Do magazines have a Plan B?
By: Michael Chmielewski
Tags: Magazines, Airline, Digital Transformation, Aviation, Digital Magazines

This story was first published April 3, 2020 on LinkedIn.

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To say that we live in a challenging time is an understatement. We have never been faced with the possibility of so many businesses and even whole industries going under as we are right now. It is more important than ever that traditional businesses adapt and evolve, after all, “necessity is the mother of invention.”

Since the spread of Covid-19 we have seen the necessary trend of businesses shifting their focus to digital transformation. One industry immediately affected by the virus, as well as the measures taken to combat it, has been the events industry. A significant amount of media focus has been placed on how gatherings can now occur safely in the digital space. Largely spurred on by the need for better hygiene practices and social distancing, while maintaining a “way of life” that these events represent.

As global supply chains, traditional retail, travel, all sporting events (from professional through to community levels) and social gatherings grind to a halt, another “way of life” industry affected immediately by the outbreak of this Coronavirus is print publishing; in particular magazines. Taking travel as an example, with over 4 billion annual travelers now staying home, the 250+ in-flight magazines spread over 230+ global airlines are now grounded. With their traditional distribution network literally stuck in a “holding pattern,” this affects not only the communication strategy for airlines but also that of their retail and advertising partners from a multitude of sectors.

Similar challenges affect every magazine, from those interwoven with the aforementioned events and sports industry, to those impacted by the limitations placed on their traditional retail or brand-to-hand distribution strategy. In addition, there is an increased public focus on hygiene, dramatically impacting the public’s willingness to share magazines, be it on flights or communal areas such as waiting rooms and airport lounges; traditionally a strength in the distribution funnel.

All this unprecedented upheaval impacts revenue, and ultimately if not addressed, jobs, potentially leading to the collapse of publishers themselves if they do not adapt now, and adapt quickly. Just like digital transformation has come to the rescue for the events industry, print publishers too must look to a digital solution to secure distribution, revenue, jobs, and ultimately their survival.

Magazines are already geared towards digital transformation as every step of their process is on a digital footing, from writing to photography, through to design. Where their digital process stops however, is right at the end of their production path… the point of distribution. This failure to completely implement the digital operating model exposes the sector to major vulnerabilities.

e-Mersion Media’s platform offers publishers and magazines a digital solution to their distribution problems while maintaining and even building on jobs, market share, and revenue models. Magazines benefit from a shareable branded App that works with and enhances their existing publishing process and business model. Advertisers share in these same benefits, a higher ROI through the inclusion of video and e-Commerce integration, and detailed data metrics. All whilst the audience is given an enhanced reading experience, not just a PDF, complete with video and interactive content, and more importantly during and after this pandemic, access from the comfort and safety of their own device.

Digital transformation has always been an intimidating prospect for traditional media, with many fearing that it would lead to job cuts, understandably so given the internet has been the biggest threat to print magazines. However, the e-Mersion Media digital magazine solution now provides brands with all of the benefits of digital, while protecting and even enhancing what makes magazines great. This is still “print,” but now “print” is coming to a screen near you.

In a world where digital may be the only way we can interact with one another at scale for quite some time, e-Mersion Media’s platform is not a threat, it is a much-needed lifeline.

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For more details about e-Mersion Media’s digital magazine platform, click here.