VF Restricts Print Content Online

What’s a blog post without a link to share the story with others? Vanity Fair has taken on this new tactic to boost print sales. Rather than providing a link to a story covered in upcoming magazines, they will, from now on, be releasing stories to select bloggers to talk about stories, but keep their extensive content on the DL. The magazine has recognized that sharing all their magazine stories online for free eliminates the need for consumers to buy the tangible magazine.

We all know that digital/online magazine platforms are essentially working to make print magazines obsolete, which personally breaks my heart as an avid magazine subscriber (seven and counting…). However, this is a logical solution on Vanity Fair’s part. The full magazine is still available for a low-cost subscription on a computer or iPad, which includes all the same advertisements placements to reach the target audience as the physical print magazine.

Women’s Wear Daily (Better known as “WWD”), a daily newspaper of sorts in the fashion world, has always had this policy when it comes to online content. A viewer can read a Twitter-sized portion of an article, but is prompted to order a subscription to get the whole scoop.

I think this is an intelligent idea on the magazine industry’s part. If we want to save print magazines, we can’t just give everything away for free online. What do you think?

Source: Mediaworks