We have RIP'd the YAMU print magazine, though it may come back as a better looking zombie later.
Why?
Money. Our print magazine made Rs. 250,000 on advertising in an average month and cost Rs. 200,000. We'd collect the money two or three months later and it was more of a drag than a gain to the bottom line.
Also time. The design part of the magazine only took a few days, but then we'd have to store these heavy packs downstairs and distribute them over a week or so, because we're slow.
What Was It?
The YAMU magazine was a A5, free, portable printed thing that covered food and life in Colombo and which came with a map of the city, of bus and train routes, and some important phone numbers. People seemed to like it. If you drop by our office you can get some back issues.
What Next?
Right now we're sticking to digital and video, which we're good at, and where distribution doesn't involve physically carrying our content to people. However, in the future we're looking at the following insights towards developing a new print product.
- Bigger Is Better (For Advertisers) – we designed our mag small to be cheap and portable, so people would actually keep and use it. Advertisers, however, seem to want more real estate.
- Tourists Are Lost – Tourists (and backpacker hostels) loved our map, but we were told that tourists left the mag behind when they left Colombo. They wanted more info on Sri Lanka beyond the city.
So, based on that, we are considering an A4 sized, seasonal (East Coast, Down South, Hill Country) magazine that covers Sri Lanka. Tell us what you think of the idea, and if you'd advertise in it or pay for a subscription.
Until then, RIP YAMU Magazine. May you return a beautiful zombie.
