‘Print products have for many years now involved digital production methods,’ (Hall, 2013), and with this magazines and newspapers have had to evolve with the modern change in order to survive in the competitive market that is publishing. Several issues that publishers face with digital publishing is ‘replicating the physical,’ (Reeves, 2014) into a suitable digital formatted document, problems that can occur is transferring colour photos into a digital resolution as ‘the expectation of digital is high,’ (Reeves, 2014).
Devices such as iPads tablets have created a new publishing platform in which to expand on. It allows new concepts of getting information across to the new digital savvy audience; this has helped magazines as in recent years figures have shown a decline in print production.
At Christmas time using their digital advantage to promote their magazine, Love Magazine, have created a virtual advent calendar on their website, ‘where every day you can open up a short new Christmas video,’ (Spedding, 2013) the public can then share the video’s amongst social media. For promotional value they used celebrity figures to entice a wider audiences to create a cross platform between print and digital.
Devices such as iPads tablets have created a new publishing platform in which to expand on. It allows new concepts of getting information across to the new digital savvy audience; this has helped magazines as in recent years figures have shown a decline in print production.
At Christmas time using their digital advantage to promote their magazine, Love Magazine, have created a virtual advent calendar on their website, ‘where every day you can open up a short new Christmas video,’ (Spedding, 2013) the public can then share the video’s amongst social media. For promotional value they used celebrity figures to entice a wider audiences to create a cross platform between print and digital.
What are some of the issues?
Free content vs Paid content- If consumers are able to get the same content online for free the issue publications face is the consumers are not going to be as willing to pay for a publication offering the same information.
Audience vs Readership- We are lucky to live in a generation where we have a number of choices in the way in which we chose to read content from. From smart phones, tablets, computers to print we have access to all of these. But does the array of choices we have on offer actually help or does it manipulate how much access we have to digital products when placed against print editions.
Content contribution- ‘The way something is delivered changes the content,’ (Reeves, 2014), the main focus is your target audience. The Daily Mail Online caters for a range of genres, through light entertainment of gossip but also selling bad news as bad news sells well. They are successful due to their online presence and because they are buying a lot of content for a variety of people, as people love to hate the Daily Mail Online.
Advertisement- Establishments like supermarkets are so powerful they have the control to say how they want certain publications displayed. When it came down to censorship Co-op gave ‘lad mags' an ultimatum to cover up the offending front covers or 'threatened to withdraw,' (Smithers, 2013) the publications from their retailer. So in this aspect digital is saving these publications figures due to the isolation they have within these retailers because it allows consumers to buy as they wish on different platform devices.
What does this mean for publishers?
Well publishers have to think of ways to override these issues that come with digital publishing as, ‘these methods also were able to change the business model around some aspects of printing,’ (Hall, 2013). I agree with this theory because with development in technology the business model is changing the ways to which we receive information. So by using digital, companies are buying into their product and brand building connections through continual relationships, such as subscriptions.
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Bibliography-
Hall, F. (2013). ‘The Business of Digital Publishing: An Introduction to the Digital Book and Journal Industries.’ (p.7-9). Routledge.
Reeves, L. 2014. ‘Magazine and Newspapers in the Digital Age.’ [Lecture, Publishing Media Year 2]. Oxford Brookes University, 18th November 2014.
Smithers, R. (29th Jul, 2013). 'Co-op Threatens to Withdraw Sale of Uncensored Lad Mags' [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jul/29/co-op-lads-mags-ban-sale-censored (Accessed: 25th November 2014).
Spedding, E. (2nd Dec, 2013). ‘The LOVE Magazine's Advent Calendar Is Back With Miley Cyrus And Georgia May Jagger.’ [online] Available at: http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/news/the-love-magazine-advent-calendar-kicks-off-with-miley-cyrus-and-georgia-may-jagger (Accessed: 23rd November 2014).