Abstract
Everyone loves getting the inside curve on something new. Now, magazines that used to do this with features about what was on trend are going one step further. They are offering insider access that they hope readers will pay more for, making them committed to the title. As print sales slow (though nowhere near as fast as newspapers), the idea of magazine readers joining a “club” is gaining momentum. It is usually tied to a subscription to the print issue, but it adds a lot more treats.
Over at the Beano, a recently introduced fan club annual membership at £20 includes a letter from the editor, a fan pack with fluffy Gnasher badge, and even a special edition Christmas card, all delivered from Beano Towers. It is also offering an “exclusive” online event. The blurb is clearly fashioned to attract parents and grandparents who have been members of the Dennis the Menace fan club in the 70s and 80s and have proudly worn the famous badge. It’s all a bit pricier than the original membership fee of 75p, but it comes with a lot more bells and whistles.
At a different end of the age spectrum, Good Housekeeping is modelling a new club class for 2024. The 100-year-old magazine emailed prospective members in March and April to hype up the launch of its VIP members’ club. There’s a waiting list to join and an exclusive founding members’ deal. They hint at what is going to be on offer, but suggest the rest is being kept under wraps. What we know so far is that there will be a mix of live events, members-only conversations with editors, free e-books, and special guests. Other tempting appetisers are access to the GH testing team, who have famously pushed and prodded products for decades, and a free ticket to the annual GH four-day event in London. Hearst, GH’s owner, is keeping the price under its hat so far.
Another heritage title is bringing a horticultural twist. The Gardener’s World offer includes the opportunity for members to ask its experts questions about gardening headaches, such as slugs or black rot. You also get discounts on plants and seeds. Ed Garcia, head of retention at GW’s owner Immediate Media, said half the magazine’s print subscribers, 90,000 people, had signed up for this premium-level service. And over at Empire magazine, film fans have the chance to get closer to Hollywood figures such as Michael Keaton and James Cameron if they join the VIP club. This, along with access to insider podcasts and the chance to meet members of the Empire editorial team, plus invites to advance film releases, has worked well enough to encourage the media giant and Empire owner, Bauer, to test out the club concept with other magazines.
This idea of a premium price being tied to exclusivity is not new. Bricks-and-mortar members’ clubs have been around for centuries, and magazines have experimented with fan clubs. But a magazine “club” for an additional fee that includes in-person events and special access to experts on a regular basis feels like a new take on an old theme. The music magazine NME has just made the move back into print but is deliberately making finding a copy a challenge. It promised only a limited print run, available in just a few shops, leaving eager fans to search high and low. It is the opposite of the pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap sales technique. NME believes creating hard-to-find collectors’ items will give them higher value, and a buzz around getting hold of a copy.
Can premium pricing and the allure of exclusivity give an extended life to print? For the magazines betting on it, it feels like a gamble worth taking and a possible way forward for publishing.
