View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
October 14, 2004updated 22 Nov 2022 12:14pm

Subscribers get a personal welcome

By Press Gazette

Monthly B2B magazine PrintMedia Management went for the personal touch when it celebrated its second anniversary – sending each of its 15,000 subscribers a copy with their first name on the cover.

Digital technology was used to create personalised copies in what is thought to be a UK publishing first. Subscribers’ addresses were on the back.

The issue included articles about how the technology, produced for the magazine by digital print specialists dsi Group, could revolutionise parts of the print industry from direct mail to newspapers andmagazines.

Editor Jonathan Levy said: “Our issue has a lot about the benefits of this technology so we thought we would practice what we preach and open people’s minds to what it could do. We saw what dsi were doing and came up with the concept.”

He added that the process was expensive and publishers would have to decide whether the commercial benefits outweighed the costs.

The technology is seen as most useful to marketers and companies sending direct mail but Levy believes there could also be benefits for publishing.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

He said: “If the technology was used inmagazine publishing there could be personalised content using information in databases. As the technology becomes more affordable, publishers would have to decide how relevant it is to their readers and how much they could benefit.

“Far from killing print, digital technology is creating a new set of creative opportunities for putting ink on paper in a way that complements new electronic media.”

By Sarah Lagan

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network