Being a web designer but also plugged heavily into marketing throughout my carrier ive seen this coming for a while, it now seems to be the fear in every print companys heart, and the word on every web enthusiasts lips from .net magazine, Stephen Fry to Gary Vaynerchuk!. Being plugged into both industries as I am.. I can confirm its true, and I for one am glad! Print is dead.
Without mentioning any names.. I know from the inside and for fact that a certain popular UK magazine in its prime was on 150k print run sales a month, today its on about 15k if lucky. From all the evidence ive seen this is all down to the web, and i mean ALL. This magazine isnt alone, its the same across the board, every magazine newspaper and print media is being hit hard.
The reasons is not commonly known, but blindingly obvious. Because of the internet news is now open and free, publishable by all. From mobile phones, computers and from anywhere, even on the spot as it happens. Before a newspaper or magazine has even gone to print there are blogs, news articles and video footage online from the most open and honest journalists around.. the people!
This moves onto the the reason im glad the print media is dieing, not only will we soon be reading real time news deilvered to our tablet computers.. but best of all its HONEST news, honest and true reviews by the people for the people.
Being sunk directly into the heart of the industry I’ve been witness first hand the amount of arse kissing, freebies and brown nosing that goes on between companies and publishers. This is something our company for one is trying NOT to do and I have always shied away from.. often to our bane as those who kiss arse have gotten further. But not for much longer my friend, we’ve stood sturdy and stable whilst the arse kissers have built their houses upon the sand, and the tides coming in.
Next time you pick up a magazine and read a glowing review on a product, just stop and think.. is that review there because the magazine actually extensively tested it. Or is it there becase the staff have been given one free and the publisher paid a hefty wedge in marketing fees from the products company. With the majority of the time the text you are reading even being provided by the manufacturers. I guraantee 99% of the time its the latter. On the same note next time you pick up a car magazine and see a car featured in there… ask yourself if its there because the magazine think its whats you want to read, or is it their because the owner of the car takes them out for drinks whilst inserting his nose up the editors arse?
Now with the rise of the internet no longer can the liar and the ‘sell out’ hide behind a visage of closed print doors. People are talking, people are discussing, and people are reviewing. Openly honestly, no longer can a magazine say something is great if the people out there are saying it isn’t, no longer can a magazine try and convince you their best mates car is the latest trend.. if the rest of the world are clearly and openly proving them wrong. This fact is growing and growing and slowly taking over.
It used to be that magazines lead the way of our trends unfortunately through backhanded means. But we are in the midst of a revolution, now the people are in control.. no longer are we being told what the trend should be because if who’s kissing who’s arse, the genious of the crowd is producing what the latest trends are and influencing the magazines the other way round! Now newspapers and magazine are having to catch up and publish what WE say is true, and this is another reason they are dieing. Sorry no more backhanders for saying a product is great if it isnt, and a bit more work to do in researching what the latest trends are i’m afraid.
Don’t get me wrong I am close with a lot of people in the print industry.. and the majority of which are seeing this change too (albeit slightly late) another popular car magazine (of whos name I shalt not mention) who have changed their way of featuring cars now to detailing on the trends of the people with issues detailing on a current topic as well as concentrating on a lot of on line content. But on the second hand.. it is also obvious a lot of it is still going on.
This is the ONLY way magazines are going to survive . By listening to the crowd and publishing the truth. Income will primarily be shifted to online resources, data capture and information on the readers that can be shared and used by other companies. The same way in which twitter makes their money. There is going to have to be big shake-up in the publishing industry if they wish to survive with a huge paradym shift moving to online content, monthly magazines sent directly to tablet computers and data sharing based income. Else they are going to end up as recycled toilet paper covered in the same content they used to be.
3 simples rules to survive in this new media revolution. Publish the truth, listen to the people, dont be a sell out. The UK’s biggest modified car club I started back in 1999 has outlasted any other with more members than any other, as we’ve been doing this online for 10 years. Time to catch up.
You only have to google ‘print is dead’ to see im not the only one raving about this. But I am one of the few who is plugged closely into both print and web within the job I do. So don’t let me be the one to say ‘I told you so’
Finally to quote Gary Vaynerchuk ‘nice people are dominating … the world is too transparent and word of mouth driven these days to be anything else…’
