New media for senior readers
Hjemmet in Denmark and Hemmets Journal in Sweden have discovered that it is possible to run well-visited websites even when mature women are the target group. In Denmark, text messaging services are the main draw. In Sweden, the Hemmets Journal website garnered an award for best magazine website of the year, offering an array of games and updated offers.
Hjemmet, the first weekly Egmont ever published, celebrated its centenary in 2004. Hemmets Journal is slightly younger. The two publications face a common challenge: As their readerships age, it gets harder to recruit new, younger readers.
Every week Hjemmet reaches half a million readers, but this figure is lower than the magazine boasted a few decades ago. The editorial team responded by constantly adapting the magazine’s editorial content, but produced no tangible results until the team completely changed its strategy.
“We decided to create a website to underpin the print publication. We wanted to involve people and get them to use the site actively, but were uncertain whether it would work. Fortunately, readers’ responses have shown that age is no barrier to using the net,” Web Editor Sune Fedders recounts.
Bingo on the net
Readers are on average over 50, and almost 70% have access to the Internet. This group of readers may have played bingo at the community center in the past – now they need go no further than their PC to visit hjemmet.dk and play Solitaire against others on the net. As well as boosting allegiance to the magazine, the website is a much faster way for
users to communicate.
Readers can use a text message service to send their answers to Hjemmets competitions. They have to use a code from the printed publication to get access to the puzzles and competitions. Half of the responses today are already received as text messages. Both the Danish and the Swedish websites contain a range of reader offers compiled with the help
Best website of the year
Joakim Norling, Web Editor of Hemmets Journal in Malmö, has received the prestigious award “Årets Tidskriftspris” in the “New Media” category for the magazine’s website. The Swedish Magazine Publishers Association awarded the prize for the 86-year-old magazine’s substantial experience and ability to take interactivity and the virtual community concept to the next level.
“We have built the website over ten years and been able to attract new, younger readers,” says Joakim Norling.
The site is open to everyone and packed with content not found in Hemmets Journal. Advertising, pay services and other retail offers are the sole source of revenue.
“Senior readers use the printed edition, while younger ones use both the print magazine and the Internet universe. The young group enjoy chatting and sending text messages too. They are, however, also more capricious than traditional readers, so we have to make sure the site maintains their top-of-mind awareness,” Joakim Norling concludes.
Every week Hjemmet reaches half a million readers, but this figure is lower than the magazine boasted a few decades ago. The editorial team responded by constantly adapting the magazine’s editorial content, but produced no tangible results until the team completely changed its strategy.
“We decided to create a website to underpin the print publication. We wanted to involve people and get them to use the site actively, but were uncertain whether it would work. Fortunately, readers’ responses have shown that age is no barrier to using the net,” Web Editor Sune Fedders recounts.
Bingo on the net
Readers are on average over 50, and almost 70% have access to the Internet. This group of readers may have played bingo at the community center in the past – now they need go no further than their PC to visit hjemmet.dk and play Solitaire against others on the net. As well as boosting allegiance to the magazine, the website is a much faster way for
users to communicate.
Readers can use a text message service to send their answers to Hjemmets competitions. They have to use a code from the printed publication to get access to the puzzles and competitions. Half of the responses today are already received as text messages. Both the Danish and the Swedish websites contain a range of reader offers compiled with the help
Best website of the year
Joakim Norling, Web Editor of Hemmets Journal in Malmö, has received the prestigious award “Årets Tidskriftspris” in the “New Media” category for the magazine’s website. The Swedish Magazine Publishers Association awarded the prize for the 86-year-old magazine’s substantial experience and ability to take interactivity and the virtual community concept to the next level.
“We have built the website over ten years and been able to attract new, younger readers,” says Joakim Norling.
The site is open to everyone and packed with content not found in Hemmets Journal. Advertising, pay services and other retail offers are the sole source of revenue.
“Senior readers use the printed edition, while younger ones use both the print magazine and the Internet universe. The young group enjoy chatting and sending text messages too. They are, however, also more capricious than traditional readers, so we have to make sure the site maintains their top-of-mind awareness,” Joakim Norling concludes.
March 2008
