As Facebook joins the growing brand print club, when is a magazine not a magazine?

"Despite being packaged in the shape of a magazine, bearing all the hallmarks of a magazine and having the words "a quarterly magazine for business leaders" emblazoned on its magazine-like cover, Grow by Facebook is categorically not a magazine according to the Facebook PR team. No - this is, they say, simply a piece of marketing collateral. A brochure even. It's almost as though Facebook doesn't want to be called a publisher or something."

"The digital space is a hectic, loud, cluttered landscape with bloggers, influencers, journalists, editors, writers, marketeers all shouting into the void - their voices surfacing, or not, depending on SEO or algorithms. In such a crowded space, how do you ensure that people trust what they read on your website or social channels versus the other 30-odd people/brands in your area? How does your brand stand out?"

Digital-native companies are launching physical, magazine-like publications despite their online origins. Facebook has produced a quarterly called Grow, described by its PR team as marketing collateral rather than a magazine. Many branded publishers now join startups such as Airbnb and ASOS in producing print titles. Brands pursue print to build trust, authority and credibility amid a noisy digital environment dominated by bloggers, influencers and algorithm-driven visibility. Print delivers a visceral, emotional and intimate experience through tactile and olfactory cues. Branded print seeks to differentiate companies and establish enduring relationships with business leaders and consumers as traditional print titles decline.

Read at The Drum