Custom publishing is a marketing tool used to build brand loyalty by producing personalized media such as magazines, videos, and newspapers. It is not advertising but informative and editorial in nature, aimed at attracting a particular audience. Companies use it to keep existing customers and solicit new ones. Personalized publishing is carefully constructed to align with the company’s branding and marketing values. It is different from self-publishing, which is used to promote and distribute individual work.
Custom publishing is a tool used to build and strengthen brand loyalty. It involves the production of media such as magazines, videos, newspapers and brochures aimed at attracting a very particular audience and type of consumer. One of the best examples of a personalized publication is an inflight magazine, a publication created with the express purpose of targeting people who use a particular airline. The inflight magazine is also one of the oldest examples of using personalized media publishing in marketing.
This type of marketing is not advertising. Indeed, personalized posting goes to great lengths to ensure that it is not perceived as advertising, so that when people are exposed to it, they view it as a credible, informative and useful source. It is typically informative or editorial in nature. For example, in an inflight magazine, people may find food recommendations, travel reviews, and other airline travel-related content, with no specific mention of the airline.
Many companies use custom publishing to keep existing customers. For example, an automaker might send out periodical newsletters to people who buy their cars, providing helpful information and reminding customers that it’s valuable and considered important by the company. These materials are also used to solicit new customers. A food manufacturer, for example, might publish a magazine that is provided free in grocery stores in the hopes of sparking interest in the company and its products.
The construction of personalized publishing is done with extreme care. Every piece of media produced must align with the lifestyle, branding and marketing values associated with the company, building consumer trust and confidence. A luxury car company, for example, will not post content that promotes an frugal lifestyle, as this is against the company’s core values. Similarly, a family film producer would focus on personalized publishing that reinforces family values.
People sometimes use the term “custom publishing” to refer to publishing custom work such as poetry books or on-demand class readers, sometimes known as “vanity publishing.” More accurately known as “self-publishing,” this type of publishing involves taking material that someone has prepared and posting it for sale to a limited market. The distinction between self-publishing and custom publishing is that people interested in promoting and distributing their work use self-publishing, while companies focused on brand recognition and customer loyalty engage in custom publishing.
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