Oh Comely - Industries Case Study
Iceberg Press
Visit the Iceberg Press website - particularly the Who Are We page and the Why Are We Here page. Read the content and then answer the following questions:
1) Why did the people behind Iceberg Press set it up?
-->To bring the spirit of print and vibrant content to wider audiences
2) What is the Iceberg Press mission statement? (It's on the Why Are We Here page and is a series of statements).
It's all about the audience
Chase the work, not the money
Compromise isn't our friend
We will always make time for ideas
We are stronger when we work with others
We want good people to work in a good place
Every year we will help a cause that matters
We believe in a thing called Print.
3) What are the two magazines that Iceberg Press publishes?
-->The Simple Things and Oh Comely
4) What similarities do you notice between The Simple Things magazine and Oh Comely?
-->Both magazines have very minimalist designs.
5) What differences can you find between Hearst UK, publisher of Men's Health, and Iceberg Press?
--> Hearst Communications produce a wide range of print magazines whereas Iceberg Press only produce 2 print magazines.
Writer's Edit journal article
Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industryand answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?
-->A magazine that isn't supported by large publications that control the publication and distribution of the magazine.
2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?
-->That they are increasing
3) What is the aim of Kinfolk magazine and what similarities can you draw with Oh Comely?
-->Simplify the lives of the audience and build more relationships which links to Oh Comely as they have a mission statement that their magazine are all about the audience.
4) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers as Bauer are struggling?
-->It has a niche audience
5) How do independent magazines launch? Look at the example of Alphabet Family Journal.
-->Independent companies need to raise finance in order to launch so they can set up their magazines.
6) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?
-->They use social media to build stronger relationships and to create a strong social media presence.
7) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?
-->This allows the producers to have more creative control over the magazine.
8) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?
-->Shares the strengths of the ideas to create better concepts
9) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?
-->Its tangible which allows the magazine to make the magazine have better quality materials etc.
10) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?
-->You might not make a lot of profit.
Irish Times feature
Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:
1) Why are independent magazines so popular?
--.They have more diverse content which is driven by passion.
2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?
-->This is because the advertisement revenue receives a lot of profit.
3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?
-->The subject of the magazine should not be too broad otherwise your magazine will get lost amongst the hundreds of others that are similar to it. The subject matter should also not be too niche as it will lead to very few people reading the magazine. The magazine should be a balance between these two to ensure that the the audience is engaged and persuaded to purchase this magazine over another.
4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?
-->Distribution is expensive so the they must be confident that the magazine will do well.
5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?
--> Selling graphic prints, T shirts and hosting podcasts related to the content of the magazine.
TCO interview with Ruth Jamieson
Finally, read this excellent interview on the TCO London website with Ruth Jamieson, who has written a book on the renaissance of the independent magazine sector. Answer the following questions:
1) Why does Ruth Jamieson suggest there's a renaissance in independent publishing?
-->Because it easy to start a magazine and find an audience.
2) What are the common themes for successful independent magazines?
--> One common theme is that they are unique in their own way and have something to say.
3) How many of these aspects can you find in Oh Comely? Make specific reference to the CSP pages where possible.
4) How does Jamieson see the future for the magazine industry?
-->It will become more competitive and advertisers will invest in independent magazines more.
5) How might this future impact Oh Comely? Do you think Oh Comely will survive the next five years - and why?
-->I feel like Oh Comely will survive in the next five years as they have developed a very strong brand and a loyal audience. But it will be harder to survive as there will be more competition. And if Oh Comely do not live up to the customers expectations, it might fail.
Visit the Iceberg Press website - particularly the Who Are We page and the Why Are We Here page. Read the content and then answer the following questions:
1) Why did the people behind Iceberg Press set it up?
-->To bring the spirit of print and vibrant content to wider audiences
2) What is the Iceberg Press mission statement? (It's on the Why Are We Here page and is a series of statements).
It's all about the audience
Chase the work, not the money
Compromise isn't our friend
We will always make time for ideas
We are stronger when we work with others
We want good people to work in a good place
Every year we will help a cause that matters
We believe in a thing called Print.
3) What are the two magazines that Iceberg Press publishes?
-->The Simple Things and Oh Comely
4) What similarities do you notice between The Simple Things magazine and Oh Comely?
-->Both magazines have very minimalist designs.
5) What differences can you find between Hearst UK, publisher of Men's Health, and Iceberg Press?
--> Hearst Communications produce a wide range of print magazines whereas Iceberg Press only produce 2 print magazines.
Writer's Edit journal article
Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industryand answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?
-->A magazine that isn't supported by large publications that control the publication and distribution of the magazine.
2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?
-->That they are increasing
3) What is the aim of Kinfolk magazine and what similarities can you draw with Oh Comely?
-->Simplify the lives of the audience and build more relationships which links to Oh Comely as they have a mission statement that their magazine are all about the audience.
4) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers as Bauer are struggling?
-->It has a niche audience
5) How do independent magazines launch? Look at the example of Alphabet Family Journal.
-->Independent companies need to raise finance in order to launch so they can set up their magazines.
6) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?
-->They use social media to build stronger relationships and to create a strong social media presence.
7) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?
-->This allows the producers to have more creative control over the magazine.
8) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?
-->Shares the strengths of the ideas to create better concepts
9) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?
-->Its tangible which allows the magazine to make the magazine have better quality materials etc.
10) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?
-->You might not make a lot of profit.
Irish Times feature
Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:
1) Why are independent magazines so popular?
--.They have more diverse content which is driven by passion.
2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?
-->This is because the advertisement revenue receives a lot of profit.
3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?
-->The subject of the magazine should not be too broad otherwise your magazine will get lost amongst the hundreds of others that are similar to it. The subject matter should also not be too niche as it will lead to very few people reading the magazine. The magazine should be a balance between these two to ensure that the the audience is engaged and persuaded to purchase this magazine over another.
4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?
-->Distribution is expensive so the they must be confident that the magazine will do well.
5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?
--> Selling graphic prints, T shirts and hosting podcasts related to the content of the magazine.
TCO interview with Ruth Jamieson
Finally, read this excellent interview on the TCO London website with Ruth Jamieson, who has written a book on the renaissance of the independent magazine sector. Answer the following questions:
1) Why does Ruth Jamieson suggest there's a renaissance in independent publishing?
-->Because it easy to start a magazine and find an audience.
2) What are the common themes for successful independent magazines?
--> One common theme is that they are unique in their own way and have something to say.
3) How many of these aspects can you find in Oh Comely? Make specific reference to the CSP pages where possible.
4) How does Jamieson see the future for the magazine industry?
-->It will become more competitive and advertisers will invest in independent magazines more.
5) How might this future impact Oh Comely? Do you think Oh Comely will survive the next five years - and why?
-->I feel like Oh Comely will survive in the next five years as they have developed a very strong brand and a loyal audience. But it will be harder to survive as there will be more competition. And if Oh Comely do not live up to the customers expectations, it might fail.
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