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.
We asked Jackie Scully, managing director at Think, what does best practice publishing look like in customer media? This is what she said…
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…
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
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?
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.
Ann Hartland, group business and strategy director, Cedar Communications, tells Ciar Byrne about how the customer media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.
What does the future hold for customer media? CPL One’s Sarah Simpson, looks ahead.
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.
B2B, specialist & academic publishers have a golden opportunity to provide their communities with must-have intelligence through blending their data with expert analysis and commentary, as 67 Bricks’ Will Bailey & Jennifer Schivas tell James Evelegh.
Ahead of this year’s PPA Festival, taking place on 23rd April, we grab five minutes with PPA CEO Sajeeda Merali to get her thoughts on the state of the publishing sector.
67 Bricks have been named as finalists in the 2024 British Data Awards in two categories - Consultancy of the Year and SME of the Year.
AOP and Deloitte’s latest Digital Publishers’ Revenue Index shows growth in subscription, audio, and sponsorship revenues for publishers, offset by drop in display advertising.
The partnership aims to help Avid’s partners to measure the impact of campaigns and understand brand uplift across the marketing funnel.
Atex, in partnership with Babelscape, has introduced a new AI text analytics and smart tagging module for publishers in its AI-powered publishing platform.
Qonqord, a specialist in streamlining content creation and publication processes, has announced the full integration of Evolved Media Solutions into its corporate structure.
Fieldsports Press have chosen Jellyfish to power the digital editions of their growing portfolio.
The PPA and Air Business have announced the extension of their strategic partnership for the 15th consecutive year.
esbconnect appoints John Ball as sales manager and Jake Ness as client solutions director.
This year’s co-chairs of the AOP’s Digital Publishing Awards, The Telegraph’s Karen Eccles and Arc’s Jonathon Whiteley, answer our questions about digital trends and the upcoming awards.
Will 2024 be a successful year for you? If you follow Jim Bilton’s advice, it could well be…
If your digital edition is not delivering a compelling user experience, says eMagazines’ Blake Pollard, you need to think again.
What does the future hold for customer media? CPL One’s Sarah Simpson, looks ahead.
Whatever the rest of 2024 holds, two things are certain. Firstly, the bumpy economic ride will continue. Secondly, the need for media companies to have a broad base of revenue streams has never been more important or more challenging to achieve.
