Oh Comely Industries case study - blog tasks

Iceberg Press

Iceberg magazine was set up by 3 friends and colleagues were working for one of the biggest publishing companies. They believed that there was a better way to create and publish magazines. Together they created a publishing company where the readers were as important as the advertisers and where audiences could relate to. 

The Iceberg Press mission statement is to prioritise the audience, to make time for ideas and work with others to be at the best that they can possibly be. 

Iceberg Press publish, both, The Simple Things and Oh Comely.

The Simple Things and Oh Comely magazines are both very creative and modern. Their consumers are very intelligent and are most likely readers who are potentially interested in art and photography because both covers have very artistic features.

Hearst UK is a conglomerate that owns hundreds of radio and television stations and publishes hundreds of magazines and newspapers also. Iceberg Press only published 2 magazines and does not own any television stations.

Writer's Edit journal article

An independent print magazine is a magazine that isn't supported by large publications that control the publication and distribution of the said magazine.

Hamilton (2013) suggests that independent magazines in the digital age "are thriving even as the global newspaper and book industries falter"

Kinfolks aim to prioritise their audience and the lifestyle of their consumers. This is similar to Oh Comely as their mission statement is all about placing their audience over any other factor (money and advertising).

The article suggests that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers are struggling. This is because independent magazines have a strong online presence and loyal readers that keep up to date with new issues of the magazine. Global magazines do not have this same online presence.

The Alphabet Family Journal launched when they employed a filmmaker to produce a short film to exemplify the mission of the magazine. This film, along with the strength of an online following, allowed them to obtain sufficient funds which enabled them to cover production costs of the magazine 

The article suggests independent publishers use digital media to target and attract their niche audiences by focusing on their interests.

significantly, independent magazines are owned and created by the same people. This is because the founders, editors and art directors will all collectively share a similar creative vision, which allows for a high-quality magazine. 

The article suggests that the  'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines' comes with a plethora of benefits. One of which is the freedom to produce magazines without rushed deadlines that might alter the quality of it.

Audiences might love the printed form in the digital age as it can create a sense of escapism from technology and provides nostalgia to the reader too.

Independent magazines rely on their high prices and subscriptions to continue producing the magazine. Independent magazines strive to keep their consumers intrigued and captivated enough to continue purchasing their magazines. 

Irish Times feature

Independent magazines are so popular as they subvert the conventions of typical magazines.

The magazine publishing industry is set up to favour the big global conglomerates as it allows them to gain mass profit, which enables them to stay in business.

The article suggests that finding an audience for an independent magazine is difficult, this is because independent audiences are catered to a specific, nice audience. Finding the correct audience is vital as they must obtain a strong audience base before publishing to ensure they can obtain a profit. 

One big challenge that distributors face is money.  Shipping boxes of magazines are expensive which puts distributors at risk. If the magazines don't sell, the distributors will have lost money and they also would have to pay to ship the unsold magazines back.

Some Independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. The article gives the example of the League of Ireland fan culture where audiences can host events, sell graphic prints and even set up a Patreon account where you can host football podcasts.

TCO interview with Ruth Jamieson

Ruth Jamieson suggests there's a renaissance in independent publishing as it's easier to start a magazine and find an audience.

Independent magazines are often successful when they are innovative through their core idea and/or art.

Oh Comely features beautiful art but also has a strong, unique concept in their core.

Jamieson sees the future for the magazine industry as advertisers investing more into independent magazines as they have a more global readership. Mainstream magazines are trying to replicate and implement an indie feel. 

I think Oh Comely will survive in the next five years. This is because they have loyal readers that appreciate the qualities of the magazine. The magazine also breaks out of the typical guidelines seen in mainstream magazines and creates an environment for readers to be able to relate to the content that they are in-taking.