Apr
3
The return of Wired
Filed Under Innovation
No, I am not talking about the exceptional TV series finally being screened nationally in the UK. I am referring to the relaunch of Wired UK magazine this week which has suddenly returned from the dead after 10 years. (Left: The first 1995 edition)
People I talk to either too young to remember, or were not caught up in the early days of the dot-com bubble, think it bizarre that a magazine originally birthed alongside the Internet and covering all things ‘cyberculture’ should emerge - let alone re-emerge - as a PAPER publication!
Despite being a member of what I guess is their target audience, I find the U.S. based version of Wired really quite dense (it really does require commitment). However it managed to escape the technology bust by digging deep into the original spirit of the brand and focused on innovation, culture change and globalisation. This has enabled them to outlast industry competitors such as The Red Herring, Business 2.0, and New Media Magazine.
But why this, why now?
Some people are saying it is brave to launch in the middle of the downturn, while others say this is a safe bet as digital is forecast to continue growing despite the crunch.
Final edition 1999
Either way it will be interesting to see how it fares and particularly if it can capture the post credit crunch zeitgeist hopes for a new green and hi-tech world. It is quite bizarre that the last edition in 1999 had a front page feature named ‘Bankers behaving badly’!
What do you think? A welcome return of a lost friend or 10 years too late?
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4 Responses to “The return of Wired”
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A fantastic magazine - I appreciated it as both a consumer and a journalist.
It actually deals with some of the issues you mention James. On the relevance of paper, it talks about printers that might automatcially print off updates from the web.
It also touches on the importance of quality content - which was cited several times by experts when asked what they would invest in in the future (’talent’ was also a popular answer).
I did get the impression its target audience is heavily male - a lot of the product ads and suggestions are aimed at men, but these aside, I thought it was relevant, accessible, well-written, diverse.
Some fab comment pieces and some great photography. Just hope they didn’t use all the aces for the launch edition…
Love it. Loved it the first time round too. Seems obvious to me that if you’re looking for converts you take the message to the unwashed in a form they are comfortable with. One thing Wired has always done well is choose its paper, usually several grades in each issue, making it a tactile experience as well as a good read. Smart move. And besides, freshly printed paper smells nice.
It’s great that Wired has relaunched for the UK market and not just for innovation and technology insights. It’s a shot in the arm for consumer magazines, showing how offline titles can stimulate an online readership and work with digital channels.
The Wired reading experience is as close to online as you’ll find in print. The content is pithy and presented as bite-sized chunks in graphic-led designs - perfect for the scanning reader.
The in-depth features are the exception because they are written to lengths that are prohibitive for online readers.
The launch edition shows why Wired is back offline in the UK and why digital media can never altogether replace print.
Take the fold out cover illustrating future London. A wealth of ideas in one image - it’s impossible to reproduce this single experience online, without forty clicks or scrolls.
That Wired features a section called fetish says it all. It’s an indulgence in the beauty of innovation - in glorious technicolour. The use of digital imagery as art (static) cannot be replicated online.
The advertisers clearly agree - magazine pages offer a richer immersive experience - rather than driving traffic to boost sales.
Of course, Wired’s online site wired.co.uk is updated daily, so you can switch on and find what you need, before you are inevitably diverted elsewhere.
With the offline version you can switch off and immerse yourself in a visual and literal interpretation of tomorrow’s world. Then go online to find out more.
We’ve seen the future and it’s still printed.
Glad to see it return. I do love a nice magazine despite being a ‘digital’ person. The variation in stock is a welcome addition to this publication too.
Good work all round.