TBI Industry Flashcards
What type of company is TBI?
An independent magazine company and is not part of a larger conglomerate
Who does TBI partner with to publish the magazine?
Dennis Publishing
What basis does the magazine operate on?
Not for profit basis using any excess to support homeless people
How much do street vendors purchase TBI for?
£1.50 and then sell them on for £3 - street vendors are free to use that money to support themselves.
What is TBI’s goal?
To give the homeless a legal way of making money helping them to support themselves
Who did TBI receive a grant from?
The Body Shop which granted them £50,000
What did they diversify into in 1995?
A more direct support with The Big Issue foundation - providing homeless people with training, workshops, information on how to get support with various issues eg mental health, housing
What did they do in 2016?
They diversified into retail with their online shop including a range of synergetic merchandise
Who chooses to place adverts in TBI?
Many brands with similar ABC1 audiences helping increase TBI’s revenue
Who does TBI reserve some advertising space for?
Charities and other community projects
Who do the producers collaborate with?
Collaborate with celebrities for cover photos, interviews and even invite some to be guest editors for an issue drawing in pre-sold fans of those celebs.
How do they work with some of the celebrities?
To make ‘collectors editions’ of the magazine which makes it feel special and exclusive. This encourages readers to buy multiple copies to try and collect them.
What was created due to the success of TBI?
Many international versions were created
What has TBI become?
A globally recognized brand despite despite it being an independent niche magazine.
Who helps TBI publish its magazines online?
Zinio - they allow customers to purchase one copy or subscribe to 12 months upfront. There is also an option to try one edition giving audiences a taste of the magazine without long term commitment.
What does digital distribution help?
Helps target audiences who are online regularly, those who don’t have a local vendor etc. Also helps reach a global audience as Zinio distributes to over 174 countries.
How many copies were street vendors selling at the height of sucess?
300,000 copies a week
Why has the magazine industry suffered massively?
As more people choose online content.
How many copies were being bought in 2011?
They were only selling 125,000 copies a week so they decided to redesign and relaunch TBI in an attempt to boost sales
What did the redesigned version feature alot more?
The magazine started to feature alot more content about politics and social reform and more celebrity columnists.
What helped vendors make similar money from reduced sales?
The rebranded magazine had slightly higher price in an attempt to help vendors - sales did enetually pick back up
What is The Big Issue invest?
A financial fund available for charities and small businesses, individuals with ideas for businesses that have been turned away from other investors due to impoverished backgrounds.
What are most magazines financed through?
-Cover price
-Subscriptions
-Advertising
How do magazines become commercially successful?
By attracting advertisers as well as readers
