Well well! Prairie dog has some more competition! It’s not just QC, the Leader-Post’s ad-poaching, fake-alt-style publication insert anymore. No, now we have Verb too! VERB, people!!!
Backing up: this morning, street boxes for a weekly publication called Verb appeared all over Regina’s downtown. Many/most/all?? of them are chained to traffic light standards, which I’m totally sure the City of Regina is 100 per cent okay with. Because what are the chances that some goofball just dumped ’em off overnight without permission?
So, what is this Verb (that’s “Brev” backwards!) that wants to take a chunk out of prairie dog’s business? Well, it’s been published in Saskatoon for a few years now — I’ve been aware of it since it’s its website went live with a marketing kit that was almost word-for-word the same as our sister paper’s (Planet S). You can take a look here and get an idea of what Verb is all about. I think you’ll find it to be smart, funny, full of editorial integrity and wow, just beautifully-designed overall.
No seriously, look at it. Wow.
This is big news in Regina. I’ve already been interviewed about it by a journalist school student. I’m afraid I might have said a few harsh things — perhaps even the “eff” word! Then again she did gush approvingly that Verb is attractive because it’s “colourful” which might have soured my mood the teensiest, weensiest bit. (And also she may have been trying to get a rise out of me, which is what good journalists do.)
The biggest thing for me? You cannot imagine how much I’m looking forward to seeing which Regina businesses that refuse to advertise in prairie dog will advertise in Verb. Boutique furniture, clothing and audio stores? Crown corporations? Fine dining establishments? Certain unnamed Regina live theatres? This has the potential to be hilarious.
Is Verb the paper that Regina has always deserved but never had (at least since the L-P stopped publishing Kicks)? Is it time for prairie dog to throw in the towel? Comments are below. Let ‘er rip!