'Magnificent Magforum'- University of Westminister Journalism website

Contract, custom and customer publishers

This page by Tony Quinn lists leading 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;
• custom magazine publishers - a US term;
• corporate publishing agencies;
• client magazine publishers;
• courtesy magazine publishers;
• relationship communications agencies; or
• magazine publishing agencies.

Publishing agencies produce magazines, newsletters, brochures, catalogues, websites and other marketing materials 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). In the UK, the industry developed in the mid-1980s, but Germany has long had free store magazines, '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. 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 danger by not allowing direct response advertising, but that limits the advertising base.

Publishing agencies specialise

Custom publishers, and their products, are becoming more specialised. For example, in October 2005, 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 suggests readers of the courtesy magazine spend more in Debenhams than the average store card holder, visit more departments and are more likely to buy.

Contract magazines globally

Internationalising titles is becoming more important. For example, the Ikea magazine published by August is printed in seven editions in 10 languages, with a run of 1.7 million. 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.

Contract publishing information

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 has a Mintel summary on its website, though the research was done in 2004. 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.

Formed in May 2007 as a Bath-based joint venture between games website developer Eurogamer Network and custom publisher MediaClash to specialise in customer publishing for games retailers, publishers, developers and distributors. MediaClash was set up in 2006 by former Future chief Greg Ingham and Jane Ingham, a former managing director of Future UK. A week before the announcment, Greg Ingham had joined Eurogamer as chairman. The domain name www.euroclash.co.uk was registered by MediaClash in March 2007, but was not active at start of 2008.

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.

Publicis Blueprint Back to top

Founded 1999. Now a subsidiary of French advertising agency Publicis Groupe. Clients include Asda, Debenhams, Prudential, Toni & Guy and Visit Britain. In 2007, Publicis Blueprint adopted a strategy of expansion by publishing titles that were funded from selling advertising. However, there were some problems, resulting in the closure of Blockbuster Preview. The strategy was switched back to one based on client fees. The agency resigned from contracts for hotel chain magazines De Vere Deluxe, Mal Life and Du Vin.

• Dad  April 2003 pilot on newsstands and given to fathers-to-be attending scans in selected hospitals. From September that year, NHS distribution was nationwide twice a year, reaching a potential 670,000 fathers. Edited by Jack O'Sullivan, a founder of Fathers Direct, the national information centre on fatherhood
• Newspaper Magazine (bi-annual; Nov 2003). Used footballers as models for features on sport and fashion. Contract title for Absolute Publications. Broadsheet size in style of newspaper sports pages
• Style Journal (quarterly). Luxury, fashion and lifesytle title for US newspaper publisher Dow Jones distributed with The Wall Street Journal Europe.

Contract publisher headed by journalist William Cash. Publications include Spear’s Wealth Management Survey, a quarterly sent to 25,000 wealthy people and families across Europe, and Annabel's Wine & Cellar Magazine, for the London night club. Contact: 36A Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3HX.

Custom publishers

• Absolute
• Alchemy Worx
• Alma
• Aspect
• Atom
• August Media
• Axon
• BBC Customer Publishing
• Benham Publishing
• Big
• Brooklands
• Cedar
• Condé Nast
• CPL
• Crimson Impact
• Dennis Communications
• Euroclash
• Forward Publishing
• Freeway Media
• Haymarket Network
• ICP
• Illustrated London News
• Ink
• James Pembroke
• John Brown Citrus
• Just (TPA)
• Kava Media
• Mediamark
• New Crane
• News Magazines
• Newsdesk
• Northstar
• PA Customer Publishing
• PSP Rare
• 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