimages first clients. He used his partnership with WireImage to promote his personal photography, archives and BinnShot, which Binn personally edits.

In 2007, Getty Images purchased WireImage, and Binn continued to promote and edit his personal photography through DuJour media’s channels and DuJour Cities section and on Getty's site in a Featured Events section titled "BinnShot.” BinnShot is continuously updated and edited by Binn, which is done for recreation; not for pay or profit.

Capitol File

In 2005, Binn launched Capitol File magazine to capture the wealthy audiences in the Washington D.C. area.

As Washington is considered a top ten market for retail and wealth, Binn believed the strategy would work. Almost immediately, jeweler David Yurman used to spend tens of thousands in ad dollars with Conde Nast. Yet, they signed on early to advertise in Binn's growing chain of upscale magazines, including Capitol File. At the time, Yurman was actively looking for a David Yurman store in Washington and the magazine seemed like the right venue.

The magazine was quick to become a venue for what was happening in the Capitol. Binn created events that brought names such as Robert Redford and has been photographed with Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia.

GILT

In 2010, Binn enlisted Kevin Ryan, the founder and CEO of online luxury retailer Gilt. At the same time, Binn became Chief Advisor to Gilt. In January 2016, Ryan sold Gilt to Hudson’s Bays Company, which includes Saks, Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth. Binn later left Niche Media and became its Chairman.

DuJour

In 2012, Binn founded DuJour Media. It was the first major media launch Binn since he sold Niche Media to GMG in 2006. It is intended to connect with the 1% of the 1% of the most affluent readers, on and off line, and was built on Binn's "ability to become a connector", with Ocean Drive and Niche Media. It was designed from Binn’s unique perspective as an "the intrepid media mogul" with 25 years in the business. Du jour, French for “of the day”, may imply content that concerns itself with the transitory. With the experienced team that Binn hired for the new venture, Binn’s readers and advertisers benefit from his perspective; a deeper understanding of how its audience lives their lives, spend their money, pursue their hobbies, and ultimately driving purchases. Some suggest it is the singular strength of DuJour – It might not just be brand of the day, or of the year, or even of the decade.[12][13][14][15]

To keep up with the wants of readers and advertisers, Binn's model evolved in Fall 2017 leveraging its propriety managed and owned data to extend its social reach, consistently crating its data with a filter check algorithmic formula designed internally, not simply prioritizing zip codes, but using very specific consumer behavioral criteria that are directed to the wealthiest readers, creating newsletters, event activation and integration, along with advertising pages and branded content. DuJour continues to tap into its existing information to use big data to add value to its client base. DuJour uses a more finely calibrated tool for determining a reader's disposable income than homes valued at over $1 Million, net worth, or any of the older means of "flooding wealthy zip codes."[16][17][18][19][20][21]

Praise

Binn has been praised by many for his unique understanding of media and relationships. Mark A. Edmiston, former Newsweek president and AOL board member said, “Watching him work a room was like watching Derek Jeter play baseball.” Benny Shabtai, the President at the time of Raymond Weil watches and owner of DiModolo jewelers, said, "Jason is able to combine image, content and prestige, which is right up my alley.” “Jason has defined a place the publishing giants aren’t interested in, and he works it brilliantly,” said David Carey, President of Hearst Magazines and former Group President of Conde Nast. “There is something very endearing about him — the chutzpah and lack of pretense,” Carey also said. Greg D’Alba, former President of CNN’s advertising division suggested that Binn was a natural at community building. "Jason is a magnet," Jean Zimmerman, former executive vice president of marketing and sales for Chanel's beauty business, said. Binn is said to have a "unique ability to connect to just about anyone," and as a "digital maven."

Entrepreneur Peter Guber, approached Binn to be one of the subjects in his book Tell to Win – Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story.

Guber believes Binn’s model and business acumen is about “context in which you tell a story and Binn colors the story he tells.” Guber explains Binn’s ability to use such color to his advantage. “Binn, has mastered this trick so completely that he’s actually turned story telling context into a multi-million dollar enterprise.” While the rest of the magazine, media industry is plummeting, Binn presides over a successful media company.

He is regarded as close friends with President Donald Trump, President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, Kim Kardashian, Madonna, the Kennedy and Shriver families, billionaires and many others. In 2001, Trump said of him, If everyone whose picture appears in his magazine buys it, he'll have a success. and "that Mr. Binn's Rolodex is bigger than any he knows."

