Magazine Brands Still Believe "Paper Rules"

Posted by Ben Berkon on March 2, 2010 06:34 PM

Remember magazines? They used to be those bound packets of paper filled with glossy photos of celebrities, stimulating articles – and of course, lots of advertisements. Big brand magazines like People, Vogue, ESPN, and many others have been actively promoting a collective ad campaign called the “power of print,” hoping that it will save them from their inevitable kowtow to the digital world.

With the introduction to Apple’s iPad a few months ago, it appeared that Apple was throwing all print media – magazines in particular – a much-needed life line. However, with the recent pro-magazine propaganda push, magazines could very well be taking for granted the very market forces that may indeed save them.

As nostalgic as the campaign may be, are these magazine companies just delusional and unwilling to accept the future of print? Possibly. But according to executives in print media, abandoning the print market would not only be throwing away a former staple in publishing, but also very viable advertising source in the future.

“A lot of us sat back for way too long and listened to all this abuse and said nothing about it,” said Jann Wenner, whose Wenner Media publishes Rolling Stone and US Weekly. “Meanwhile, we sit on top of one of the greatest mediums.”

While executives like Wenner are throwing money at the “power of print” campaign, only time will tell if they are visionaries who still see something in print that many others don't, or if they're simply, and blindly, continuing down a path that has led them, and their brands, to the dire, current situation.

More about: Media, Publishing, People, Vogue, ESPN, Rolling Stone, US Weekly

Omar G says:

The irony of course is most people will see this campaign to save print on the web.

March 3, 2010 04:30 AM #

Rosemary Slosek says:

Very true, Omar, lol. But I have subscriptions to several print magazines and not much interest in the online version, ditto my professional journals.

March 3, 2010 05:37 AM #

Paul Barnett says:

My guess is that what gets printed will go up un quality and added value. It will add a dimension that compliments the same brand online. I don´t see it as an either / or situation. There just needs to be more innovation in terms of thinking and business models! But I suspect a lot of trash, gossip and celeb titles will in print be doomed, but will online just boom if they wake up fast enough!

March 3, 2010 08:16 AM #

Tim Johnson says:

It is bizarre to me that so-called communication professionals are arguing about whether print or the web is "better." It's hard to call the idea that print is dead anything other than simplistic. It will be a long time before the idea of holding a paper publication in your hands is replaced by a screen, of any sort.

The "law of new media" shows that media rarely replace other media; they merely add to the mix (TV didn't replace radio as predicted, VHS and DVD didn't replace in-theater movies, etc.).

The real problem magazines have is they are now stuck with TWO mediums to compete in (for readers as well as advertising), and all that does is raise costs without a proportionate increase in value. They literally will lose half their market if they abandon one medium for the other, so they have no choice but to try to be strong in both, regardless of whether their individual audiences favor one over medium over the other.

March 3, 2010 08:25 AM #

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