UK import discourses on tech as a biz tool

By Jeff Bercovici

     There are two sides to every revolution. They’re great fun for those who manage to topple the old order and seize new power and status, but rather less pleasant for those who find themselves up against the wall wearing a blindfold.
    The trick, says Stovin Hayter, is to get yourself into the first category. Hayter hopes that his magazine, Revolution, which debuts in the U.S. in February, will help marketers use new media to do just that.
    "Digital technology offers new tools to marketers," says Hayter, "but it also brings new threats for marketers." 
   He cites the example of Kodak. "They built their company on little bits of plastic and chemicals. Then along comes the digital camera, and as far as the home user is concerned, those little bits of plastic and chemicals are becoming obsolete."
    While Kodak could have gone belly up, it managed to ride the wave of change to new success, rolling out such innovations as the Kodak Photo Network, which gives consumers getting their film developed the option of posting their pictures digitally on the web.
    Revolution will be filled with such edifying case studies illustrating the importance to marketers of keeping abreast of new technologies.
    Hayter, who will head the editorial team, has plenty of experience creating this kind of content: he was the founding editor of Revolution when it launched in the UK three years ago. Among the lessons from that launch, says Hayter, "We learned the importance of getting the tone just right. We learned to have a bit of fun with it, not make it too serious."
    Apparently they found a satisfactory tone; the demand for that magazine, both from readers and from advertisers, was so great that it went to a weekly frequency last October. As a weekly, British Revolution’s content is heavily news-driven, says Hayter.
    However, in the U.S., where the technology news market is fuller, Hayter sees the magazine remaining in the monthly niche. As such, its role will be "to step back and provide some perspective" with more analytical, feature-type articles.
    Revolution’s perspective will be fleshed out by a companion website, www.revolutionmagazine.com, which will offer what Hayter calls "complementary content"--breaking news stories, databases of information on industry suppliers, and archives of back issues.
    Currently the site features only subscription and advertising information, but it will go up in full when the magazine debuts in March.
    The first issue will have a press run of only 75,000 for distribution to top marketers, but once things get rolling a yearlong subscription will cost $24. The cover price will be $4.
    A black and white ad page costs $9,000, while a four color pages goes for $12,000. However, a 25 percent discount on advertising will be in effect through the end of the month.
   Revolution will be published in the States by The Haymarket Group, a U.K.-based company which also puts out such titles as PRWeek, Management Today and Marketing.

-Jeff Bercovici is a staff writer for Media Life.