It’s the conundrum of today’s media brands; how to be platform agnostic, while at the same time providing for an audience that is platform specific, according to Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni. Understanding this key element is the critical factor for success in today’s media landscape.
Husni spoke to the team at World News Publishing recently in advance of his appearance at the 10th annual Middle East WAN-IFRA conference this week in Dubai.
“One of the most important revelations that 2015 has brought us is that it’s not print versus digital, but rather print plus digital,” Husni said. “And that epiphany was essential to the one group this entire industry is all about: our audience, if we actually focus on our audience that will change our whole approach to what we do within the entire media business.”
“And it’s a given that no media company today can exist with a single platform,” Husni continues. “Media companies have to become platform agnostic, however, they also have to keep in mind that while they’re platform agnostic, the audience is far from it, they are platform specific and will continue to be so.
“So, rather than viewing digital as a nemesis to print; we have been enlightened to the fact that without the two components working together; walking side by side, while serving different factions of our audience; we are being the instigators of the feud.
“Print and digital have no arguments between them that the publishing world doesn’t create themselves, but thankfully we have awakened to the 21st century where print and digital are no longer on opposite sides of the playing field, but meeting in the middle and complementing each other skillfully,” he notes.
This approach—this full-on embracing of the realities of our age—is key to everything that comes next. We see growing evidence of digital marketers turning to print, and print magazines using digital to build audience. We will continue to see this evolve and brands better understand what content their readers want in what formats.
It’s a refreshing idea, that there is room for all on the field. But it also serves as a warning—there is only room for the ones who get it, and deliver what their readers want, where and when they want it.