■ About the Publication

Magazine B is an ad-free monthly publication that dedicates each issue to one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe. The magazine introduces the brand’s hidden stories, as well as its sensibility and culture, and is an easy but also serious read for anyone with an interest in brands.

■ About the Publisher

JOH & Company is a creative company founded in April 2011 by Suyong Joh, former Director of Creative Marketing & Design at NHN. He oversaw and directed the construction of NHN Green Factory, which is the headquarters of NHN, the company that has earned domestic and international reputation as “Google of Korea.” He also created a sensation in the publishing world when he compiled the construction process in a publication, Green Factory. Currently, he leads JOH & Company, a group of creative directors that he has brought together from various fields, and he is conducting complex projects encompassing architectural design, brand consultation, interior, food & beverage service, and product design, based on his own experience. The first fruit of such endeavor is magazine B.

■ About the Issue

When I was first planning B, I thought Patagonia would be the perfect brand for the magazine to profile. The purpose behind Patagonia’s existence, the role it plays in society, its ethical philosophy toward manufacturing and marketing, and the stories of the employees in a place where work and life coexist─all of these things suggest something very different from the usual messages contained in management and marketing books. But Patagonia has proven itself through its growth, convincing me that only a company like Patagonia can win respect from
its workers and customers, and put down roots in society. The brand’s famous advertisement telling readers to not buy new Patagonia products offers insight into the thoughts of the brand, which barely engages in advertising anyway.
At a glance, Patagonia’s philosophy seems anti-profit, but it also makes us realize how strong, and how precise, the business fundamentals behind the company’s success must be. Chouinard spends one whole chapter of his book on his financial philosophy. He says we need to recognize that there is an elaborate and invisible management system behind every company engaged in social responsibility activities. By visiting founder Yvon Chouinard and Patagonia at the place where they work beside a Ventura beach, we could see that they are actually practicing the philosophy B’s staff and I had felt from a distance. The things we saw there─the employees closing up the office to surf when the waves are good, the day care center as large as the Patagonia offices─convinced
us that what Patagonia offered its employees went beyond simple corporate benefits to fulfill the philosophy behind Patagonia’s foundation. To see second-generation employees, who are working with pride at the place where their parents used to, gives a sense of pure, impassioned strength that cannot be felt from profit-oriented companies. I hope that energy can be felt through this issue of B.