Future PLC is the 6th largest publishing company in the UK with over 150 publications across 4 divisions. It generates revenue through both print and digital content sales as well as advertising. In contrast, Little White Lies is an independently published magazine founded by Danny Miller and Matt Bochenski to not only turn a profit but also promote their creative agency business. Similarly, Sight & Sound published by the non-profit British Film Institute is not aimed at making a profit but rather shaping views of cinema through critical reviews and archiving film data. Each have different distribution models based on their ownership structure and goals.
Zack Barton Unit 01 A04 - Compare distribution channels and ownership patterns
1. UNIT01-AO5 : COMPARE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS AND OWNERSHIP PATTERNS
Mainstream and large publishing company
Future PLC
6th Largest publishing company in the UK.
150+ publications
4 Divisions - Tech , Games, Movies x Music, Active
Business Model - Content - both digital and physical. Sold for subscription and cover price.
Advertising - Print and digital advertising
Total Circulation - Print 65,381
Digital (iPad) 1,631
Digital publications certificate audit 8,579
Combined 75,491
Other branded events
Awards
Cross promotion screenings with SKY
Distribution Model
PRINT
SALES PER MONTH
4. APP
Independent publisher and design agency
CHURCH OF LONDON
Founded by Danny Miller and Matt Bochenski. Both began working at ADRENALIN mag
which closed in 2005. They were working at Little White Lies as a side project then launch
it under their new company : Church of London.
They now publish 2 magazines:
Little White Lies
Huck - Skateboard, surf and extreme sport lifestyle magazine.
Business Model
Little White Lies and Huck both exist to create profits but also to act as an advert for the
contract publishing and design part of the business.
Church of London as a Creative Agency
5. Church of London work on the following products.
Contract publishing - magazines (SCEE)
! ! ! - brochures
! ! ! - prospectuses
Design - film posters
! - film marketing
Events - festivals
! - screenings
Distribution Model
PRINT
WEBSITE
APP
TUMBLR
Significant that LWL does not have a digital edition - perhaps to preserve the traditional
qualities and production values of print.
The Tumblr allows the publishers to interact with the audience often allowing consumers to
submit their own versions of LWL covers.
http://vault.littlewhitelies.co.uk/
6. 3. Industry and institutional publications
Sight & Sound is published by the British Film Institute. The BFI is a charitable
organisation established by Royal Charter to promote British Film and TV.
They use Sight & Sound as a record in terms of cinema consumption and output to
promote film education.
The BFI is a non-profit organisation. HQ is on the Southbank, London. BFI also organise
and own -
The London IMAX Cinema
The London Film Festival
BFI education - Events & Publishing
BFI Archive and Library
BFI Production, UK Film Documentaries.
Distribution Model
ABC - 22,000
Print Based - Sold at all large newsagents and independent cinemas
Online - Archive of issues and features.
No digital version of content.
Analysis of ownership and distribution
Total Film x Future PLC
Large target audience and mainstream magazine. Distributed nationwide to enable large
revenue stream. Subscription heavily advertised online and with offers and promotions.
Future has embraced digital distribution - especially through Apples News Stand - works
with existing “cover-price” business model. Model of business is aimed to maximise both
sale and advertising revenue.
Little White Lies
Bi-monthly - sold in selected stores and relevant places (cinemas, clothes stores). App is
not an interactive magazine. Suggests that the physical magazine is the most important of
the LWL brand. The creativity and design of the magazine is more than exclusives. The
purpose is to drive business to the creative agency part of the business.
7. Sight and Sound x BFI
Sight and Sound acts as the critical voice of the BFI. Creates a record of credits and
synopsis of every film released in UK cinema acts as a record.
The purpose of the magazine is not to make a profit. However it is there to reflect and
shape contemporary views of cinema. Distribution is mainly subscription based and in
selected news venders.