2. Custom magazines
Definition
• “Any regularly published title that is produced by a publishing
agency on behalf of a third party and that is offered to customers,
employees or members” (Mintel, 2006)
• Custom media is a marketing term referring broadly to the
development, production and delivery of media (print, digital,
audio, video, events) designed to strengthen the relationship
between the sponsor of the medium and the medium's
audience (Wikipedia)
• It is also called branded media, customer media, member media,
content marketing, and custom publishing in the US; contract
publishing and customer publishing in the UK (Wikipedia)
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3. Custom magazines
Examples
• Retailing, automotive and financial services are the most popular
types of custom publishing
• Other important sectors include: charities, leisure/sport, and
utilities
• In-flight magazines, sponsored by airlines, were one of the first
custom media and remain typical of the genre. While other
channels have had significant success, the customer magazine
is the most successful example of the genre (Wikipedia)
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4. Custom magazines
Characteristics
Custom media …
• … are financed by a specific organization. It’s not the publishing agency
who bears the financial risk, but the sponsor
• … are made for a specific group of stakeholders (e.g.: customers,
potential customers, suppliers, members, donors, employees, alumni or
people who registered)
• … are published regularly
• … contain both editorial and commercial content
• … have specific marketing- and/or communication goals
– Building stronger relationships
– Promoting brand/name awareness
– Establishing a desired brand image or positioning
– Providing information to their target market(s)
– Changing/stimulating behaviour
Page 4
Sources: Bronner, F. (2004); Smit, E. (2007)
5. Introduction
Page 5
• Research focuses on differences in performance between offline
custom magazines and their digital “page-turn” replicas
Some reasons why organizations switch to online:
1. Marketers have to deal with shrinking marketing and communication
budgets -> shifting budgets from traditional, offline media toward
more efficient online media, e.g. online custom magazines
– Custom magazines have not been isolated from this shift
2. Online magazines:
– Offer more options for interaction with customers, using rich media
(e.g.: animations, interactive content, hyperlinks, embedded video and
audio, movie clips and commercials), bijv. iFly (KLM)
– Can be more up-to-date
– Are more measurability
• So, …
• However: digital magazines often are nothing more than a digital
“page-turn” replica; a non-interactive electronic copy of the magazine
in print
• Though more efficient, we doubt their effectiveness
“Print magazines are
bloody expensive to
print and mail, so I
can understand why
there’s such a
dramatic shift to web
publishing.”
Posted by: Marcello
6. Problem statement & research questions
Page 6
• Problem statement:
– Are online page-turn custom magazines an equivalent
alternative to their offline counterpart?
• We’ll focus on the following aspects of
effectiveness (performance indicators) between
offline and online:
1. Relational aspects, i.e.: satisfaction, trust,
commitment, willingness to recommend and
willingness to continue the relationship
2. Image of the brand/sponsor
3. Medium's audience
4. Average reading time
5. Reader-magazine engagement
7. Research method
• Investigating customers of two retailers selling, a.o. luxurious
body care products
• Issuing both the offline custom magazine and its online ‘page-
turn’ replica
– Identical with respect to content, structure, design and level of
interaction
– No use of ‘rich media’ (e.g. animations, interactive content,
hyperlinks, embedded video and audio, and movie clips)
Page 7
8. Research method
• Distinguished four types of readership
– Non-readers, offline, online, both offline and online
• Webbased survey application (“CendrisMonitor”)
– Reached by a link within the e-mail invitation
Page 8
9. Response
Page 9
Invited by e-mail: 12,225
Did not receive: 1,530 (e.g. as
result of wrong or non-existing e-
mail addresses)
Received: 10,695
Gross response: 1,576 (=14.7% of 10,695)
Net response: 1,539 (=14.4% of 10,695)
Not available: 33 (‘out of office’-reply)
Refused to cooperate: 4
Used in analysis: 564
Customers indicating
other retailer as their
main supplier
10. Findings
1 Relational aspects
Page 10
4
4,5
5
5,5
6
Non-readers
(n=174)
Online readers
(n=30)
Offline readers
(n=254)
Offline and
online (n=106)
Commitment Satisfaction Trust
W. to continue W. to recommend
11. Findings
2 Image of the sponsor
Page 11
4
4,5
5
5,5
6
6,5
Expert Reliable Attractive Professional Incorruptible Sympathetic
Non-readers (n=174) Offline readers (n=254)
Online readers (n=30) Offline and Online (n=106)
17. Findings
5 Reader-magazine engagement
Page 17
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Attached to
Familiar
Take time to read
Loyal
Willing to pay
Miss it
Offline ed. (n=366) Online ed. (n=135)
“There is a mind set that “Free” is
online and at this point I wouldn’t pay
for anything online. However, I will
still pay for the print magazines.”
Posted by: ncj
“I don’t find much time for
browsing magazines online,
while I will spend the time
with a printed one.”
Posted by: Michael Odza
18. Online Custom MagazineOffline Custom
Magazine
Performance
Indicators
+++5. Reader-magazine
engagement
++
+
++
+
0
+
++
++
+++
4. Medium’s audience:
• Quantitative:
– Direct
– Indirect (spin-off)
• Qualitative (preferences)
++++++3. Average reading time
+(+)++2. Image of the sponsor
++(+)+(+)++1. Relational aspects
(e.g. commitment)
‘Rich Media’‘Page-turn’Print
Summary of findings
Page 18
Note: Indications are
relative
Note: This column
contains assumptions
Focus of research
19. Conclusions
Page 19
• The facsimile copy of the print edition in a digital page-turn format,
does not stand up to print
• The screen is not a page and it’s not looked at in the same usability
context as a page
• So, before we move to jettison the magazine, let’s understand what it
is we’re throwing away. Don’t reject the good with the bad!
• Paper still ‘feels’ good
“Presenting an existing paper
magazine in exactly the same
format on screen, is like
thinking of cars as horseless
carriages.”
Posted by: Fleshlight Reviews
“People like to collect paper
magazines, which is why I
don’t think they will ever be
replaced by e-magazines.”
Posted by: Nikki
• Problem Statement:
– Are online custom magazines an equivalent
alternative to their offline counterpart?
20. Implications
Page 20
• Custom magazines have a bright future online, but replicas of the
print version distributed online are not the future of the industry
• Marketers thinking about replacing their existing paper magazine, and
presenting it in exactly the same format on screen:
– Rethink/Reconsider it again! It’s an interim technique, soon outdated.
“The same benefit print
mags have (offline
portability) is a benefit
many will see in emags
on ereaders.”
Posted by: Peter
• The digital magazine is suggested to compliment (rather than
substitute) the print edition very well
– Since each medium is good for its own reasons
– And might have a different audience! (research suggestion)
• If the online magazine doesn’t escape the shackles of the print
form, it might (better) be transplanted into an e-Book
– Since the market penetration of e-Book Readers and tablets (IPad)
increases,
– With an e-Book or tablet as a delivery device for content, readers will be
able to read and enjoy magazines in a relaxing manner on their sofa (or
the three B’s – Bathroom, Beach, Bus), “lean-backward experience”
– For e-Books there is a willingness to pay
• Otherwise: use Rich Media when going online
21. For further information
Page 21
Jos Schijns
Open Universiteit in The Netherlands
School of Management
NL-PO Box 2960
6401 DL Heerlen
The Netherlands
E: jos.schijns@ou.nl
