BSME 2020 Chair Maria Pieri discussed all things travel journalism with the students of Glasgow Clyde College during the second BSME Education event.
What We Learnt
On Friday 4 December, as part of the BSME Education initiative, in association with Readly, BSME Chair Maria Pieri joined journalism students at Glasgow Clyde College for a virtual guest lecture. Maria is the editorial director of National Geographic Traveller (UK), published under licence by APL Media Limited since it launched in 2010. She shared insights into the world of travel journalism and the magazine industry, with topics ranging from brand extensions to covers.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
1. Build a brand for your target audience
“The main thing we needed to overcome when we first launched was that National Geographic Traveller wasn’t just going to be a niche travel-science-exploration-type of magazine,” said Maria. While the magazine features inspirational trips, as that’s what people expect from its yellow border, it also ensures it remains mainstream and accessible – and the main focus is on the storytelling. “Coronavirus has brought that even more into perspective,” she continued. “Right now, we’re focusing more on domestic locations and short haul, and then long-haul. Domestic features actually do really well.”
2. Editorial directors are brand custodians
Maria gave the students an overview of her position: “I work with the editorial team to plan and make sure the vision of the magazine is adhered to.” As editorial director, she oversees the brand — this includes the magazine and everything that orbits around it, such as brand extensions and events, as well as the coverage, target audience, subscriptions and retail plan.
3. Brand extensions reach new audiences
“These days, if you’re creating a product like a magazine, the magazine becomes the brand, and the brand becomes a whole number of different things,” said Maria. On top of the print product, for example, the National Geographic Traveller brand includes supplements, competitions, a digital presence and events, among other things. “Most of the demographics tend to be differ for each of the audiences, and some people will come to events because they’re interested in a specific aspect.”
4. Learn to adapt to weather the storm
This year has been a challenge for the magazine industry, but pent-up demand meant that people went online and looked to plan things for the future. The team reduced publication frequency and introduced the ‘Stay Inspired’ campaign, featuring armchair travel guides and original digital content to bridge the gap between the brand’s print and online presence. “The aim was to continue to create accessible content,” said Maria.
5. The visual aspect is essential
For a National Geographic brand, the visual aspect is incredibly important. “Everyone expects the photography to be phenomenal, and if we didn’t deliver on the photography, I think we would get called up on it,” said Maria. This is reflected in the success of the brand’s Instagram page, which saw a 150% increase in engagement between May and July 2020, and continues to grow on a monthly basis. “If you go to our Instagram, you’ll probably see why,” she continued. “It’s very photography-led, just what people expect of the brand.”
6. A good cover needs a clear focus
When thinking about magazine covers, Maria suggested keeping in mind what your target audience is. “You have to think about so many different aspects that you’ve got to service,” she said. Her tips included considering brand expectations when selecting the image; remembering the different ways magazines are stacked on retail newsstands and in newsagents; and ensuring your coverlines do what you need them to do.
7. Contract publishers help brands expand
National Geographic Traveller is produced by publishing company APL Media, and the magazine is published under licence. APL Media is therefore the brand custodian, creating the magazines and peripheral content, selling the advertising, doing the marketing and subscriptions and sharing in the profits at the end of the year. “That tends to be how a lot of companies extend their brand out to different markets,” said Maria, “it has got good and bad things going for it.” One of the positives is the degree of creative freedom, but projects always need to make sense from a sales perspective, too.
8. Travel journalism isn’t going anywhere
Asked about the future of the sector, Maria maintained a positive outlook. “I think people will start creating content and pushing it out there in different ways.” Magazines bounced back quite quickly after the first lockdown in England, but interest dipped again in November with the second wave of harsh restrictions. “It’ll be interesting to see in January whether things will pick up again, as that’s a peak period for travel interest,” continued Maria. “But people still want to travel and journalists still want to get out there and write these features.”
9. Multi-skilled rather than multi-tasking
While Maria doesn’t expect her staff to be proficient at all types of media, there’s still an expectation for journalists to be multi-skilled. “A few of my staff originally started as editorial assistants, and they do some writing. If they have an interest, say, in photography, I might nurture that, or perhaps they’ll help out with events [even as presenters eventually], or on social,” she said.
10. All about the story
What’s the main takeaway? “Our focus continues to be great storytelling,” said Maria. “Whether it’s through images or words, it’s all about how we tell the story.” Each issue of National Geographic Traveller features two long reads, around 2,500-word destination features. “We’re quite unique in still doing that,” she continued. “There are not that many spaces for being able to just write a story, and this is where our unique selling point stands.”
