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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

Poool raises €4 million
News

Poool raises €4 million

Poool have announced that they have raised €4 million to support digital content producers in converting, managing and retaining their members and subscribers.

26/09/2022

Publishers’ digital revenue up in Q2 2022, reports AOP and Deloitte
News

Publishers’ digital revenue up in Q2 2022, reports AOP and Deloitte

AOP and Deloitte say that total digital publishing revenue was £154.8million in Q2 2022, with 50% of respondents reporting positive growth.

26/09/2022

PPA 30 Under 30 2022 – winners announced
News

PPA 30 Under 30 2022 – winners announced

The winners of the PPA 30 under 30 have been announced, celebrating young talent in the industry.

23/09/2022

BPA Worldwide acquires VSef
News

BPA Worldwide acquires VSef

BPA Worldwide has announced the acquisition of digital events data standards group, VSef.

15/09/2022

Poool and Edisound announce partnership
News

Poool and Edisound announce partnership

Poool and Edisound have established a product partnership which aims to convert podcast listeners into members and subscribers.

07/09/2022

Fixing digital advertising: 5 minutes with… Tom Bowman
Q&A

Fixing digital advertising: 5 minutes with… Tom Bowman

Digital advertising makes a large part of the publishing world go round, yet market complexities prevent the system working optimally. We grab five minutes with multilocal’s Tom Bowman to ask how digital advertising could be made to work better.

By Tom Bowman  |  25/08/2022

Research shows changes to the brand-consumer relationship
News

Research shows changes to the brand-consumer relationship

A study by impact.com, in partnership with WARC, has examined how the pandemic-driven growth of influencer marketing has accelerated influencers’ role in the consumer journey.

24/08/2022

Adnami secures series A funding
News

Adnami secures series A funding

The investment is designed to accelerate Adnami’s growth as it continues its aim to improve the effectiveness of digital advertising.

24/08/2022

Paper management: 5 minutes with… Nick Stevens
Q&A

Paper management: 5 minutes with… Nick Stevens

Paper wastage remains a significant cost in magazine printing. We grab five minutes with Paperman’s Nick Stevens to see what publishers and printers can do to reduce it.

By Nick Stevens  |  18/08/2022

CPL joins forces with Century One
News

CPL joins forces with Century One

CPL have announced that they are combining with content marketing agency Century One to form CPL One Group.

15/08/2022

Acast announces winners of Amplifier programme
News

Acast announces winners of Amplifier programme

‘Stacked’, ‘Memories From The Dancefloor’ and ‘Call Me Disabled’ podcasts have been announced as winners of Acast’s Amplifier programme.

12/08/2022

VeraViews announces integration
News

VeraViews announces integration

VeraViews has announced that it has delivered a third-party developed ad-support plugin for the Brightcove Web Player.

12/08/2022

impact.com announces appointment of Ning Wang
News

impact.com announces appointment of Ning Wang

impact.com, a partnership management platform, has announced the appointment of Ning Wang to its board of directors.

10/08/2022

Some takeaways from our July / August issue
COLUMN

Some takeaways from our July / August issue

James Evelegh picks out some takeaways from the July / August issue of InPublishing magazine.

By James Evelegh  |  04/08/2022

Acast announces ad sales agreement
News

Acast announces ad sales agreement

Acast announces a further ad sales agreement with The New York Times — including “This American Life” and “Serial”.

04/08/2022

814 articles