John Brown is a publishing agency that has evolved over the years from creating magazines and contract magazines to developing branded content and digital solutions for its clients. It started as a publishing house in the late 1990s and early 2000s, creating magazines for both newsstands and business customers. In the late 2000s, it transformed into a creative agency that produces branded content and digital experiences for its clients. Today, it creates interactive and online content while still utilizing its expertise in print magazines, helping brands communicate with audiences across different platforms.

1. From Ink to
Internet
Alex Silcox, MD, John Brown

2. Hello
together
getting the most out of Orange…
May 2009 | free
only on
Samsung
Orange
i8910 HD
made for movie lovers
in-depth review inside
unlimited email
on pay monthly top-up
mobile broadband and win
for under £10 a month on pay as
you go
plus movie reviews,
must-have mobiles,
Shia LaBeouf and more
What does Pegg,
why did Christian Bale
Pine and the
finally decide to take
Enterpirse have
on the Terminator?
On pay monthly. Available early May. While stocks last.
Ask instore for price details, terms and conditions.
in commen?

3. John Brown
UK’s largest independent customer
Founded £45m 215
O!ces in London, Cape Town,
Partnerships in Berlin, Istanbul, Paris

4. That was then
The Publishing guy to the Marketing guy
overheard....1995
hmmm...
I hope this thing works...
Here’s your magazine Seems expensive!
It looks just like the ones Will I get fired?
you pay for. We sold as Maybe I should buy
many ads as we could. another TV ad?
Hope you like it - its
really “lifestyle”. The
invoice is in the post

5. John Brown
198 200 201
7
n:definition;
a publishing
3
n:definition;
a publishing
1
n:definition;
an agency
house creating agency creating creating
newsstand customer branded
magazines and magazines for content
contract brands
magazines
together
getting the most out of Orange…
May 2009 | free
only on
Samsung
Orange
i8910 HD
made for movie lovers
in-depth review inside
unlimited email
on pay monthly top-up
mobile broadband and win
for under £10 a month on pay as
you go
plus movie reviews,
must-have mobiles,
Shia LaBeouf and more
What does Pegg,
why did Christian Bale
Pine and the
finally decide to take
Enterpirse have
on the Terminator?
On pay monthly. Available early May. While stocks last.
Ask instore for price details, terms and conditions.
in commen?

6. Experience & expertise
Magazines Catalogues Digital Kids
Customer magazines Catalogues & Interactive solutions Children’s
B2B magazines brochures Creative content magazines
Sta" magazines Photography Web design & Part works/
Newsletters production production continuity series
Advertising Print management 3D rendering Books
Copywriting Point of sale Video production Websites
Editorialised DM Image retouching Educational materials
Print management Concept creation
Strategic Planning
Backed up by production (games, cards,
management, advertising sales, collectibles etc.)
strategic planning and more
together
getting the most out of Orange…
www.AstonMartin.com/astonmartindbs/html/index.htm
May 2009 | free
only on
Samsung
Orange
i8910 HD
made for movie lovers
in-depth review inside
unlimited email
on pay monthly top-up
mobile broadband and win
for under £10 a month on pay as
you go
plus movie reviews,
must-have mobiles,
Shia LaBeouf and more
What does Pegg,
why did Christian Bale
Pine and the
finally decide to take
Enterpirse have
on the Terminator?
On pay monthly. Available early May. While stocks last.
Ask instore for price details, terms and conditions.
in commen?

7. The rules...
1.Consumers are in charge now
2.Marketing happens on their terms, or not at all
3.Consumers choose when, where & how to engage
with brands
4.Content, not media channel, is the currency of
engagement
5.Get it right and the results are real and

8. Media and brands

9. “Its time to stop differentiating
between the online and the
offline world - your customers
don’t see it that way -
everything is integrated”
Philipp Schinder, VP Europe, Google

10. New dimensions of
Touch
Create
Communicate
Talk
Watch e
m
Ti
Hear
Read
See
Listen
Radio Print TV Web Web 3.0

11. A music fan in the 80’s
• NME - New Musical Express magazine - the only source
of journalism on new music in the early 80’s
• See them on Top of the Pops
• Hear them on the local AM radio station
• Hear a band live
• Speak to your immediate friends
• Buy the album

