Simply Green drops print for digital

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Its launch will be this week and, instead of only six print magazines this year, it will be generating 12 digital magazines with something special for January 2014.

It heralds a new era in publishing in South Africa, one that dramatically reduces the environmental impact to a minimum. With publishing now rapidly converting to a digital format via the internet, tablets and smartphones, the digimag utilises the medium in delivering a modern multi-media platform promoting the finest in environmentally conscious culture.

The magazine reportedly has a number of significant partnership deals already secured for distribution of the 'free to view' magazine, and is working with well-known content providers such as Howzit MSN to spread the word about going green. These deals give the magazine a reach of over 3.6 million at launch, expected to increase rapidly through further partnerships and viral distribution.

Walking the talk

Chris Erasmus, publisher of Simply Green Magazine says, "Over the past year, we have been working on 'walking our talk' in the most effective way possible and looking into going carbon-neutral and 100% waste-less. We lead the charge in the green lifestyle publishing space in South Africa and have felt for a long time that it is up to us as leaders to set an example."

The magazine is set to launch the most effective channel to reach the South African consumer, as well as simultaneously platforming business-to-business communications, thereby driving awareness of the impact of the choices people make on the environment and their health.

Advertisers and partners are given an opportunity to interact with this targeted audience through a stylish, high production quality and award-winning online magazine that can direct engaged parties to external websites or videos through hyperlinks. Advertisers are also free to use their existing databases to distribute the magazine, and in that way show their support for the environment while promoting products and brands.

Viral campaign plan

Marketing will be driven by not only exposure to MSN's global community through its content, but through viral dispersion of a link to the digimag by all of the magazine's stakeholders, including advertisers, readers and service and product suppliers - along with their own networks and associations across all digital platforms.

The new digimag will be readable online or downloadable onto any digital platform and can be passed on through forwarding to third parties as a one-click hyperlink which shall be provided as the issue goes live and will feature prominently on Simply Green's weekly mailers, currently enjoying a subscription base of over 20,000.

A new audience who prefer reading online will be introduced to the values and benefits of going green, and will be encouraged to interact with the growing community associated with the magazine through the power of social media.

The entire operation will be managed exactly as the print run (but without printing) with full editorial team, design and technical staff to create and support the process. Advertising and editorial can now be content enriched with video, audio and hyperlinks.

Offering

1. Issuu will host the digimag where, as a free-to-public publication, it will be exposed via in-site promotion to that site's 52 million users.
1. Launch reach to over 3.6 million and growing
2. 12 issues instead of only 6 print issues - offering more opportunity for editorial, promotions and information
3. A content-rich, interactive magazine with hyperlinks directly to advertiser's website and products
4. Four e-newsletters per month, promoting the digital magazine to a database of over 20 000 recipients
5. Opportunity to connect and work with corporates' integrated social media and online PR and promotional drives.
6. Viral promotional campaigns and competition linked to all social media.
7. Cross marketing between its regular weekly mailers, the digimag and its website will be ongoing.
8. Other high-visitor digital portals will shortly also be open for further viral and direct marketing of the digimag.

For more, go to www.issuu.com.