Digital Innovations Do Not Spell the End for Magazines

Technology has been the biggest driving force of change in the publishing sector. The Internet and invention of the smart phone and tablet have revolutionized how people gain access to information.  When the first tablet, Apple’s Ipad, was launched in 2010 many predicted the end for print media.

Jonas Bonnier, CEO of Bonniers international multi-channel media company, says that, “magazine publishers can survive if they are able to monetize a variety of revenue streams and operate on different mediums.”

The tablet meant that many magazines brought out apps to allow readers to download issues to read onscreen. This has been successful but online subscriptions still only account for a fraction of any magazines total sales. Most people would still prefer to have a magazine in hard copy, to touch, hold, smell and enjoy at their leisure.

However, it is important for magazines to have a strong online presence to retain customer brand loyalty. Therefore, all content written for the magazine must serve a function, the content should not be the same on all levels. For example it is important that there is material specifically produced for the app, which works well on the platform incorporating interactive elements.

Magazines need revenue from print advertisements and having a website only cannot supplant this. Many magazines, such as Teen People or Seventeen in the USA, made a mistake in moving to digital only format.  According to Fipp Research this spells death for the magazine, because if you can’t make it in print you won’t in digital. The problem lies not with the medium but the magazine.

Conglomerates tend to control distribution systems and retail outlets, so by cutting out the middle men and selling directly to the public online, independent publishers are able to operate more easily. Independent magazine publishers, such as Stack magazines, have a page on the Internet where subscribers sign up for monthly delivery of magazines, which cannot be found in shops.

So, instead of the Internet killing magazines off, it is actually helping them to thrive. The future of magazines looks promising as long as they continue to move with the times and have a strong presence on many platforms.