The London-centric media have just discovered life beyond the M25, apparently. And this section of the Great British public is increasingly interested in content focused on the area they live in.
As a PR agency in Manchester, we think this leaning towards localised media makes a lot of sense. It’s not rocket science, the newspapers have been doing it for years, and now the magazines are getting in on the act.
In August, Glamour announced that it was to include 15 pages of regional content. So now Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Newcastle and London all get time to shine on these new pages, complete with bespoke versions of the cover.
And Good Housekeeping, a magazine boasting nearly half a million monthly readers, is to follow suit, according to The Guardian. 70,000 copies of December’s issue will include 16 pages dedicated to the historic counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, and parts of North Wales. Incidentally, they have also joined the growing band of journalist tweeps, @GHMagazine.
The monthly title’s editors see the North West as having a strong identity, and a rich cultural heritage. Which is something the good folk from round these parts will no doubt whole-heartedly agree with. The local content will include a what’s on guide and a column by Liverpool-based journalist Susan Lee. The region’s wealth of restaurants will be showcased, as will local food and produce, along with successful female business people from the area.
The National Magazine Company is responsible for publishing the glossy. If this new localised approach works the concept could be rolled out across other titles in its portfolio. We believe this could well happen, meaning you’ll be seeing more than a few major titles increasing their focus on cities like Manchester and Liverpool.