The way he navigates the people, places and issues he deals with, Binn considers himself the Andy Warhol of publishing. * The New York Times referred to him as a latter-day Sammy Glick.

  • Publisher Steven Florio (CEO and President of both Conde Nast Publications) said of Binn He's ambitious, and said He loves the juice, he loves the action, he loves the names.
  • The New York Observer said "Binn mastered the pre-recession game of controlled circulation with luxury titles."

Awards and recognition

In 2005, Binn was profiled in Forbes magazine's "Forbes 400", with the title, “If you're rich and powerful, Jason Binn will track you down—and send you his magazine. “ and was awarded Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the Year."

In 2007, he was the only media member to be inducted into the American Advertising Federation's “Advertising Hall of Achievement”.

In 2008, Binn was listed in Crain’s “40 Under 40” list of successful entrepreneurs.

In 2008, Binn received the Boston University's Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to Profession for his work in the field of communications and media.

In fall 2012, Crain's New York cited Binn as making print magazines successful in a time when print is losing market to digital media.

Personal life

Binn was born Jason Frederick Binn to Moreton I. Binn and Penny I. Binn in Roslyn, New York.

Dr. Penny Binn, while receiving a psychology doctorate from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. and holding faculty positions at Queens and Brooklyn Colleges and at Kingsborough Community College, was a competitive ballroom dancer for nearly a decade. Dr. Binstock was nationally ranked and would regularly be seen dancing with her son atop Rockefeller Plaza at the historic Rainbow Room, which Binn now works with as a client.

Jason took piano lessons and ballroom dance classes so that he could accompany his mother.

Dr. Binn passed away in November 1997. In a long poem he published Hamptons Magazine after her death Jason Binn wrote, “With selfless energy and a loving heart, my mother gave my spirit wings to rise above all to become what I am today… I had an obsession with my mother/ Some say I loved her too much! I loved to snuggle with her in bed (believe it or not until my early teens). My dad would complain that he had no time to spend alone with my mom. My family would jokingly call me little Eddie Rex, as in Oedipus." Binn still tells friends he has never taken a dime from his family since he graduated from Boston University in 1989.

For the July 4th edition of Hamptons Magazine in 1999, Binn made a plea to his readers to support God’s Love We Deliver in honor of his mother’s memory.

His father, Moreton Binn was the Chairman and CEO of Atwood Richards Inc., remarried Marisol Fernandes Binn, and together founded and created XpresSpa.

In the summer of 1999 Binn moved to The Hamptons and spent summers on the East End (Long Island) East End of Long Island, with a kick-start by sharing a 6,000 square foot estate in Southampton with long-time friends, hip hop mogul Russell Simmons, and founder of record label, Uptown Records, and as President/CEO of Motown Records Andre Harrell, with whom Binn also ran parties and events.

He married Haley Lieberman in December 2003. The couple separated in 2016. He resides between NYC and Amagansett, New York.[22]

He is said to have a strict regiment, and programs his time precisely to as to not waste any. He begins his networking with celebrities such as Billy Zane, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dennis Hopper- or whoever he is looking to put in his magazine or photograph – at 7:00 PM sharp, and step by step, he goes though his routine keeping time. He gets home at his self-imposed curfew of 1:00 AM. Binn also self imposes a no-drinking policy, and attends parties "as sober as a Supreme Court justice".

Because of his seemingly cunning ability to find success in magazine publishing, Binn was invited to dine in Condé Nast's cafeteria, with James Truman, S. I. Newhouse Jr. and Steven T. Florio. It caused a stir that he was there.

Bar None

In 1996 Binn opened the “trendy” Bar None in South Beach Miami and began the wave of “Bottle Service”. With investors including Sylvester Stallone, who loaned his artwork that he personally painted to be installed at the venue. Other backers included, Director Oliver Stone, and retired basketball all-star Rony Seikaly. Bar None was the first bar and lounge to open South of Fifth Street, which is now referred to as “SOFI. It is consistent with Binn’s publishing ideals, like his magazines, “small exclusive affluent”.

InList

In August 2016, InList, a nightlife and events booking app, named Binn to its Board of Directors.

