Power of Print – Part One: Magazines

In the series ‘The Power of Print’, we focus on Maracle’s printed products that are in high demand. We understand that print is part of the communication mix, which includes digital media. For printed products to be relevant in this mix, time-to-market is critical. At Maracle, our teams, systems and equipment are geared to meet these demanding timelines. With design, print and finishing capabilities all under one roof, we save our clients valuable time and have their printed products stand out in this complex communication environment.

In Part One of the Power of Print series, we focus on the printed magazine.

If you take the headlines in the news at face value, you are forgiven for believing that the printed magazine is on its way out:

• Shape, a women’s fitness magazine owned by Meredith, stopped print editions at the end of last year. In September, the U.S. print version of Marie Claire, owned by the British publisher Future Media, was shuttered. Hearst discontinued regular print editions of O, The Oprah Magazine …
• Several lifestyle and pop culture magazines, including Entertainment Weekly, InStyle and Health, will end their print editions and go digital-only.

Now contrast these statements with Maracle’s substantial growth in magazine printing last year. How do we reconcile the above ‘headlines’ with our double-digit growth in magazine printing?

In trying to better understand this growth, here is what stood out with these successful printed magazines:

1. they are shorter in run length compared to the big general consumer titles
2. they focus on niche markets such as professional associations, special interest groups, regions, communities, etc. They are aimed at a narrower target market compared to the ‘big’ titles
3. they are usually issued less frequently, mostly quarterly, semi-annually or seasonally
4. they include content that remains relevant over a longer period of time, frequently serving as a reference source, making the magazine a repeat read
5. they are usually printed at a higher quality level, including:
   
   1. higher quality substrates (heavier stocks, matt, gloss…),
   2. higher quality finishing (laminating, perfect binding, saddle stitching…)
   3. and on a wider range of different format sizes

Our clients offer interesting insights into why they believe in the value of the physical magazine and why they see it as a perfect fit within their overall communication mix:

1. these magazines serve specific niche markets making it ideal vehicles for advertisers to more efficiently reach their respective target markets
2. these magazines contain a high percentage of content that readers might refer to, re-read, share with colleagues or associates, etc. This again benefits advertisers since their adds will be ‘eyeballed’ multiple times
3. the combination of reference content along with the higher quality of the physical magazine (some reach coffee table book quality) extends their longevity and usefulness

We would be glad to demonstrate how Maracle’s skilled staff can help to produce your quality magazine within tight deadlines. We take pride in fast turnaround times, and we are set up to produce runs from a thousand to tens of thousands of copies. You can reach us at hello@maracleinc.com or get in touch with Brian Ostrander – bostrander@maracleinc.com – 905.273.3438 x272