KEYS TO SUCCESS: BE NICHE, BE ESSENTIAL
This year is already being dubbed 'the year of niche publications' in the magazine industry. Future Plc is the UK's number one specialist publisher with more than 100 titles, and its chief executive Stevie Spring recently summed everything up in a few words. "General interest - bad, special interest - good. Nice to have - bad, need to have - good."
How many magazines in Thailand can truly be classed as "need to have" titles?
Publishers must create that strong desire and must-have mindset in their readers. As Stevie added it will be those particular publishers who will "... weather the storms much better than those producing content that can be had quicker, cheaper, in digestible bite-size chunks online."
Which magazines (Thai or otherwise) would you consider essential to your life?
6 comments:
"Which magazines (Thai or otherwise) would you consider essential to your life?"
None. Just need an expert filter for articles from all sources including magazines.
For my needs, University of Oregon macroeconomist Mark Thoma filters out daily 10 to 15 articles of essential reading, all online:
http://economistsview.typepad.com/
Thanks Jon. So what if magazines went back to keeping most of their best content for print? Or do you think those days are over forever?
"So what if magazines went back to keeping most of their best content for print?"
Niche economics content comes mostly out of the blogs of economics professors and publications with about zero chance of being found in Thailand, so I would be out of luck for the later type of content, unless I could read it one of the well-stocked libraries I frequent. (BTW have you ever checked out the design and photography magazines like "Black and White" at the TCDC library upstairs at the Emporium, fantastic.)
One additional point: In the blogosphere, readers of magazines are usually not just passive participants, but rather reuse, quote, and comment on content, the citation and link back to the original online source being an important traffic generator for the original content. Purchasing a hard copy of a magazine, for one growing market segment that includes me, would be like using snail mail rather than email.
Jon, all great points.
I have been to the TCDC only once although I know it's a great resource and one that probably deserves greater recognition than it gets.
Perhaps I am trying too hard to defend print? I do still believe print will dominate here in Thailand in the short and probably medium term too. The mindset of most publishers is to save the best for print. I'm guessing the majority of Thailand-based publishers don't even have what could be described as complimenting online offerings.
It's certainly different as far as English publications from overseas are concerned.
"The mindset of most publishers is to save the best for print. I'm guessing the majority of Thailand-based publishers don't even have what could be described as complimenting online offerings."
Yes, myopic, not forward-looking. Dealbook at New York Times and Realtime economics at Wall Street Journal as well as Business Week's real estate blogs seem to be trendsetters for the future. How they are going to monetize it is another matter.
Might also argue that academia could lead in this matter. Like if Chula got a top-rate economic historian and continued the Pasuk-Baker Thai Capital volume which only covers three sectors of the economy. Without thoroughly researched background information one doesn't even have the raw materials to do start doing top-rate value-added journalism.
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