A while back I was interviewed by designer Sam Ashby for his mag-tastic MA project – Oracle. Thanks for the opportunity, Sam. And congrats.
Sam interviewed other mag folk too, including magCulture’s Jeremy Leslie, Stack’s Steve Watson, Little Joe’s Sam Ashby (another one) and The Church of London’s Danny Miller. Esteemed company, for sure.
During the interview I suggested larger publishers would soon be offering digital iPad editions of their magazines free-of-charge to print subscribers as a way of promoting subscriptions.
Looking forward, I wonder if publishers will begin to question how valuable a digital replica of a print magazine really is. (Are print subscribers interacting with free digital editions in a meaningful way?)
In time, I believe only the most innovative (yet easy to use) digital editions will last. And I think we’ll see simpler, bespoke multi-device apps offered free-of-charge to magazine print subscribers.
Regular bespoke apps must be a more cost-effective way to promote and encourage brand loyalty and long-term print subscriptions. Plus they’re something a publisher could realistically sell to print magazine readers who may not want to subscribe.