12. A music fan in• 2011 non-
Reviews from
fans
• Band website • Clips from you
• Myspace page tube
• Facebook group • Free downloads
• Facebook posting • Album downloads
• See them on dedicated • P2P illegal
24/7 music channels downloads
• Listen to them on any • Podcasts
global digital radio
station • Video on demand
TV
• Follow them on Twitter
• Reviews from music
journalists
• Reviews from fans

13. How did that happen?
Media has been through nothing short of a
revolution
One to Many
TIME
One to One
Many to Many

14. Reacting to “Many to Many:
Every brand needs to own content that embodies the
brand
• Something your brand can own – “authority to
publish”
• Something that really matters to and engages the
audience
• Renewable & extendable over a long period of
time
• At the emotional/functional heart of what the
brand is/does
• Making the brand preeminent in its own space
• Sustaining di"erentiation & loyalty

15. 4 ways to cover the same
Enduring media brands understand the importance of
a well defined platform but they don’t understand
Access All Counting the
Areas Cost
Celebrating an News news news
Icon

16. Reacting to “Many to Many”
Too often, agencies focus on messages the brand
needs to convey…
Why not focus on what the audience wants and needs
to see and hear?
Knowing what content will capture an audience is what
great editors do. It is partly art, partly science. It is:
EDITORIAL INTELLIGENCE

17. “Authority to Publish”... eh?
Customers allow brands a degree of editorial
licence
Understanding the boundaries of this relationship is
IMPERATIVE
Widening the perimeters is fine too …but its far
more than “logo slapping”
Our job as brand communications experts is to
stretch that authority but never to become
inauthentic.
Its amazing where you can claim ownership...

18. Authority...
Manufacture Also
rubber tyres manufacture
travel
This is what
he means by And in case you’re
“Authority to hungry en-route...
Publish”

19. Authority...
Manufacture
Paper
and have earned the ear
of the global design

21. The rules...
We all love to read, watch and interact with content
but it must be
• Relevant
• Expert
• Truly worthwhile (entertain, involve, inspire, inform)
Insight & planning
Editorial intelligence
Great branded content
World-class design
Authority to publish

22. So what does that
mean for agencies
(or media owners come
to that)?

23. We used to start our job

24. A content ecosystem for

25. One brand, one
voice
WAITROSE

26. Waitrose - the magazine
Objectives
-Reward account customers’ loyalty
-Position Waitrose as the expert in food and food
provenance
-Act as a brand ambassador
-Encourage customers to buy more products
Approach
-Monthly magazine, 314,000 circulation; 1.3m
readers
-Free in-store to account card holders
-

27. Waitrose - beyond print

28. Chicken - old world
“We sell chicken...
Look at this lady
enjoying our chicken...
It’s great value too...
Buy your chicken from
us!”

29. Chicken served 5 ways
Customer 1 buys
the magazine. Our Customer 2
chicken feature downloads our
helps her make a wine matches (and
chicken last 3 supplier info) for
meals using our
Customer 3 shares her
Customer 5 was grandmothers recipe
browsing the catalogue. for chicken pie with the
She purchased loads of blog community on
braai product inspired by Waitrose.com. 42
the accompanying customers comment.
editorial notes and The recipe is shared on
chicken BBQ recipes The magazine featured a top
borrowed from the restauranteur. We shot the
interview. Customer 4 found it
on You Tube while researching
for a cooking qualification

30. “Great magazines are the ultimate
interactive tactile medium, they
offer real emotional involvement”
Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO, Saatchi and Saachi

31. Magazines in the mix
25 minutes
-The average time spend reading a customer magazine (thats equivalent to
fifty 30 second TV spots)
2/3
-People keep their magazine for a week for more
63%
-Of consumers feel that telemarketing is intrusive (only 8% felt that customer
magazines were intrusive)
73%
-Of readers of retail magazines that take some action as a result of reading
the magazine
21%
-Of readers spend as a direct result of receiving a retail customer magazine
Source: The Advantage Study - independent research carried out by Millward Brown for the APA
Participation Media 2006 conducted by the Future Foundation for the DMA

32. When the going
gets tough...call in
the magazine

33. RBS
2005
+£100m SPENT ON
DIRECT MARKETING
FALLING RESPONSE RATES
INCREASE IN OPT-OUT
RATE

35. A new (and unwelcome)
BIGGEST LOSS IN RBS
HISTORY
£20bn GOVERNMENT
BAILOUT
PRODUCT VOLUME REDUCED BY
90%
REQUIREMENT TO ENGAGE
CUSTOMERS AND REBUILD TRUST

