Is Print Dead? Not At Premier Guitar Magazine.

Oct. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Premier Guitar, a monthly magazine for guitar enthusiasts’ available in print and in four companion digital platforms, has just printed and distributed what is believed to be the largest issue of a guitar magazine ever … 276 pages!

Peter Sprague, the CEO of Gearhead Communications, which owns Premier Guitar, in commenting on this blockbuster issue said,

“Premier Guitar has only been in existence for less than four years and it’s very gratifying to see this kind of reader and advertiser acceptance of what we are providing.  While I’m not a guitar magazine historian, we did check the records maintained by Inquiry Management Systems (http://www.ims.ca/r5/home.asp) and were told that, at least as far back as their records go, this is the largest single issue of a guitar magazine ever published.  The issue was so thick that we couldn’t qualify for the Postal Service’s automation discounts!”

Premier Guitar has a unique business model.  Unlike most consumer enthusiast titles, Premier Guitar’s print and single copy circulation keeps increasing (up 18% year over year).  

This growth is occurring despite the fact that Premier Guitar also makes all of its current issue and archival content freely accessible via its online magazine (http://digital.premierguitar.com); its website (www.premierguitar.com); via smart phone access to its mobile optimized website (http://m.premierguitar.com); via its very popular iphone app (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/premierguitar/id357976896?...); and via its weekly newsletter, Backstage Pass which has about 60,000 opt in subscribers.  

This multimedia access model has allowed Premier Guitar to build a monthly audience of over 600,000 unduplicated guitarists.  The size and engagement of this audience has allowed Premier Guitar to become the share of market leader in the number of advertisers investing and the number of advertising pages in the magazine.

Sprague, in commenting on Premier Guitar’s growth noted that, “our approach is unique, seemingly counterintuitive, but has been fully embraced by readers and advertisers alike.  I personally don’t believe print is dead by any means, but we do believe that the age of integrated multimedia publishing has arrived.  In this scenario, the print magazine plays an important and specialized role as one of several content vehicles – including a variety of digital platforms and mobile apps – that invite deep, meaningful engagement with readers.  We focus on total “audience” not just on print circulation; on allowing readers to decide how they prefer to consume our proprietary content, and on accepting the fact that the internet should be a freely accessible forum for the consumption and exchange of quality, professionally written and edited content.  These elements of our philosophy allow us to deliver great value to readers and to advertisers.  Our increasing readership across all platforms shows that guitarists are enthused about our content and are taking advantage of the various platform choices we’re offering them to access that content.  Our growing market share of advertising demonstrates that advertisers appreciate PG’s high quality, highly engaged audience and PG’s uniquely cost-effective model for reaching those customers with their branding message. That says a great deal about our value proposition and multifaceted free digital delivery (with its accompany efficiency in delivery cost) of our content is at the heart of that value proposition.”

Every year, Premier Guitar conducts various forms of research with its readers. Please see the voluntary verbatim comments made in our last independent reader study at http://www.premierguitar.com/About/AboutUs_Testimonials.aspx.

Premier Guitar is working on a broad array of entirely new digital products and services which will be introduced before the first quarter of 2011.

About Premier Guitar (www.premierguitar.com):
Offering guitarists a multimedia source for news, gear information, and education/instruction, Premier Guitar (PG) is the place for players who are serious about their tone. The gear-centric multimedia network has a monthly multimedia magazine audience of more than 650,000. Complemented by additional components; the industry’s only complete, freely accessible online magazine (http://digital.premierguitar.com), which has over 50,000 subscribers; a website (www.premierguitar.com) that attracts more than 600,000 unique visitors a month; and the Backstage Pass weekly e-newsletter, boasting more than 60,000 opt in recipients. PG also is a leader in mobile dissemination with a website optimized for all smart phones; a leading iPhone app (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/premierguitar/id357976896?mt=8) and a Droid app in development.  PG also operates the interactive Gear Search service (www.premierguitar.com/gear/gear_search.aspx), where 200,000-plus monthly visitors find, buy and sell more than 50,000 pieces of musical of musical equipment.  Published by Gearhead Communications, LLC, Premier Guitar is employee-owned. The company is based in Marion, Iowa with offices throughout the U.S.


Information about Inquiry Management Systems from IMS website:
With offices in Toronto, New York and London, IMS has served magazine publishing professionals since 1979. Over 1400 magazine titles utilize our array of products that help sell additional pages of advertising, increase lead results for advertisers and produce creative web solutions.  Proud of our high-tech reputation, our leading software technology continues to gain industry wide recognition. Industry Canada, recognizing our 'advancing-the-science' contribution, has rewarded our company with substantial research and development grants over a number of years to encourage us to continue our leading edge developments.

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Premier Guitar offers guitarists a multimedia source for news, gear info and education/instruction, PG is the media home for players who are serious about their tone.