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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

Launch: BusinessCloud
News

Launch: BusinessCloud

The first edition of BusinessCloud, a new business technology magazine, has been published.

02/06/2016

Cedar Hong Kong launches Fashion Statement
News

Cedar Hong Kong launches Fashion Statement

Cedar Hong Kong launches Fashion Statement, a new online magazine for Asia’s Hollywood glamour-inspired luxury retail destination, The Boulevard at Studio City, Macau.

31/05/2016

Adestra introduces new Email Editor
News

Adestra introduces new Email Editor

Adestra has announced the addition of a new email editing feature to its MessageFocus platform.

27/05/2016

CILIP enhances membership offering with new personalised app
News

CILIP enhances membership offering with new personalised app

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has recently overhauled its membership app, offering a richer reading experience for its members.

26/05/2016

Archant and Zoopla team up for Regional Guide Content
News

Archant and Zoopla team up for Regional Guide Content

Archant, the local media company, has announced an exclusive content partnership with Zoopla, the property website.

25/05/2016

Haymarket Network relaunches Make Solar Sense
News

Haymarket Network relaunches Make Solar Sense

Haymarket Network, Haymarket’s content marketing agency, has relaunched Make Solar Sense magazine as “Smarter Living” to widen its remit.

18/05/2016

Apps Go Wild - Giltedge Travel launches new luxury safari app
News

Apps Go Wild - Giltedge Travel launches new luxury safari app

Giltedge Africa - Luxury Safaris is a new app that has just been developed by The App Lab in conjunction with its new partner Twixl Media and is the first to use their next generation platform, Twixl Publisher 5.0.

12/05/2016

TBSeen.com bolsters brand offering with new senior hires
News

TBSeen.com bolsters brand offering with new senior hires

TBSeen.com, a platform which blends shopping and lifestyle content founded earlier this year by TV and radio presenter Kate Thornton, today announces two new senior appointments.

12/05/2016

CMA expands awards with 10 new categories
News

CMA expands awards with 10 new categories

The Content Marketing Association has announced the expansion of its International Content Marketing Awards to reflect continued industry growth and trends.

06/05/2016

British Media Award 2016 – winners announced
News

British Media Award 2016 – winners announced

The winners of the British Media Awards 2016 were announced last night at an event at the London Hilton.

05/05/2016

Haymarket appoints new Chairman for Haymarket Network
News

Haymarket appoints new Chairman for Haymarket Network

Haymarket Media Group announced on Friday the appointment of David Prasher as Chairman of Haymarket Network.

18/04/2016

Video takes centre stage in Content Marketing Strategies
News

Video takes centre stage in Content Marketing Strategies

Video has moved to become a central part of content marketing strategies, with video budgets set to accelerate further over the coming year, according to a new study by the Content Marketing Association.

15/04/2016

Revamped Forever Sports expands digitally and internationally
News

Revamped Forever Sports expands digitally and internationally

The revamped Forever Sports has expanded its reach, with a brand new ForeverSports.com and new editions in the Middle East and Latvia.

01/04/2016

Think Publishing
PUBLISHER PROFILE

Think Publishing

The world of membership publishing bucks the trend! Think Publishing’s research shows that members value print, followed by live events, highest in the communications mix. As Ian McAuliffe tells Jo Bowman, print, both magazines and books, has deep en

By Jo Bowman  |  01/04/2016

Redactive partners PARN to publish Professional Body Sector Review
News

Redactive partners PARN to publish Professional Body Sector Review

Thursday 17th March saw the launch of the 2016 Professional Body Sector Review, an annual publication from the Professional Associations Research Network (PARN), published for the first time by Redactive.

24/03/2016

814 articles