It’s a great question - and it’s answered by three main factors.
First - the environment.
Did you know that in the UK and USA, 7 out of 10 of all printed issues go to the trash and never get read?
This is called ‘issue efficiency’, and it’s something the magazine industry has long been challenged with.
We’ve worked very hard in the last two years to increase our efficiency against industry trends and have been able to do so. This means many more printed issues of GAY TIMES Magazine went to you, instead of the recycling.
Even so, with consumers rightfully wanting more environmental responsibility, we have become increasingly concerned about the impact that printing tens of thousands of magazines has on the environment.
Those magazines have to get to stores and subscribers, and GAY TIMES Magazine has audiences around the world, so those airmiles – and that carbon footprint - quickly adds up.
The second reason we have made this decision is to focus more effort on digital, social and in-person experiences.
Over 98% of you prefer these ways of communicating, so it’s only logical to put more attention here. We reach millions of you every month across our digital channels, so we want our best content to be the most accessible it's ever been.
The third reason is you and what you want to read.
Insights and analytics gives us a clearer understanding of the content you enjoy, so we can put more focus on conversations, issues, and talent that you want to see.
We have a vast and diverse audience, so investing further into our digital products means we can respond to demand and create content curated specifically for you much more effectively and efficiently.