Offering much wider coverage throughout the South of England and accessible via iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry as well as laptops, it is thought to be the first time that a digital only version of a regional business publication has been produced in the UK.
Managing director and publisher, David Murray, said: “This isn’t simply a case of providing an online version of our existing magazine, it’s a whole new concept – new design, exclusive new content and a fresh and exciting new look.
“Today’s readers want instant access to their information. While there will always be a role for a print magazine, there’s no doubt that over the next five years more and more people will be reading publications online and on e-readers and we need to respond to that demand. This is a truly groundbreaking move for us and one which we believe is a first among regional business publications.”
Murray calls the new monthly digital edition “publishing without boundaries” and, with geographical coverage expanding to include West London, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, his target is to reach a readership of around 30,000 per month soon after launch.
The first issue will be launched in September, with US company Nxtbook Media providing the specialist digital publishing services behind the new venture. Its sales account manager Amber Stevens said: “The digital-only magazine offers a successful platform for publishers to offer their content on the go and across multi devices.
“This is something that’s already taken off in the US with more and more publishers designing content specifically for the digital experience. The Business Magazine is leading the way for regional business titles, taking a mixture of new content and digital focused design for an entirely new reading experience.”
Contributors will be able to embed video and audio links within the digital magazine, while editorial pages can be expanded to provide multi-level content. Animated adverts will provide a range of different options for advertisers, who will be able to take advantage of sophisticated analytics to monitor readership responses.
With the digital version evolving all the time, a second phase of development will see a dedicated Business Magazine App available by the end of the year.
To view dummy pages for The Business Magazine: Digital, please visit http://www.nxtbook.com/nxteu/elcot/thebusiness/#/1/OnePage
About Elcot Publications
Elcot says: “Elcot Publications, based in Pangbourne, Berkshire, first published The Business Magazine in 1993. Aimed at directors and senior business people, it has a monthly readership of 53,000 with nearly 40,000 visitors each month to its website. It is also on Twitter and Facebook and has its own LinkedIn community. Every year, Elcot Publications organises The Thames Valley Business Awards and The Thames Valley and Solent Deals Awards for the region’s business community and it recently launched the Thames Valley 250, listing the region’s top 250 private companies.”
