“We went big, we went bold,” says Andy. “We were very transparent and communicated with readers and advertisers across all channels throughout the transition. Yes, we transformed our media, but the point was to give readers an enhanced experience on the digital channels, and to give advertisers increased exposure and ROI.” The monthly digital issues still
follow editorial calendars, and content is multi-purposed, available and trackable indefinitely, instead of being taken down after a month.
In addition to thoroughly explaining the ‘digital first’ model to readers, the team has been very sensitive to all their feedback.
While not many, every email or phone call has
received a response (most of the time, from Andy himself). “We helped people with the technology when necessary”, says Andy. “Sometimes it was showing someone how to use bookmarking when they were used to putting sticky notes on pages and keeping the magazine on their desk for months.”
A major takeaway from Andy’s experience in moving from print to digital platforms is the fact that, while
business conditions can change very quickly, it takes time to change people’s habits. “If you wait until print becomes too expensive to continue, you’re going to be rushed, and that’s a problem,” says Andy. “You have to make sure the groundwork is laid out with plenty of time to address the situations and questions that will arise.”
