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Customer & Contract Publishing

Customer publishing is the part of the industry most readers never think of as publishing. Membership magazines, airline and supermarket titles and the content agencies behind them reach millions of people, often with circulations that consumer titles would envy.

The purpose is different too. A membership magazine is usually there to keep members renewing, and a brand title has to show a return for the client paying for it. That creates a running question about independence, and the strongest titles tend to have an editorial identity of their own rather than sounding like the organisation behind them.

If there’s something customers don’t need more of today, it’s content.

Jackie Scully Customer media

The agencies have changed shape around this. They produce fewer print editions and more digital content, and put far more effort into distribution and income generation, while publishers' own branded content studios compete for the same budgets. Print still matters, though. Members continue to rank the magazine among the benefits they value most.

Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on customer and contract publishing, from membership magazines and in-flight titles to content agencies and branded content studios, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.


Essential Resources

Customer media
Best Practice in Publishing

Customer media

We asked Jackie Scully, managing director at Think, what does best practice publishing look like in customer media? This is what she said…

People, passions and places
INTERVIEW

People, passions and places

The National Trust is a treasure trove of historic and beautiful places, and, unsurprisingly, it has a huge membership. One of the benefits of membership is its highly regarded magazine…

The River Group
PUBLISHER PROFILE

The River Group

Content marketing is all the rage, and companies like River, that have been doing it for over twenty years, are highly expert at it. River CEO Nicola Murphy tells Jo Bowman that while quality content is the bedrock of the company, it’s the marketing

Membership publishers wrestle with content conundrum
RESEARCH

Membership publishers wrestle with content conundrum

Content has become mission-critical for many membership organisations. But, Mike Sewell asks, should this valuable asset be regarded as an exclusive member benefit, or used as a marketing tool?

Join the club
FEATURE

Join the club

Lots of publishers are now offering club style membership schemes, looking to generate extra revenue and deeper engagement. Dickon Ross looks at the membership model.

Customer media
The Digital Transformation Journey

Customer media

Ann Hartland, group business and strategy director, Cedar Communications, tells Ciar Byrne about how the customer media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.

Opportunities & Threats: Customer Media
FEATURE

Opportunities & Threats: Customer Media

What does the future hold for customer media? CPL One’s Sarah Simpson, looks ahead.

AOP CRUNCH: Driving growth through branded content
REVIEW

AOP CRUNCH: Driving growth through branded content

Spring hasn’t sprung until CRUNCH takes place, writes Richard Reeves, MD of the Association of Online Publishers, which recently held its first CRUNCH event of the year. The mood was suitably optimistic for a change of season.


All Articles

VeraViews joins CAN
News

VeraViews joins CAN

VeraViews will join the Conscious Advertising Network’s existing 180+ members in working to break the economic link between advertising and harmful content.

13/06/2024

Alastair Lewis appointed CEO of FIPP
News

Alastair Lewis appointed CEO of FIPP

Alastair Lewis has been appointed as the new CEO of FIPP.

11/06/2024

Slaves to the ’Rithm
FEATURE

Slaves to the ’Rithm

Managing search-driven audiences – and the arbitrary changes the big search companies make to their algorithms – is getting harder and harder. Here, Darren Smith, CCO of House of Oddities, shares some of the key strategies you can employ.

By Darren Smith  |  30/05/2024

5th Qtr revamps digital edition with Jellyfish
News

5th Qtr revamps digital edition with Jellyfish

5th Qtr, the membership magazine of England Netball, has chosen Jellyfish to power its new, digital-only magazine offering.

24/05/2024

5 minutes with… Alastair Lewis
Q&A

5 minutes with… Alastair Lewis

Ahead of the 2024 FIPP World Media Congress, we grab five minutes with FIPP MD Alastair Lewis to get his thoughts on the outlook for magazine media.

By Alastair Lewis  |  16/05/2024

Crowdfindervideo launches
News

Crowdfindervideo launches

Founder Simon Elliott says he wants to help publishers produce a high enough volume of video at a low enough cost to serve and grow audiences while attracting sponsors.

02/05/2024

PPA Awards 2024 – shortlist revealed
News

PPA Awards 2024 – shortlist revealed

The 44th PPA Awards will be held on Wednesday 26th June, at City Central at the HAC.

02/05/2024

Acorn launches new website
News

Acorn launches new website

Acorn Web, a magazine printer of short to medium run, A4 and A5, multi pagination, magazines has invested in a brand-new website and company video.

02/05/2024

UK advertising reports £36.6bn spend in 2023
News

UK advertising reports £36.6bn spend in 2023

New forecasts show ad market’s value is set to reach £38.8bn this year and top £40bn by 2025.

30/04/2024

Mark Allen Group appoints Air Business
News

Mark Allen Group appoints Air Business

Mark Allen Group has appointed Air Business as their official event logistics partner.

19/04/2024

Publishing strategy: 5 minutes with… Joanna Levesque
Q&A

Publishing strategy: 5 minutes with… Joanna Levesque

In a rapidly changing world, it’s important to think strategically about your audiences and what you offer them. We ask FT Strategies’ Joanna Levesque for her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing publishers.

By Joanna Levesque  |  18/04/2024

impact.com appoints Nikolai Lundstrøm Brink
News

impact.com appoints Nikolai Lundstrøm Brink

impact.com has hired Nikolai Lundstrøm Brink to lead its efforts in Denmark.

16/04/2024

Industry backs IAB initiative
News

Industry backs IAB initiative

The IAB initiative aims to boost transparency in environmental sustainability.

16/04/2024

ESco appoints new director of product
News

ESco appoints new director of product

ESco has announced the recent appointment of Robert Green as director of product, effective since March 2024.

16/04/2024

Finding new ways to be vital
SUPPLIER CATCH-UP - AIR BUSINESS

Finding new ways to be vital

How vital are you to your customers? If the answer is ‘not very’ or ‘less than before’, then you could be in trouble. That is why, as Air Business’s Adam Sherman tells James Evelegh, it’s important to keep asking the question.

By James Evelegh  |  05/04/2024

814 articles