Today’s Australian Financial Review carries the story of the planned launch next month of Red Zero, a new woman’s magazine from Pacific Magazines. What makes Red Zero unique is that it is being published online. You won’t find this magazine on newsagent shelves.
It’s a smart and entirely appropriate move by Pacific Magazines. The target demographic, 16 to 29, spend plenty of time online. If their execution is smart, the magazine will deliver a better return on investment for advertisers than traditional magazine advertising. However, the AFR article talks about an ad cost per page whereas I would have expected to see a cost based on consumer action.
The imminent launch of Australia’s first purely online mass market magazine is further proof of the digital iceberg on the horizon for newsagents. Just as publishers evolve their models in response to consumer trends, newsagents must evolve to ensure they avoid damage from the iceberg.