WAU Magazine

WHAT IS WAU AND WHY?

For a few years, the marketing and communications professionals and heavy users of magazines, Anmari Korpinen and Johnny Lonka were questioning the reasons behind the lack of lifestyle magazines in Finland. The majority of the Finnish people (88%) still want to read their magazines in printed versions. Of the time that is spent reading magazines, printed versions cover 93%. In spite of this there was an entire category of magazines which was empty: there was zero lifestyle magazines in Finland.

In the summer of 2014, Anmari and Johnny decided to roll up their sleeves and bring something special to the magazine market in Finland. After more than a year of work, the concept was ready. The first issue of WAU was established in Finland on August 13, 2015 and the second on October 15, 2015. WAU is sold approximately in 2000 selling points around Finland through Lehtipiste (a monopoly distributor). WAU is published eight times a year. It occupies a unique niche in the Finnish magazine market, and no direct competition currently exists.

WAU showcases strengths and skills typical of the Scandinavian cultural identity. It is a “hybrid magazine” that combines home decor and design with architecture and variable lifestyle themes, such as fashion and well-being. With a strong look, it provides inspiration, factual content and innovative ideas about different spaces, design items, architectural details – and interesting people from Finland and other Scandinavian countries.

WAU is an exceptional lifestyle magazine with an exceptional structure, which shows that there is no need for a big media company to carry out a high quality magazine that reaches the international level. It takes only two people, but a lot of passion, will power and competence with a help of the leading journalists, photographers and bloggers – experienced professionals as well as top new talents from Finland and abroad. The 150 pages long WAU is a stunning experience – both visually and journalistically.

Scandinavian lifestyle, design and architecture is extremely popular around the world. The next goal for WAU is to implement the magazine to international markets.

‘WAU’ – like the exclamation ‘wow’ – describes a new kind of experience, one that surprises and makes an impression. And so does WAU magazine.

Statistics: KMT 2014 (National Media Research in Finland)

PROOF OF CONCEPT

• The product (WAU Magazine) is completed and already on market
• Distribution channel agreements are concluded
• Ongoing content production
• Agreements with the best talents with high commitment
• Earned media attention in several newspapers describing WAU as a “savior of the print media”
• Several bloggers and opinion leaders has described WAU as “an excellent magazine with the best professionals, a top-class example of continuing vitality of the print magazine, which will surely find it’s readers”

Detailed information

ISSUE NUMBER 1

• Established on August 13, 2015
• Sold approximately in 2000 selling points in grocery stores, bookstores, gas stations, airports and kiosks nationwide by Lehtipiste (a monopoly distributor / commission trader in Finland)
• Single copy sales have already been better than the average in the new magazine market in Finland
• Print run: 13 000 pcs, including 10 000 pcs to Lehtipiste’s selling points, 3 000 pcs for promotions, free copies to media agencies, potential advertisers, advertising agencies etc.

ISSUE NUMBER 2

• Established on October 15, 2015
• Sold approximately in 2000 selling points in grocery stores, bookstores, gas stations, airports and kiosks nationwide by Lehtipiste (a monopoly distributor / commission trader in Finland)
• Print run: 9 700 pcs, including 8 700 pcs to Lehtipiste’s selling points, 1 000 pcs for promotions, free copies to media agencies, potential advertisers, advertising agencies etc.

THE PARADOX

Most of the visually appealing magazines, for example interior design magazines, lack journalistical content and vice versa. As a consequence, it is expensive to publish a top quality magazine that is cost effecient in all aspects. For this reason, many big media companies have dismissed their employees or even suspended some magazines.

In addition, there have been predictions about the upcoming death of the printed media market for over a decade now. We strongly believe it won’t die. Also, we truly believe that the rumours about smartphones outcompeting printed media due to the lighter weight and image flow won’t hold in the long run. This since people prefer reading text on paper over a screen.

OUR SOLUTION

WAU has a new and profitable way of operating. WAU magazine shows that it only takes two enthusiastic professionals, with long experience in marketing and communications and some help of professionals in other fields to suceed. There is no need for luxury office spaces, executive teams or dozens of employees to create a top-quality product.

Also – why challenge the strenghts of the internet, when we can learn from printed success stories? We believe that a successful magazine format close to a book. Print works perfectly for both top journalistic contect, as well as for a great visual experience. Instead of competing with the internet, we take on people’s leisure time: either they choose a magazine, book or a movie on demand. ‘WAU’ – like the exclamation ‘wow’ – describes a new kind of experience, one that surprises and makes an impression. It is a real competitor of people’s time after the day’s quota with the internet is full.

Source: ICNW