'Magnificent Magforum'- University of Westminister Journalism website

Contract, custom and customer publishers
(page 1: Absolute to Just) (Kava to Zone) (page 3: tables)

This 2010 page by Tony Quinn lists leading customer magazine publishing agencies, which are otherwise known as:

• contract magazine publishers - how such companies were known in the 1980s in the UK;
• customer magazine publishers - the main UK term;
• customer publishing agencies;
• custom magazine publishers - a US term (also used for custom books);
• content agencies;
• corporate publishing agencies;
• client magazine publishers;
• courtesy magazine publishers;
• relationship communications agencies; or
• magazine publishing agencies.

Related to this are the overlapping concepts of branded content and advertorials. Branded content relates to articles, films or digital material being funded and distributed by a company and featuring its products. Soap operas in the 1950s can be seen as examples, as can the Meerkats websites by VCCP for Comparethemarket.com. An advertorial is advertising material designed to look like editorial. Many contract publishers do such work.

Magazines are often used as the basis for customer relationship management (CRM) programmes, both in print and online.

The customer publisher profiles are divided between three pages:

• Absolute to Just (TPA) [this page]
• Kava to Zone
• Tables: top customer publishers and leading magazines

A customer publishing agency produces magazines, newsletters, brochures, catalogues and other marketing or communications materials in print and digital formats to be read by the customers, employees or clients of large companies. Many contract publishers are controlled by advertising or other marketing agencies; others are divisions of mainstream consumer or business publishers (magazine sectors explained). Just as likely though is that the company was set up by a couple of journalists or people with a background in advertising sales or design. The UK industry became highly professionalised from the mid-1980s, but such magazines existed in the Victorian era and Germany has long had free magazines for retail chains, 'Kundenzeitschriften'. The term 'custom magazines' is mainly used in the US; it can also refer to book publishers who make up bespoke books.

Customer magazine agencies are usually funded by the marketing departments of their clients - who will also vet all the editorial and advertising. Some offset the costs through selling advertising but this is difficult in competitive markets and can raise problems for clients. For example, a computer maker may have distributors or dealers who also sell other kit - advertising in the magazine can give them access to all the client's customers. Clients can restrict the risk by not allowing direct response advertising, but that limits the advertising base.

Of course, the agencies have expanded into the digital arena, producing websites, microsites, digital magazines and ezines, social networks, email campaigns, podcasts, mobile apps and video. In 2010, Mintel estimated that digital work accounted for 25% of agencies' income - up from just 10% a year earlier. Part of the job may be 'curating' user-generated content such as Facebook postings and responses to blogs. Customer publishing agencies see themselves as using editorial-style content to improve the link between brands and customers in a measurable way, often as part of loyalty programmes and relationship marketing. They claim a high ROI - return on investment.

Publishing agencies specialise Back to top

Custom publishers, and their products, are becoming more specialised. They now produce magazines and catalogues - both in print and online (websites, digital magazines, e-mails, social networking) - for businesses, charities, education establishments, government departments and institutions. These may be aimed at consumers (business to consumer, B2C), other businesses (B2B), members of bodies or supporters of organisations such as charities and political parties. Publishing agencies have becomee 'branded content experts' advising their clients on many facets of aspects of customer communications.

Companies are starting to break down their customer base and address them with more than one title. For example, Sky, the satellite publisher, has four titles for its subscribers: Sky Magazine, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky Kids from four publishers; all of them are in the top 10 circulation list for contract titles.

Some companies focus on sectors or have a special expertise. Alchemy Worx, for example, specialises in email marketing using digital magazines (ezines).

Seven launched a customer magazine for Sainsbury's that was tailored for different types of customer as part of the supermarket's 'Try something new today' campaign fronted by TV chef Jamie Oliver. Fresh Ideas is a quarterly sent to 1.5m Nectar card holders. Customers are divided into three groups by card data: those with families, those without and baby-boomers. The cover and 16 of the 100 editorial pages are changed for each group.

Publicis Blueprint is a customer publishing agency that produces customer magazines for Prudential three times a year with a 3.8m circulation. Different versions are sent to customers at various 'life stages' - single, married, families, retired, etc - depending on their age. The agency also has a translation division.

An important factor in Blueprint winning the title of Customer Publishing Agency of the Year in 2005 was its focus on 'proof of effectiveness'. At the start of a project, performance indicators and measurement indicators are set. In the case of its Debenhams magazine Desire, one metric was to provide proof of its ability to change customer behaviour. Evidence suggested readers of the courtesy magazine spent more in Debenhams than the average store card holder, visit more departments and were more likely to buy.

