Despite the meteoric technological advancement of the last decade, the rules for today’s publishers still remain the same: 1) Concentrate on the needs of your consumer. 2) Keep them at the heart of everything you do. 3) Create the compelling and engaging content they want.
As such, strong content, great franchises and brilliant design develops beyond the paper and ink upon which they are set to create powerful brands and these are well equipped to adapt and face the challenges of today’s digital age.
Strong magazine brands, like Total Film, which has great content, can easily move across platforms. The Total Film iPhone app and website are great examples of that. Brand migration across the various platforms is driven by understanding of what the audience wants and this in turn is inspired by insight, trial and experience. It’s a bold new world and we don’t always have the answer!
In fact, it’s a really exciting time to work in publishing as you can start to explore the relationship with the consumer in a more interactive way. Data, audience segmentation and knowledge of what type of audience you attract and where, have become increasingly more important. Yes, it’s a time of change but change can be a great thing if you see it as an opportunity to create a deeper, richer and more meaningful relationship with the consumer. Yes, there is a battle for their attention with other media but strong content will continue to win the day.
Whether it’s a website such as SFX.co.uk, a live event like the SFX Weekender in February or an ecommerce proposition, these are all different touch points where you can reach your consumer. It’s about chasing eyeballs. It’s about creating brand-centric offerings that capture the hearts and minds of the consumer and makes money.
Allied to this, the opportunity for the advertiser is much more dynamic with the ability to reach the consumer on any platform. Now a publisher can offer the advertiser the chance to advertise not only in the magazine, but online, on mobile, at a live event and within a piece of video.
And let’s not lose our heads, as magazines still remain hugely important. First, they are still one of the main revenue drivers for any magazine publishing business. The editorial teams that work on them create the brilliant content, which can be repackaged and migrated across platforms. And there is no other media that gives you the same tangible experience that a magazine provides, as you settle down to read a beautifully presented in-depth paper product. Magazines appeal to a person’s passion and their decision to immerse themselves in a rich content experience.
Magazines are not going to die, they will evolve, adapt, and innovate – just as they always have and will continue to do so.
