The Future of Media in 2019.
No doubt the media landscape is quickly changing, but is print media dead? This writer doesn't think so. Every month it seems there is more news about beloved titles ending their run, so where do things stand?
We recently had the pleasure of attending a PR Net media panel here in LA, and the editors had a lot to say about the future of publishing. It's important that you understand what's happening, so that you can work with your publicist to clarify your media goals in the coming year. And if you want to see this on video, we did a recap on IG TV here.
1. Quarterly is the New Monthly.
The trend of magazines moving from monthly to quarterly is only going to increase. We have seen this with magazines like Traditional Home, Rachael Ray Every Day and Coastal Living. This means print publications are being treated more like premium products and less like outlets to break news. Many of these quarterly magazines are also "newsstand only" meaning you cannot subscribe. Rather, publishers are focused on getting you to subscribe to their digital content and newsletters. Magazines like Glamour have moved their focus to digital, but still use print for special occassions (Women of the Year).
2. Magazines as Art.
The editors agreed that magazines will be treated more like an art piece and something you would want to display on your coffee table. Magazines like Kinfolk and Ceral, that focus on a niche audience, are having success printing on high-quality paper and charging a premium. They believe that more mainstream magazines, after cutting down on frequency, will be able to up the quality and charge more. One editor even suggested that these quarterly publications will care a lot more about their content staying secrative until it's on stands.
3. Local Drives ROI.
Magazines like Modern Luxury and C Magazine here in California all agreed that local is the way to go if you are looking for a direct ROI. For example, if you are a store on Rodeo Drive, getting press in a Los Angeles magazine will likely drive customers to the store faster than if you were in a national publication. National publications drive brand awareness and are more aspirational, whereas local has the ability to reach potential customers in your area.
4. Podcasts Continue to Dominate.
We are huge lovers of podcasts over here, having dedicated a blog post to the platform. Goop said that their podcast is their fastest growing platform, which isn't surprising to us. Podcasts have the ability to hit a very niche audience and build a community based on trust.
5. Use Traditional Media to Amplify Your Message.
While gone are the days of the elite tastemaker editor, traditional media still drives trust. That means that when consumers see you or your company on TV, in magazines or newspapers, it builds trust, so they are more likely to buy what you're selling when they see a social post (or ad) about it. The editors agreed that traditional media should be used to amplify your brand message (building trust) and new media to drive sales. It's also why it's so important that social platforms like Facebook and Instagram figure out a way to control misinformation.
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