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About UsOwnershipCOMAG was founded in 1977 and is jointly owned by The National Magazine Company and Condé Nast Publications, benefiting from private ownership. COMAG offers our clients total security and a complete commitment to their business, as well as the stability of having been established for nearly three decades. Company StructureAs a Group, COMAG has two sister companies:COMAG SpecialistMarketing and distributing magazines since 1990, the company’s entire portfolio is based on specialist titles and so its range of services has been specifically designed to meet the circulation, marketing and distribution needs of the specialist magazine publisher. COMAG Specialist believes that specialist and time-sensitive magazines and newspapers deserve a flexible and creative approach to finding their market, whether the title is specialist in terms of its content, readership or size. For more information on COMAG Specialist services, please contact:
Heath Greenway COMAG ForwardCOMAG Forward is operational 24 hours a day, running daily deliveries to wholesale, as well as providing an in-house time-sensitive service. Each month, the company delivers over 26 million magazines to the wholesale network. As the only distributor to operate its own fleet of vehicles, it offers the associated economies of scale and added security. In addition to delivering magazines, COMAG Forward has a range of complementary post-print services, which includes hand and machine finishing and packing, together with automated covermounting, barcoding and label application. Other services include a trade counter, storage facilities and label production. PositioningThe COMAG Group has nearly 23% market share based on value. The vast majority of our business comes from our third party clients, giving us a strong service ethic throughout the company. In an increasingly competitive environment, publishers need a distributor who can give them protection through market share and industry influence. As a major player in newsstand distribution, COMAG plays an active role in industry initiatives. Our portfolio and expertise ranges from mass-market titles to niche specialist interest magazines, as well as partworks and collectable product. VisionOur vision is to be a quality trade marketing partner for publishers. To make this vision a reality we need to be both experts in our field and champions of the brands we represent. This requires first class systems, effective and efficient processes and the best people adding real value. The Personal TouchDay to day, your portfolio will be cared for by an experienced Account Manager who will be your principle contact within COMAG. Your Account Manager will work with you to develop strategic plans for your title to help strengthen your brand and grow sales. First Class SystemsIn partnership with Smiths News, COMAG has recently developed a new sales forecasting and copy allocation system (C-Mac). This provides us with retailer level data, which we use to build the most effective distribution pattern for each individual magazine issue. Whilst the capability to forecast, plan and allocate the optimum quantities of each title down to retail level is a core skill for a distributor, the development of C-Mac uses the very latest technology and establishes COMAG at the forefront of the industry. Information FlowAlongside C-Mac we have our web-enabled delivery of information, which will inform both you and your Account Manager so that we can take action to positively impact on your business. Selling Your ProductCOMAG has a large, dedicated Retail team, which works at both an operational and strategic level with all retail groups. Our Channel Managers focus on the development and delivery of strategy and direction for every key retail channel. Each Channel Manager leads a team of National Account Managers. The Retail team is structured to ensure the appropriate level of resource and focus is allocated to each retail type: supermarkets, high street, travel, forecourts and service stations, CTNs, convenience stores and independent retailers. COMAG acts as champion for our publishers’ products at retail. With the support of our market share, our excellent working relationships and expert knowledge of the individual retailers, market sectors and competition, we can deliver the best possible results for all parties. The right retail planning is key to success, so our support and advice helps publishers to shape specific strategic and tactical plans for each issue of every one of their titles. This includes effective retail marketing activity, as we guide publishers towards the most beneficial promotional opportunities to meet their objectives. Our strong retail relationships, together with our understanding of retailers’ magazine category management principles, enable us to provide input to their decision-making as they create or refresh a magazine range - and we involve our clients in this role of category influencer. COMAG works with both retailers and publishers to develop new, longer-term strategies for increasing sales. We also play a leading role within the newstrade to create shared, industry-wide initiatives wherever appropriate. Keeping the industry and our clients up to date on changes and developments within the retail environment, we highlight relevant issues and opportunities as they arise, as well as recommend the best ways to exploit them. Our market share and level of influence provide protection in an increasingly challenging marketplace, while our expertise, strong reputation and carefully cultivated relationships provide publishers with the edge in a tough retail environment, where there is ever more competition for shelf space. Out and AboutCOMAG believes that local knowledge plays a valuable part in effective distribution and our nationwide field force, which is amongst the largest in the industry, includes full-time representation in Ireland. The scale of the team allows us to maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers at wholesale level. This means we are perfectly positioned to identify and exploit sales opportunities, while ensuring that all of our products achieve effective distribution. The role of the field force is divided into two key strands: Sales DevelopmentThe Sales Development team works collaboratively with both wholesalers and retailers with two main aims: • To support the promotional activity of our publishers OperationsThe Operations team ensures that wholesalers fulfil their service obligations and carry out the accurate and timely distribution of all products in our portfolio – ensuring the products achieve their on sale date. Equipped with local knowledge of the market and an enviable field presence, the team makes the most of every opening available to our publishers, while successfully guiding their products through wholesale and into the shops. A World of OpportunityImportsWhether you are a seasoned publisher already exporting your product to the UK or a newcomer to the UK newstrade, we can provide guidance on the best route to market. From niche outlet distribution through to large scale national launches, COMAG has over 30 years’ experience of devising and implementing UK newsstand strategies for our import publisher clients. COMAG is the only major distributor with a dedicated department working exclusively on imported products. As a result, our Imports team is in a unique position to offer a range of services specifically tailored to the needs of overseas publishers. With the support of unrivalled market intelligence, your Account Manager will develop a pragmatic launch strategy and offer advice on all elements of the marketing mix to develop your title in the UK market. Importing over 5 million copies per year, COMAG also offers a comprehensive solution to your logistical needs. We provide a quick and effective means of delivery to every magazine newsstand in the UK, as well as managing your barcoding and finishing needs (for example covermounting or shrinkwrapping). So if you are looking to launch or develop an English or foreign language magazine in the UK market, please click here to contact us and let us help you unlock your potential in the UK. ExportsWe pride ourselves in being the most successful and influential exporter of UK magazines, selling to over 95 countries around the world, through a network of more than 80 distribution partners. In addition to our extensive portfolio of UK magazines, we also represent international clients for their worldwide export. Our long-standing relationships with agents, coupled with an international portfolio unrivalled for its quality, diversity and size, put COMAG in an industry-leading position, enabling us to achieve our clients’ objectives successfully. We work hard to develop a product’s export potential, identifying territories that offer the greatest opportunity. We have resources dedicated to local editions and licence brokering, so we can advise you on the potential to develop local editions for specific markets. We can also assist with subscription marketing around the world, helping you to find additional routes to market for your product. If you would like to contact us about COMAG’s Export offer, please click here.Use Initiative / Go FurtherD2RThrough the direct to retail (D2R) service operated by COMAG Specialist, we can offer publishers a distribution route to specialist outlets, many of which are retailers that would not usually take magazines. This service covers selected outlets nationwide, including approximately 200 retailers in and around London. There is a wide range of outlet types serviced directly by ‘D2R’ such as museums, galleries, bookshops and high street outlets including Harrods, Harvey Nicholls, Selfridges and Waterstones. In addition ‘D2R’ covers key independent retailers in London along with more unusual outlets such as craft shops, chandlers, scooter shops, cricket and golf clubs. By interacting directly with these specialist retailers, we can fully understand their specific needs and then tailor our service accordingly, while giving our clients’ titles visibility in these key outlets. If you publish a niche title that you think could benefit from COMAG Specialist’s D2R service, please contact us here. Magazine CaféThe Magazine Café is COMAG’s online magazine store and the UK’s largest collection of international and specialist magazines on the Web, promoting subscriptions and single copy mail order sales for over 300 imported and specialist titles. These include market-leading brands such as the International editions of Vogue, Cosmopolitan USA, Harpers Bazaar, Rolling Stone and Vibe, as well as a wide selection of more specialist magazines. Visit Magazine Café at: www.magazinecafe.co.uk Supporting the Industry through InnovationAs a major player in the Industry, COMAG takes an active role, whether in Industry discussions, initiatives or innovation: Just Ask!The ‘Just Ask!’ initiative was designed to increase the number of readers placing orders for magazines from their local newsagents, by promoting to potential readers that newsagents can order any magazine of their choice. Launched as a COMAG initiative in February 2004, ownership of ‘Just Ask!’ has now passed over to the PPA (Periodical Publishers Association) to maximise its usage amongst publishers and increase exposure within the newstrade. More and more publishers are incorporating the logo and a shop save order form within their magazines. The support of the industry helped ‘Just Ask!’ to win the 2006 ACE Press Award for Outstanding Circulation Innovation, but its future success relies heavily on continued support from publishers by promoting to readers in each and every issue. COMAG remains a highly active supporter of ‘Just Ask!’ which has gained support from all areas within the newstrade. ‘Just Ask!’ artwork can be downloaded from the
PPA
website or received by contacting: |
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