Monday, September 24, 2007
Another thought-provoking piece from David Hepworth in MediaGuardian today. The main thought it provoked in me was whether celebrity/real life content has now become such a generic commodity that there is no 'brand effect', only a marketing expenditure effect.
The 'old' rules of magazine-ness still seem to apply to the traditional community-of-interest groups, whether that be dentists or carp fishing enthusiasts, but the big weekly mags, and some of the monthlies too, seem to rely on a different currency. According to Hepworth's hypothesis, that currency is, literally, currency.
Thus in the UK market it may not matter so much whether the brand is heat or Closer or First; if that is true, the value of what emap is trying to sell is diminished.
The 'old' rules of magazine-ness still seem to apply to the traditional community-of-interest groups, whether that be dentists or carp fishing enthusiasts, but the big weekly mags, and some of the monthlies too, seem to rely on a different currency. According to Hepworth's hypothesis, that currency is, literally, currency.
Thus in the UK market it may not matter so much whether the brand is heat or Closer or First; if that is true, the value of what emap is trying to sell is diminished.
