So, we’ve already established how much I look forward to visiting the mailbox every day. Part of that anticipation is because I may subscribe to a minimum of 5 magazines at any given point (#magazineaddict).  From a personal and professional perspective, I like nothing better than a well-designed print magazine that tells a brand story. Used correctly, a print magazine can be a masterful part of your marketing mix and these brands below know this. Read on.

The Magnolia Journal

The proof is in the print. Take a look at “Fixer Upper” couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines and their powerhouse Magnolia brand. What started as fixing up one house at a time in Waco, Texas is now a full fledge lifestyle brand.The Magnolia Journal debuted in October with an estimated 400,000 copies. A beautifully designed print magazine is a natural extension to continue to tell the Magnolia brand story. Whether it’s watching “Fixer Upper” or visiting the Silos, readers can continue to dive into the national obsession that is now shiplap, I mean Chip and Joanna Gaines. It goes to prove that print is an integrated part of the overall “Fixer Upper” brand value proposition.

The Furrow

A brand that practically invented the manual on niche publishing and brand storytelling is John Deere.  John Deere has been telling the story of farmers for 120 years. Clocking in at over 2 million global readers, John Deere uses their print magazine to connect with their readership and tell stories that the agriculture community connect to. They have stuck with a tried and true method of print and never deviated. It stands the test of time. It’s a core aspect of their marketing mix. Who would have thought that a farming company would have invented Content Marketing as we know it today?

AirBnB Magazine

Airbnb is an online company that is embracing an offline strategy with AirBnB magazine. The print magazine is geared towards the 20 million strong Airbnb community and their passion for travel and experiences. For their print venture, AirBnB has partnered with magazine powerhouse Hearst to feature content sourced from hosts and regular travelers. For a company that was only recently started in 2008 and is an online company, they see the value in using print to tell their brand story.

According to a recent study by Mequoda, 69.6% of adult Americans have read an average of 2.91 print magazine issues in the last 30 days. This means that 147 million adults have read an average of 428 million print magazine issues in the last 30 days. Magazine readership is far from declining.

As you can see, print is far from dead. We are obviously a little biased since we deeply believe in the power of brand storytelling with our very own Blueline Magazine. As the brands above already know, cultivating a community and telling their stories simply makes for good business and smart marketing.