First Issue Review – Revolution

Revolution , launched today by Haymarket is “a marketing magazine that happens to take new media as its starting point”, according to editor, Stovin Hayter.

Front Cover – Revolution Having been on the end of a long phone call from Stovin when he was researching this project, I must admit to a vested interest in saying that I do believe there is a place for this title amongst the hordes of Internet glossies and new media “newsletters”. If it can be consistent in its approach, explaining how new media is (and is not) working in the advertising and marketing industry with case studies and features then the vast majority of marketers will have found a title they can appreciate. Given that this is still early days for the new media industry in this country, and without wishing to patronise, to most marketers this may well also be a magazine they can learn from – almost a reference guide.

Issue one runs to 104 pages, well-supported by stacks of advertising from the new media companies, and a centrefold plus net booklet from the Network – one of the few agencies to comfortably embrace new media to date. Being a monthly, the news pages (“download”) are more collation than hot news – the advertising trade press carried a number of the items last week. The features and case studies are interesting, and the comment and speculation sound but a bit sparse.

With the positioning and branding of Haymarket’s other titles, this seems a natural extension of those brands – and they have as good a chance as any publisher of filling this “hole”.

One of the letters in issue one asks “will you live up to your name?”. Given the tone of the editorial and the main target market for this title then evolution might be a safer premise than revolution.