| dc.description | The concept of cutomer magazines on the example of publications Hooaeg, Investeeri!, Tervis
Apteegist, Club One, Fookus and Estraveller
Key words: customer newsletter, newspaper-type edition, marketing communication, criteria of a
magazine.
Magazines published in Estonia are considered to be newspaper-type editions, because they do
not meet the criteria set for magazines. The content and layout of customer newsletters have
changed, because while trying to create a stronger bond between brands and consumers,
companies have developed new channels for marketing communication and editions. These
channels can no longer be categorized as advertisement-type customer leaflets nor as classical
magazines, because they combine distinctive features from both.
In order to compare customer newsletters as a hybrid -format to magazines, criteria of
magazines has been used.
This thesis used content analysis to analyse the content of customer newsletters. For that use an
encoding manual was compiled and 88 content articles were encoded using this manual.
The customer newsletters in this Bachelor’s thesis, Hooaeg, Estraveller, Investeeri!, Club One,
Fookus ja Tervis Apteegist, are all characterised by versatility of genre, their format conforms to
magazines and all these newsletters are published regularly. Customer newsletters are opened to
co-operation from outside the news agency, this includes also Fookus, but co-operation is
welcome only on the client basis. The content of the customer newsletters is compiled in cooperation
between the editor and agency and the greater emphasis is on the contribution of the
agency. Only Hooaeg has a separate news agency. When dealing with more specific editions also
professionals from the company in chief are included as authors. The paper editions of customer
newsletters are characterised by limited distribution, but their accessibility is increased by the
fact that there are also online editions available on the internet.
The most common genres in customer newsletters are featured articles, overviews and
introductions of new goods. Articles are mainly based on a single source. The content is
characterised by timelessness and has an informative-entertaining function. Most articles found
in the newsletter have consumption orientated functions. The topics of articles are usually chosen
by taking into consideration the interests of the public, the editor and target groups. The mood of
the stories is both rational and emotional.
All six newsletters chosen for this thesis are characterised by a mixture of criteria and therefore it
can be considered as a new journalistic hybrid-format, which is strongly linked to marketing
communication, the post-modern consumer and consumer society.
A post-modern consumer is characterised by brand-centeredness, which is one reason why the
brand and consumer centred magazine Hooaeg has become the most popular magazine in
Estonia. The phenomenon of the newsletter Hooaeg in the Estonian magazine system is unique.
The same cannot be said about the landscape of Finnish magazines, where customer newsletters
are treated as most magazines read from which the most popular edition is Pirkka which had
more than 2.8 million readers in 2009. | en |