Contract magazines globally

Internationalising titles is becoming more important. For example, August Media's Ikea Family Live was produced in 25 languages across 22 countries with a circulation of 30 million in 2010. Forward Publishing was a pioneer in this area in the late 1980s, with its work for IBM.

In the US, Redwood Custom Communications sells advertising for the relationship communications magazines, in-flight radio, television network and ambient media of airlines. Its clients include Air France, British Airways, Sears, Sea Island, Canadian Automobile Association and Kraft.

In 2010, many UK groups sought to expand outside Europe, with John Brown working in South Africa, China and Japan.

Contract publishing information Back to top

For more sources, go to Links. Both Mintel and Key Note produce relevant reports. These cost £300-£900, but may be held by specialist public libraries, such as the City Business Library. Summaries are given on the websites. Contract publishing is often classified as direct marketing (Direct Marketing Association).

The UK's Association of Publishing Agencies (APA) has 40 members representing over 90% of the UK market. The APA summaries the benefits of customer magazines on its website and links to research summaries. Germany has a Corporate Publishing Forum with 45 members and the US has the Custom Publishing Council with 50 members.

Contract publisher founded in 1997 that specialises in travel, sport, consumer and B2B magazines. Magazine clients include ABTA, the travel association (Absolute's first client) and the American Society of Travel Agents. Also produces direct response publications for clients such as The Mail on Sunday and OK! and digital magazines.

Axon Publishing
Axon was founded by Paul Keers, launch editor for GQ in the UK and a former editor at Redwood, and Ellen Brush, former head of production at Redwood. Axon clients include M&S, Michelin Tyres, St Pancras International, National Childbirth Trust, University of Bedfordshire and The Royal Marsden.

BBC Customer Publishing
Part of Bristol Magazines, a company formed by the BBC when it sold the hobby titles of Origin to its managers. Titles include About the House, for the Royal Opera House, which won an APA Effectiveness Award for 2007; Escape for Wessex Trains; and HMV Choice.

Benham Publishing Top

Benham produces directories, magazines, yearbooks, conference brochures, planning and mapping guides and event guides for industry, chambers of commerce, institutes, government and trade associations.

Craft   Back to top
Craft was founded in 2007 by creative and publishing director Christopher Lockwood, formerly of Wallpaper, and editorial director Matthew Line, who edited Homes & Gardens, relaunched She in 2005 and before that was at Redwood. Craft specialises in upmarket and luxuy brands. Clients include Burlington Arcade, the RAC Club, the White Company and Jaeger. In 2008, the company launched Distill, a six-yearly digest of the global fashion press; this turned into an iPhone application for the third issue in November 2009.

Fitzgerald Shurey Tarbuck is a multimedia agency set up in 2007 by Mark Fitzgerald and James Shurey, both formerly of Publicis Blueprint, and James Tarbuck, formerly of Toni & Guy, the hair salon chain. FST’s first magazine was in 2008 for Toni & Guy, an account it won from Publicis Blueprint. In 2009, FST won the contract to launch an online customer relationship management (eCRM) programme and digital magazine for Habitat, the home furnishings retailer.

In 1961, Illustrated Newspapers Ltd was a glossy magazine publisher worth about £6.75m under chairman Angus Irwin and controlled by John Ellerman, a shipping millionaire. It published the Illustrated London News, Sphere, Tatler and Bystander, the Draper's Record and Men's Wear, as well as owning the Michael Joseph book publishing house. However, the group was taken over by Sunday Times owner Roy Thomson in December 1961.

The Illustrated London News was launched by Herbert Ingram in 1842 as the first pictorial newspaper and produced a groundbreaking colour supplement from 1855 - resulting in a circulation of 200,000.

Custom publishers

• Absolute
• Abstract Associates
• Alchemy Worx
• Alma
• Aspect - now Abstract
• Atom
• August Media
• Axon
• BBC Cust Pub
• Benham Publishing
• Brooklands (closed)
• Cedar
• CMYK Design
• Condé Nast
• CPL
• Craft
• Dennis Comms
• Euroclash
• Fitzgerald Shurey Tarbuck
• Forward Publishing
• Freeway Media
• Haymarket Network
• ICP
• Illustrated London News
• Ink
• James Pembroke
• John Brown
• Just (TPA)
• Kava Media
• MediaClash
• Mediamark
• New Crane
• News Magazines
• Newsdesk
• Northstar
• PA Customer Pub'g
• PSP Rare
• Pressgang
• Prompt Marketing
• Publicis Blueprint
• Real London
• Redactive Media
• Redhouse
• Redwood Publishing
• River
• Seven Squared
• Show Media
• Spear Media
• Square One
• Summersault
• Sunday
• Ten Alps
• The Publishing Agency
• Think
• Touchline
• Wardour
• Zero Collective
• Zone