ECONOMIST DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR

The Economist has launched a new service in the UK which allows readers to order a single issue and have it delivered the next day.
Called Economist Direct, it's billed as a one-issue no commitment subscription. Copies can be ordered online or via a text message. The cost of the magazine is £4.00 - the same as the newsstand price - and delivery is included.
For any publisher this is a great idea. It's likely the commission paid for each copy sold in a shop equates to £2.00. Assuming the cost of posting a single copy is around 40p this means the publisher will get significant additional revenue for every copy it sells. It will also be able to collect valuable data and know exactly who is reading the magazine.
Could this work in Thailand?
It's possible. If you assume a cover price of 100 baht the publisher will pay between 35 baht and 50 baht in commission for every copy it sells through the bookshops. Posting a copy will cost around 8 baht although there's no guarantees of delivery happening the next day.
It's still rare to see a magazine here offering online payment options for its subscriptions, and I don't think the telephone networks here can yet offer payment by text message.
Dealing directly with readers is important for any publisher, as is generating maximum revenues in difficult times.