Over the past two years publishers have realised that they shouldn’t take their audiences for granted. Research around loyalty and brand recognition on social platforms found that consumers were less engaged with publishers on those channels than had been assumed.
Pot publications are one of the few growth areas in media. High Times Media, which has delayed but not canceled plans to become a publicly listed company, said Thursday it is buying Green Rush Daily for $500,000 cash plus $6.4 million in stock.
Delivered from behind a transparent podium in an opulent downtown Manhattan ballroom, much to the adoration of New York’s media elite, Carolyn Kylstra’s acceptance speech appeared almost cathartic.
Publishers focused on growing consumer revenue will take opportunities wherever they can find them, even abroad. But international markets come with specific challenges, including a low propensity to subscribe, complicated tax issues and lower awareness of U.S. publishing brands.
Many U.S. magazines are barely keeping their heads above water. And with further advertising declines, more paper price increases, a newsstand system that’s circling the drain and the prospect of huge postal increases, it’s likely to get uglier in Magazine Land.
The notion of a digital newsstand is nothing new, but 2018 has seen a revival of the concept following several large shots in the arm, as publishers and platforms continue to seek new ways to engage users and monetise their products.
