What's new?

Many professional bodies publish magazines – they are highly valued benefits of membership, excellent channels for disseminating information, and an integral part of any membership communication, recruitment or engagement strategy.

When it comes to research journals, many professional bodies are very comfortable and adept at identifying markets, capturing audiences and generating revenues outside of their membership. However, the members’ magazine often has a very different position: its business model, brand, culture and strategy tend to be strongly focused on providing members with a benefit.
What if we changed this?

“We wont necessarily be publishers in future," Diane Young, MD of The Drum, told Page Lizard's  '2025: Visions for the Future of Publishing' debate in February. "But we will be serving the needs of communities we have built."

The idea of the media brand existing as the focal point around which communities of readers coalesce is not new. The idea of the media brand reducing its print revenues to a mere 9% of income and growing the rest from the service it provides to the community, is a signpost of the future.

The member magazine and email newsletter have been the staple communications channels for membership organisations for years. But is it time to look at what more can be done?

According to reader surveys, the magazine is still often seen as a key member benefit. It is also often the ‘flagship’ creation of the organisation which showcases its expertise and purpose.

Apple have renounced all support for responsive magazine apps in a surprise move to focus on the future of Apple News.

According to well-placed sources in Apple’s California headquarters, the company is about to announce its decision to support only page-turning magazine apps in the future.

Chrome will include ad blocking by default, platforms will overtake publisher’s websites for reaching audiences and print will only exist as a luxury item, were some of the predictions delivered to 70 publishers and editors by Drum MD Diane Young and Dennis CTO Paul Lomax last week.

Young started the debate, “2025 Visions for the Future of Publishing”, which included a panel of ‘Millennials’ to test ‘old publishing’ thinking, by warning publishers about the dangers of trying to maintain the status quo.