One Year Later, Allrecipes Print Venture is Booming

[responsive]allrecipes[/responsive]At the time, it was a fairly bold concept – take a successful digital-only platform and use that as the basis to launch a print magazine. Bold, and brilliant, as Allrecipes has grown from their initial launch in mid-2013 to a million+ circulation title.

And they are much more than a print success story, according to this MagWorld article. They have worked this reverse model into a highly successful multi-channel user experience with 1.4 billion site visits and 23 million app downloads.

How did they do it? By carefully listening to their core customers and understanding where, how and why they engage with their content.

“The core Allrecipes consumer wants content in every format and through all media channels. The magazine resonated with readers by providing visually appealing information, curated content around special holidays and the time of year, and additional food-related editorial beyond just recipes,” explained Meredith’s Stan Pavlovsky.

“And, from a business standpoint, we are able to generate consumer revenue with the magazine through our paid subscriptions. Allrecipes.com is the core subscription driver for the magazine, in essence converting consumers who have experienced the brand digitally and are now willing to pay to get quality content in print format on an ongoing basis,” Pavlovsky continued.

Their growing success can be attributed in large part to their understanding of the strengths of each channel, and knowing that the print magazine offers non-existent in digital format.

“Each channel delivery for Allrecipes maximises [sic] the strength of consumer engagement from an editorial standpoint. The magazine reflects the core brand essence of the web site, but enhances the experience in print with professional photography, recipe testing, curated content, and additional features that can’t be found online,” Pavlovsky explains.

“We realize [sic] that a consumer goes to the website for very specific needs and expects results. The magazine has the ability to offer a longer term view on upcoming occasions, stimulating ideas through engaging editorial and visuals, and highlighting recipes that you might never find as a consumer on the site (we call those ‘hidden gems’),” he notes.

As more digital brands make the move to print, they would be shrewd to look to Allrecipes for ideas on how to get this right.