in this issue: industry news | interview: jenny allan | latest launches ENGAGE is a monthly newsletter designed to keep you and other association leaders on top of trends in magazine and web publishing, as well as in branded content. If you get even one idea a year, we'd like to think Engage is worth reading.
Wired magazine, in an attempt to create buzz and connect with younger readers, has taken the term "custom magazine" to a new level. According to this article from The New York Times, the latest issue (themed: "Growing Personalization in Cyberspace") featured the subscriber's own photo on the cover. And that's not all. For the next two months, anyone can log on to Wired.com and create a personalized cover.
Thirty Seconds and Counting
As technology changes, so does the traditional advertising model and the viewing public it is so desperately trying to reach. According to this Washington Post article, the 30-second television advertising spot is dying off with the advent of YouTube, viral video, Flash and TiVo. And as consumers spend more time online and less time in front of the television, they "demand more from their advertising... they want information tailored for them, not a mass audience."
LG Electronics and Billboard.com
This MediaPost article reports that LG Electronics and Billboard.com have partnered in a contest/campaign that promotes user-generated content created by synergy in media platforms. The contestants act as mobile marketing journalists who go to concerts, take pictures with their LG camera phones, and then post the photos and review the concert via their billboard.com blogs.
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Jenny Allan is the publications director at the Lupus Foundation of America and the editor for its flagship publication, Lupus Now. She has been living and coping with lupus for the past 15 years.
What is the role of Lupus Now?
Lupus Now provides health information, research updates, personal interviews, and general information on living well with a chronic illness. Not only is it a tangible format that people can refer to time and time again, but it lets them know that there are other people out there who really understand what they are going through. People who live with lupus also tend to need a support group. The magazine regularly prints articles and suggestions for people who know or care for individuals living with lupus.
As someone who is directly affected by lupus, what perspective do you to bring to the magazine?
I understand first-hand what lupus is and what it can do to a person's life—not only from my own personal experiences, but from all the people we hear from who have so many problems because of lupus. I'm fortunate to have my health under control and to have a very strong support system. So I can offer the perspective of a person who is coping well and living successfully with the disease, which I hope will be what the readers need and want to see. Lupus Now strives to stay upbeat, inspiring, and hopeful.
What are some new initiatives that the LFA is working on with the magazine?
Recently, we have started getting the magazine connected with various social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, to reach out to younger audiences and those who are online. Having an online presence allows them to interact with other people who have lupus whenever it is convenient. We've also created a "Creative Corner" on the magazine's website, which features content such as personal essays and poetry, even some cartoons. When you're dealing with all the unpredictability of lupus, humor is really important!
Any words of wisdom for association communications heads?
The most important thing is to know and serve your target audience. And not the audience that is getting your information, but the audience that should be getting your information. It is all about marketing, outreach and promotion—and it takes a lot of dedicated manpower.
If you could start a magazine, what would it be?
A magazine for teens affected by lupus! But that would probably need to be an online publication. Outside of work, it would be a magazine focusing on wildlife. My degree in college was in wildlife and fisheries, and I feel they are the best way to measure and understand the health of our natural environment.
What's your favorite magazine?
I enjoy Smithsonian magazine, not only because it is a local publication but also because it covers a wide range of topics.
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The latest consumer magazines to hit newsstands, courtesy of Magazine Yellow Pages.
A magazine for "women who want to be stylish, sexy, and engaged in the world," this quarterly magazine covers beauty, lifestyle, entertainment, and of course, fashion.
A mixed martial arts magazine that seeks to showcase "the sport's outstanding competitors and personalities in ways never seen before. FIGHT! is bringing the highest standards of Sports Journalism to the great sport of MMA."
A bi-annual magazine that "creates and documents contemporary feminist culture and action by publishing journalism, critical analysis, and visual and text art."