Australian magazines moving online to avoid “extinction”

17Feb09

Australian Anthill magazine announced this week that it is reducing its print frequency and increasing its online presence to counter what they have identified as publishing’s “extinction level event”.

On launching the new WordPress based Anthill site, publisher and founder James Tuckerman was quoted on Mumbrella explaining:

“The next 12 months will be an extinction level event for many Australian publishers unless they adapt to this changing environment, and quickly. The future of business marketing is all about educating customers, rather than flogging them product.”

“We have begun the process of changing our focus from a business magazine with a solid website to a digital media company with a fuller, fatter publication.”

Here is at least one publisher who sees that the writing is on the wall for his industry and that they must adapt or die.

As an occasional reader of Anthill, I was interested in this new direction. Their new site look very nice and has plenty of great information. Suddenly Anthill is on my radar and I have added the site to my Google reader, ensuring that I will be dropping in more regularly.

Its more confirmation that we are indeed at a turning point in media and marketing history. Some pundits are suggesting that 2009 will see the death of press and while that may be a premature call, there is no doubt that media consumption habits are changing. Certainly, media buying giants such as Harold Mitchell have conceded that we have now entered an era where digital is becoming the permanent force.

Last year Marketing Magazine in Australia also decided to increase their online presence, and it appears to be paying dividends. Marketing is now a more relevant and topical publisher due to their increased online content, participation in online communities and sourcing of material from predominant bloggers. For me, Marketing went from being a very occasional read, to a regular part of my information diet.

Perhaps Marketing and Anthill have been inspired by the efforts of Fast Company and Inc. in the USA who have morphed from being innovative magazine publishers to innovative online publishers with a magazine.

Fast Company was one of the first media sites to adopt a very web 2.0 attitude, inviting contributions and comments. They launched Fast Company TV through their site which incorporates Fast Company Live, ScobleizerTV and WorkFastTV.  The main site has a great selection of stories, slide shows and videos.

Inc. is a little more traditional in its online presence but does include plenty of mixed media.

The point is that Inc., Fast Company and now Marketing and Anthill have abandoned dogmatic adherence to their old delivery methods and concentrated on delivering quality content, whether it be online or in print. Their respective publishers acknowledge that times are changing and can see that they may not be printing magazines in a few years time. They market will decide their preferred format.

How many more publications will we see moving online in the next year? How many will be victims of the “extinction level event”?

Likewise, what are or should other traditional media be doing to address their woes before extinction becomes a real possibility for them too?

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