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.
Affordance, magazines as a community and lessons from the past were among topics discussed at Mapping the Magazine 5 – an international conference hosted by Columbia College in Chicago. Mary Hogarth, who also presented a paper, reports.
The 2018 British Society of Magazine Editors Awards were held last night at The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane Hotel.
Air Business has joined forces with Illustrated London News, the publisher behind the first illustrated newspaper, to provide timely domestic and international delivery services.
UK advertisers spent £6.4bn on digital advertising in the first half of 2018, according to the latest results of the IAB UK and PwC Digital AdSpend report.
LID Publishing has been appointed to the Catalyst and Exchange account, the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) announced yesterday.
James Evelegh's editorial from this week's edition of InPubWeekly.
Air Business’ new Head Office and chief distribution centre, based at Hatfield Business Park in Hertfordshire, is now officially open for business.
Despite the trend to digital, publishers still get through a lot of paper, but are they making the right choices? We grab five minutes with Danny Doogan, director of marketing and sustainability at Denmaur Paper Media.
Archant Dialogue has been appointed by Burgess to publish Burgess Magazine, an exclusive annual superyacht living and style publication.
The 38th annual PPA Awards were held tonight, June 27, at Grosvenor House, with 800 guests in attendance.
Hearst UK yesterday announced a new content creation and publishing partnership with O2 for its in-store magazine.
Archant Dialogue has announced the relaunch of the Bentley Magazine for Bentley Motors, in June 2018.
The British Society of Magazine Editors’ Talent Awards were announced on Monday, 4 June at Lalit London.
How can you tell if your ad management system is up to the job? The answer, do a clicks-audit on each of your commonly performed tasks. The higher the number of clicks, the less effective your system. James Evelegh talks ad management with Publishing
James Evelegh's editorial from this week's edition of InPubWeekly.
