Customer publishing: The “25 minute medium” that works

Keith Grainger, chief executive at Redwood, explains why the latest ABC release has overthrown speculation that ‘print is dead’ and why marketers are still seeing the value in customer magazines…

The past year has no doubt been a challenging time for the publishing sector. With new media and vast technological advancements continually taking shape, the print industry has certainly felt the effects, and with limited budgets in place, publishers have had to innovate faster than ever.

However, the latest ABC results have certainly overthrown the speculation that ‘print is dead’. Although most industry outsiders probably expected to see a decline in the circulation of magazines across the board, and at best a stable positioning, the consumer magazines release has actually shown that print is still thriving and remains the number one medium of choice.

The recent ABCs reflect both the growth and lack of stagnancy in the magazine market, particularly in the customer publishing sector. In the top 10 alone, there were eight customer magazines, one more than the last release, and in the top 20 there were 12 customer titles. In fact, the latest figures highlight that the industry now represents over half (53%) of the top 100 magazine circulations in the UK. In a world of e-zines, social media, online videos, websites and apps, this is certainly a promising result and shows that marketers are still considering print as a valuable medium for investment.

Understandably, the recession has meant that the last year has seen a difficult time for brands, but the ABCs reflect that now, more than ever, marketers are relying on customer magazines to retain and grow their customer base. As well as the positive ABC results, this is also reflected by the host of new launches we’ve seen this year.

The strongest performer, Tesco Real Food, which launched in March, flew in at number eight in the ABCs, which was closely followed by John Lewis’ first ever title, John Lewis Edition and Waitrose Kitchen. Again, a sign that despite massive pressure on marketing budgets, marketers are still seeing the value in the medium, and the results are a testament to the effectiveness of work produced by the top customer publishers.

The main appeal of customer publishing is simple: it works. Often referred to as the ’25 minute medium’, it has been proven to enhance the level of engagement between a brand and consumer, and act as a catalyst for loyalty and sales. Crucially, customer titles give customers what they want – content that encapsulates the brand, whilst at the same time providing entertainment and relevancy to the readers’ life. And for brands? It offers a great opportunity to portray their ethos and underlying messages, whilst giving consumers a tangible product to spend time perusing.

Marketers need to keep consumers on their side, particularly in what is now a hugely competitive environment. Brands can’t afford to see customers turn their back on them and, as such, need a tool which talks the customers’ language and makes them fully aware of the breadth of products and services. It’s time to exceed customers’ expectations, which means giving them something back, and ultimately rewarding them by giving them something they value.

However, customer publishing isn’t just restricted to print. Mintel research commissioned by the APA reflected that in 2009 integrated and stand-alone digital projects accounted for 10% of all customer publisher work, which has certainly risen this year.

Essentially, brands increasingly recognise the need to engage with customers on the customers’ terms, where and when the customer wants to engage. This means selecting the right channel for the right audience, whether this be e-zines, magazines, websites or videos. The key is to pick the right fit to fully encapsulate your brand and satisfy the needs of the audience, with an editorial approach which is effective across all channels.