Lincolnshire Life is a monthly magazine devoted to the history, culture and contemporary life in Lincolnshire. It was founded in 1961 as a quarterly publication and is the biggest selling and most successful glossy magazine in Lincolnshire.
Owned by independent publishing company, County Life Ltd, it is headed up by Caroline Bingham, Chief Executive.
Here Caroline shares with us the success of Lincolnshire Life having just produced the 700th Edition.
Could you give us some background information about the story behind Lincolnshire Life and how it has grown in frequency to reach a wonderful 700th Edition milestone?
Lincolnshire Life has always been independently owned and retained the ethos of sourcing all our content with relevance to the county. No Seychelles holiday features for us but Skegness yes! The county is large and filled with dynamic yet modest people who are developing equally dynamic businesses and communities. We will never run out of stories – in fact we have an over abundance – not a bad position to be in. We work hard to retain our loyal subscribers but also those new to the county as visitors or residents delivering an affluent and influential audience for our advertisers and sponsors.
Can you share your view on the importance you place on a printed magazine, I understand that consumers can view the magazine online and digitally but why is a printed magazine so very important to you, your brand and your readers?
The high quality print is important for the shelf life and longevity of the magazine. We know that copies take on a journey of their own once we distribute each issue. There will always be some dated content but equally features can be read in five, ten and more years time and still are of interest and relevance. We know readers archive copies of Lincolnshire Life and back copies are an important reference tool for the county. The magazine is nearly 60 years old and generations of readers have appeared in our pages. Equally readers pass copies to friends and relatives and we are happy that copies are viewed in surgeries and waiting rooms across the area.
With the developments in technology over the last few years, the phrase “print is dead” has been uttered with more frequency. And yes whilst digital content is becoming more popular do you think it will replace a printed magazine, which many argue is a more trusted and credible medium.
Lincolnshire Life has a substantial following in digital format and on social media platforms but our readers still like the ‘coffee table’ impact of the magazine with high quality production and images. For us it is hard to envisage that digital will eliminate the need for a printed version. We also find people are nervous that digital copies are not truly owned and are more prone to loss and accessibility.
And finally, how long have you worked with PCP and what is the best thing about working with us?
County Life Ltd has worked with PCP for more than 20 years and have a solid relationship built on the assurance of good communication and production values. It is a rarity but we know that if we have missed a detail at our end and it is spotted by a staff member at PCP, we will receive a call. It is a cheerful and hard working team at PCP and we recognise that their values regarding quality are ones we share.
