Much like the build-your-own-magazine concept from HSBC that we covered last year, a brand-new initiative from Lexus, Time and American Express Publishing is giving consumers a new way to create their own personalised magazine.
Dubbed "mine," the free magazine invites readers to choose editorial content from five of eight select Time and American Express Publishing brands: Time, Sports Illustrated, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Money, InStyle, Golf, and Travel + Leisure. Participants can choose to receive their magazine either in a limited-edition print format or online—some 31,000 copies of each print issue and 200,000 electronic copies are available, and readers receive a new issue every two weeks for 10 weeks. Each issue is 36 pages, with advertising tailored for each recipient based on geographic location and taste, as determined by their answers to four initial questions. Since Lexus's participation is to help mark the launch of its new Lexus 2010 RX, four single-page ads for the vehicle are included in each issue as well. Readers can also receive news and entertainment alerts through a customised widget or mobile application via RSS. The program ends June 15.
In addition to providing yet another illustration of the world's increasing customisability, such an offering could also prove to be an excellent perk to deliver to Lexus customers—as we noted in the HSBC case as well. It's good to give customers free love, but letting them choose what form that love takes is even better. Customisation and perkonomics—go forth and multiply! ;-) (Related: Personalised music mag.)
Website: www.timecmg.com/mine
Contact: www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html
Update: This New York Times article is worth reading for its background details on Mine's launch, including a few operational glitches. Some interesting data on uptake, too: "Through its website, Time Inc. made 200,000 digital versions and 31,000 print versions available. So far almost all the print editions have been claimed, while fewer than 30,000 digital versions have been ordered, Lexus said."
Businesses should all be learning from Lexus' marketing understanding. Giving a free valuable gift, marketing their product through the gift and making money off the back end (Free publicity for their new model) I'm looking forward to seeing if this idea pays off for Lexus....