The latest ABC figures have again proven that the customer publishing sector is going from strength-to-strength. With 12 customer magazines in the top 20, eight in the top ten and the industry now representing over half (53%) of the total circulation of the top 100, the results reflect that despite significant budget cuts, there is a clear appetite for branded content in the marketing industry.
Although the ABCs demonstrate there is still a high demand for print, the rise of digital has had a massive impact on the customer publishing market. With the iPad, smartphone and social networking all becoming incredibly popular, there is no avoiding the need for investment in these channels. Now a major revenue stream for branded content providers, web design, e-zines, mobile apps, podcasts and video have all become part of the offering. In fact, customer publishers are now leading the way in the digital sphere, mainly because of their ability to translate their skills across any channel and format.
As the market becomes increasingly overcrowded and competitive, there has never been a more important time for brands to provide an offering that is unique, entertaining and above all engaging for their customers. Far too often organisations will follow the trend and produce a Twitter feed because everybody else is, or a Facebook page because their competitor is. The consequence of such activity is often poorly thought out campaigns that do little to support the overarching brand, its ethos and messaging. The key is to communicate through the right platform for your individual audience.
It is no longer enough to ask a web builder or creative consultant to design and provide content for a website or an app, a successful offering needs a specialist – editors and copywriters that can embody the brand through the most effective and appropriate channel. It is only by hiring these specialists that brands can truly identify the right approach for their customers and provide the value-driven content that not only encourages but maintains the dialogue between a consumer and the brand, whilst also providing results from a transactional perspective.
As consumers demand more, brands must react and provide them with accessible content through the innovative channels that audiences are now tapping into. There is more pressure than ever for brands to be savvy and creative in the way they engage with existing and potential customers. No longer is it enough to just provide content through one channel, consumers want choice and they now expect to have access to brand communication on their terms, through whatever channel best suits at that particular moment in time.
Understandably each brand has entirely different objectives and a completely different audience, but what they all share in common is the need to engage with consumers. As the technological world evolves and brands strive to innovate and stand out amongst the crowd, the time has come for brands to be experimental and test the waters with content in new territories. It’s no longer enough just to be bold and brave, brands need to be bold, brave and effective in their bid to personalise connections and encapsulate a brand in this highly innovative, fast-moving multimedia world.
