As the print partner for over 150 titles, we are one of the leading magazine printers in the UK, working closely with independent, small and large publishers to bring their creations to print.
In these changing times we have seen growth in new titles coming to market despite the need for some magazines to adapt with challenging distribution channels and retail sales. So many titles have focused their efforts to online sales and subscriptions. Great news that despite this changed environment, printed magazines are still so strong – as print is a great way to communicate to the world in an engaging and captivating way.
Magazines a Trusted Medium
Recent research by MarketReach and Magnetic Media showed that:
• People value something they can see and touch 24% more than something they can only see
• Magazines generate deeper engagement than other digital channels
• Magazines achieve high levels of trust across a range of content areas and an average trust score of 82 percent in print
• 88% of respondents agreed that reading magazines is time well spent
• 69% of respondents agreed it offers me something I can’t get elsewhere
Digital Printing
With digital printing enabling smaller and varying print runs at lower prices, it allows for new magazines to start up in print. In addition, the ease of online publications in recent times hasn’t been wholly negative for print, as it has actually allowed creatives to bring their magazines to readers and test the water as such before producing in print.
Bookazines
Another trend is the bookazine – not the traditional read and dispose of magazine these are produced like a magazine but have the longevity and collectability of a book. These magazines tend to have more tactile and interesting finishes making them a keepsake, all aiding in the growth of the sector.
James Gascoigne, magazine expert at Pureprint explains what he has seen in recent months “Magazines have definitely started to come back after a few quieter months. The basic appetite and demand for printed magazines has remained strong due to the volume of people working from home and spending more time on interests and hobbies craving ‘me time’ and ‘escapism’ which magazines deliver on both. So it’s easy to understand the growth in the independent magazine market as they often target their readerships with niche interests.”
James continues “What’s also interesting is we are now working with new magazines that are coming to market. One recent example is We Are Makers, a new title showcasing makers from all over the globe including their stories, their motivations, and why they do what they do whilst promoting positivity and planet healthy buying. We have also seen many famous international companies returning to print as it’s such a loved way of differentiating a brand as well as dwell times on magazines being around 120 mins compared to just a few minutes on many digital channels. For instance we have seen the big fashion houses printing again as paid advertising is back on the increase for luxury brands. So there is some real positivity in the magazine market with independents and brands coming back to print.”
Kate Caven, co-founder of We Are Makers commented “The idea for We Are Makers came about after trying to market our own small business. Over the course of a year we worked on the project employing a designer and spending an uncountable amount of hours scrolling through social media to find interesting makers that would want to be involved in the first publication. As product designers ourselves the physical publication had to be a product that someone would keep and continue to refer to, so finding the right printers was crucial. From the first initial email with James to the final print was so straight forward, as newbies to the printing world Pureprint made the process a breeze and created the most beautiful ‘bookazine’.”
Championing Magazines
We will continue to support and champion the independent magazine market by collaborating with publishers to achieve their potential whether that be magazine printing within tight budgets and timescales or working hard to select materials and finishes to make them as impactful as possible.
Check out some of our magazine case studies here – Hero, The Rake, Eye, We Are Makers, Patek Philippe, Aston Martin
Sources:
Magentic Media – https://magnetic.media/research
MarketReach – https://www.marketreach.co.uk/downloads/private-life-of-mail-report
