in this issue: industry buzz | green today, gone tomorrow? | interview: rails-to-trail's kaleba | latest launches From hybrid cars to the Emmy awards and everything in between, environmentally friendly practices have moved from trend to mainstream culture. In this "green" issue of Engage, we explore eco-friendly printing—will that be our next reality? We also take a look at one organization that is environmentally-friendly in both its mission and its communications strategy. Don't forget to check out the new launches, and see why newspapers want to be magazines. If you get even one idea, we'd like to think Engage is worth reading.
How does one define the word "cool"? A recent poll uncovered the top 500 "CoolBrands," according to this article from MediaGuardian, and while interactive media and social networking may be the newest things out there, older print magazines are just as "cool." Magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair were ranked high among the top 500, with many more making the cut. "CoolBrands are not measured by traditional criteria such as size and sales," but by consumers' perception of their style, innovation, uniqueness, and authenticity. Check out the full list...
In other news, the number of top-50 U.S. magazines offering video features has nearly doubled. According to a Bivings Group analysis, 60% of these top magazines now include video on their Web sites.
Newspapers Spawning Magazines
From the Wall Street Journal to the Boston Globe to the New York Post, newspaper after newspaper seems to be dabbling in the magazine realm. According to this article, the Wall Street Journal is launching a hi-end monthly magazine next September that will be available both in print and online. A separate article reports that the Boston Globe is launching Lola, a monthly women's "on-the-go lifestyle" magazine, starting this November. Finally, this article reveals that the New York Post is taking its well-known gossip page, Page Six to be exact, and turning it into a weekly glossy magazine.
Judging a Magazine by Its Cover
While no one wants to be guilty of judging an object by its outward appearance, sometimes, when that outward appearance comes in the form of a magazine cover, it can make or break the issue's overall success. This FOLIO: magazine article unlocks the secrets of three top magazines, each known for consistently high-quality cover designs that break the mold and stand out from the competition.
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by Judy Kirkland
In the 1990s, an overwhelming number of printers, publishers and packagers had environmentally friendly, or "green," agendas. But cost and quality concerns soon swept those agendas off the table. Now, green is back in vogue—but is it just another trend, or something more?
A majority of paper mills and printers seem to think green practices not only are here to stay, but also are going to multiply in the future, so they are investing in Forest Stewardship Council certification. Like certified-organic food, FSC-certified papers can be costlier, and choices are often limited. But a growing demand for green practices from larger customers and organizations could radically alter the printing industry—and your choices.
There's plenty to consider as you look toward a greener future. For example, if recycled paper isn't right for your publication, Co-op America suggests that it might work for other marketing materials. Many of the chemicals used in the printing process are toxic, so simple practices such as trading chemical coatings for aqueous/water-based coatings, or petroleum ink for soy ink, might be viable options. And you can always ask your printer to suggest eco-friendly options for bindings, adhesives and plastic bags.
Green with envy? Here are a few more things to consider:
Tell us your views on green printing: concerns, innovations, personal experience, where it fits in your future.
click here to suggest a trend
What is the role of Rails to Trails Magazine within the organization?
What is the most important benefit the magazine has brought the organization?
What steps does Rails-to-Trails Conservancy take to make its publishing environmentally friendly?
What are the biggest challenges Rails to Trails faces?
What words of wisdom do you have for association communication heads?
What is your favorite magazine?
What is your favorite Web site?
looking for more? suggest additional interview questions.
Forest Stewardship Council
Coordinates the development of forest management standards throughout the U.S., and provides the public with information about certification.
How To Make Your Printing Greener
Three questions to ask a printer before any job; How green printing can make a good impression.
Paper Calculator
Learn how to assess the impact of specific paper choices on our forests.
Different, Not Difficult
A white paper for magazine publishers that highlights myths, realities and easy ways to phase in sustainability.
The magazine is really the voice of our movement, and allows us to show a clear cohesion of message across all of our departments. Especially when working with a green cause, we need to have a strong message that resonates and is clear to the public. We want our members to see that we are "doing right" by their support—that we are working to get their initiatives off the ground. We ask our readers to think outside of themselves and act altruistically for a national movement. They don't necessarily see a direct or immediate result in their town. The magazine allows us to deliver a strong message, with relevant news and a reason for their continued support.
The clearest benefit of the magazine is awareness. In a recent readership survey, we learned that there was a fairly high pass-along rate of the magazine. In addition to the usual "picked up a copy in the doctors office" story, there were many people who said friends or family were sending them the magazine after theyd finished reading it. I knew this to some extent, anecdotally—but to have non-members responding to the survey, saying they received the magazine by other means, was exciting. Clearly, through the magazine, the rail-trail movement reaches far beyond even our membership totals. The challenge now, of course, is: how do we convert those pass-along readers to members?
We recently started printing using soy-based ink, as opposed to petroleum-based ink, after our printer offered us the easy option. In the last three to five years we have also reduced our total paper consumption by at least 75 percent by doing a lot of our work electronically. All of our writing is done on the computer, and all editing is done with tracked changes, so we really cut back on the overall paperwork—which also creates more room in my filing cabinet!
One of our biggest challenges is to constantly keep our content fresh and intriguing. Our organization has a seemingly narrow focus, so we are always trying to look at our niche in a new way. We want to make sure the magazine is exciting and interesting for our readers, issue after issue.
Association publishers are constantly walking a fine line as they are writing and communicating with an agenda. There is a mission behind their magazines and associations that needs to be protected and represented; so while both sides to every issue should be presented, it needs to be done so in a way that constantly supports and protects this mission.
Probably Real Simple magazine, because it gives me the illusion that one day I will be as organized as it says I can be—although this is truly a fairytale.
Right now, my favorite Web site is Savage Chickens. This cartoonist does all the illustrations on a Post-it Note, and there is not one day that goes by that couldn't be improved by checking them out.
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The latest magazines to hit newsstands...
"Aromatherapy...the practical use of essential oils as a holistic health alternative for health, home, food and beauty." This new quarterly magazine is the first for this niche crowd.
Are you passionate about bicycling, sustainability and healthy living? Then this magazine is just for you! With articles that inform and inspire, the magazine teaches people to "ride more and drive less!"
With the tagline "Something to Offend Everyone," this custom magazine, from Jesse James' custom bike and car shop West Coast Choppers, has already sold out its premiere issue.
Empower and educate: this magazine provides the Latino teen community with bilingual content and "positive reading material that is relevant to the Hispanic experience."