Philanthropy

Binn is a board member at Anthony Shriver's Best Buddies International, a non-profit organization benefiting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Binn supports his father and wife's animal rescue league.

Binn is a patron of God's Love We Deliver supporting the Gay Men's Health Crisis Network.

References

[create] Documentation
  1. 1.0 1.1 KUCZYNSKI, ALEX (February 25, 2001). "Building an Empire One Party Page at a Time". New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/25/style/building-an-empire-one-party-page-at-a-time.html. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Goldman, Andrew (1999-05-31). "The Hamptons Menace? Jason Binn Is Everybody's New Best Friend". Observer. http://observer.com/1999/05/the-hamptons-menace-jason-binn-is-everybodys-new-best-friend. 
  3. "JASON BINN'S MIAMI" (in en-US). 2017-02-14. https://marchay.com/blog/jason-binns-miami/. 
  4. "JASON BINN'S MIAMI" (in en-US). 2017-02-14. https://marchay.com/blog/jason-binns-miami/. 
  5. Mohr, Ian (2015-11-03). "Kardashians first in line to get new Blackberry" (in en-US). https://pagesix.com/2015/11/02/kardashians-first-in-line-to-get-new-blackberry/. 
  6. "The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Jason Binn, CEO/Publisher -" (in en-US). https://www.commpro.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/The-Mr.-Magazine™-Interview-With-Jason-Binn-CEO_Publisher.jpg. 
  7. Binn, Jason (2021-06-01). "DuJour Magazine Summer 2021, Jason Binn CEO Letter" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/a-letter-from-the-ceo-summer-2021/. 
  8. Binn, Jason (2017-06-01). "CEO Letter Summer 2017" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/a-letter-from-the-ceo-summer-2017/. 
  9. Binn, Jason (2017-12-23). "Jason Binn Welcomes Readers to DuJour's Winter 2017 Issue" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/letter-from-ceo-jason-binn-winter-2017/. 
  10. "Jason Binn Media Stories | Peter Guber's 'Tell to Win'" (in en-US). 2011-03-22. https://www.peterguber.com/jason-binn/. 
  11. Staff, Forbes MC. "DuJour Media’s Early Success And Jason Binn’s Pivot That Catapulted It To The Top" (in en-US). https://forbes.mc/article/dujour-medias-early-success-and-jason-binns-pivot-that-catapulted-it-to-the-top. 
  12. Johnson, Richard (2016-11-08). "The rich and famous are ready for Art Basel" (in en-US). https://pagesix.com/2016/11/08/the-rich-and-famous-are-ready-for-art-basel/. 
  13. Team, Page Six (2014-09-26). "Sightings…" (in en-US). https://pagesix.com/2014/09/25/sightings-1826/. 
  14. Team, Page Six (2013-12-07). "Steven Tyler, Lenny Kravitz perform at Miami art bash" (in en-US). https://pagesix.com/2013/12/06/steven-tyler-lenny-kravitz-perform-at-miami-art-bash/. 
  15. Team, Page Six (2013-11-27). "We hear…" (in en-US). https://pagesix.com/2013/11/26/we-hear-1440/. 
  16. Binn, Jason (2017-03-01). "A Letter From the CEO: Spring 2017" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/a-letter-from-the-ceo-spring-2017/. 
  17. Binn, Jason (2016-12-01). "Jason Binn CEO Letter Winter 2016" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/a-letter-from-the-ceo-winter-2016/. 
  18. Binn, Jason (2016-09-01). "Jason Binn CEO Letter Fall 2016" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/a-letter-from-the-ceo-fall-2016/. 
  19. Binn, Jason (2016-06-15). "Jason Binn CEO Letter DuJour Magazine Summer 2016" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/jason-binn-ceo-letter-summer-2016/. 
  20. Binn, Jason (2015-12-07). "Jason Binn CEO Letter DuJour Magazine Winter 2015" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/jason-binn-ceo-letter-winter-2015/. 
  21. Binn, Jason (2015-05-07). "Jason Binn CEO Letter DuJour Magazine Summer 2015" (in en-US). https://dujour.com/news/jason-binn-ceo-letter-summer-2015/. 
  22. "Jason Binn Net Worth" (in en-US). 2013-07-23. https://www.therichest.com/celebnetworth/celebrity-business/jason-binn-net-worth/.