Title: Magazine publishers and their online strategies: review and implications for research and online-strategy formulation

Authors: Hanna-Kaisa Ellonen, Olli Kuivalainen

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, Lappeenranta 53851, Finland. ' Department of Business and Management, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, Kuopio 70211, Finland

Abstract: This paper explores the current state of online activities of the magazine publishing industry, providing an analytical review of existing knowledge of those online activities. Furthermore, it proposes a simplified framework to help the publishers in planning and in integrating their online operations into their overall strategy process. The framework comprises of three steps: the first is to determine whether the magazine would actually benefit from online presence. The second step is to choose an optimal online strategy that matches the magazine|s competitive strategy. Finally, we argue that magazine publishers should carefully consider to what extent they should invite their readers to be involved. This interactivity could be seen as a key factor as it is our understanding that virtual communities could be a way of creating more value for a magazine|s readers, advertisers and editors, alike.

Keywords: magazine publishing industry; online strategy; internet; virtual communities; web-based communities; technology marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2007.011587

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2007 Vol.2 No.1, pp.81 - 100

Published online: 04 Dec 2006 *

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