36. The comms programme
BUSINESS
Quarter One 2011
INTERVIEW
Making change
happen
Michael Spencer,
Harold Tillman
and Luke Johnson
Spending
Review
RBS experts on the
Government cuts
AOB with
Michael
The Branson
EXCLUSIVE
Heseltine
method
Home
PLUS
Your
ional
Internat
Business
nt
suppleme
inside
SPRING
How the Virgin mogul communicates
his business strategy to his team
News
{1} Focus on FX
Agenda Rory Underwood Economics essay Anti-fraud alert
HELPFUL ADVICE FOR HOME BUYERS
KEVIN
MCCLOUD
INSPIRING WIN
IDEAS FROM YOUR
THE MASTER MORTGAGE
OF DESIGN PAID FOR
A YEAR
GARDEN
Get ready
for summer
Double up
your space
PHOTOS: XXXXXXXXXXXX
How to change your living space to fit your needs
1 Sense

37. Feedback
82 Believe Sense has improved
their understanding of the
% 60
Bank's products
Said they were likely to
contact the bank in future as
%
a result of Sense
2010 RESEARCH
85 Feel Sense is a good way for
the bank to inform them
%
about their products
52 5%
Of opted-out customers who
were sent Sense opted back in
Of customers receiving
Sense were “very likely to
%
recommend” NatWest

38. Hurrah!

39. When the going
gets tough...call in
the magazine

41. 25 minutes with John Lewis
FOUNDED IN 1885
69,000
PARTNERS
27 DEPARTMENT
STORES
JOHNLEWIS.COM
BRITAIN’S MOST TRUSTED
BRAND

43. Market context
FACING THE TOUGHEST TRADING
PERIOD IN THEIR 134 YEAR
HISTORY
ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS
=
DISCOUNTING PRODUCTS + ERODING MARGINS
CURRENT STRATEGY
ENGAGE EXISTING CUSTOMERS
=
CROSS SELL / UP SELL + ENCOURAGE NEW
AWARENESS AND SPENDING HABITS

44. The role of content for John Lewis
To re-discover John Lewis as a fashion destination
Online
Magazine Catalogue Supplements
catalogue
Drive
Shift brand Remind to buy Drive key
acquisition &
perception categories & sales
online sales
To encourage reappraisal of the John
Lewis brand and to drive retention and
acquisition

45. John Lewis
Magazine launched to
encourage existing
customers to spend
more, discover new
departments and to
re-position the
fashion o"ering

46. Positive sales impact
Issue 1
• Total number of products featured
299
• Total percentage sales increase
+161%
across all products
Issue 2
• Total number of products featured
303
• Total percentage sales increase
+372%

47. Overlay TV
• A video experience that allows users to click through
the video and instantly purchase product that is seen on
screen
• Intelligent e-commerce functionality that instantly
checks stock levels and sizes and suggests alternatives
when required
• Embedding links that continue to work wherever the
video appears in the social media landscape

48. Overlay TV

49. “In a media environment
characterized by interruption,
magazines remain an oasis of
engagement”
Renatta McCann, CEO Americas, Starcom Mediavest Group

50. Hurrah!
"John Lewis always
nurtured my sensible side,
but last year it also began
feeding my hunger for
glamour. I'd previously
dismissed its fashion floor
as full of peach acrylic
jumpers, but then I picked
up a gorgeous free
magazine full of delectable
garments I'd previously
have considered strictly
Harvey Nicks. No wonder
fashion sales have increased
by 22 per cent."
Sunday Telegraph 10.01.10

51. Summing up

52. This is now
The Publishing guy to the Marketing guy
overheard....2011
I have a “content machine”
Here’s issue 36.
Customers are engaged...
We’ve also updated the
Messaging is targeted...
website...triggered the e-
My board are happy....
blast... uploaded the
My boss loves me
video...we’re tweeting....
blogging.... driving sales...
changing customer behaviour.
The invoice is in the post

53. Last thoughts
• Content is king
• Everyone is a publisher now
• Be single minded
• Explore your “authority to publish”
• The right message in the wrong
channel is the wrong message
• Keep moving

54. THANKS FOR
LISTENING!