National Pawnbroker magazine goes out quarterly to 1,400 of the National Pawnbrokers Association’s (NPA) members and prospects. These include primarily pawn store owners and their employees. NPA approached SPARK Publications in 2016 in need of a new design firm, but they weren’t yet ready to commit to a full magazine redesign. In late 2017, we finally got the go-ahead, and the resulting award-winning design boosted new advertisers by 15 percent.
Magazine Redesign Strategy
Several strategic objectives were considered in giving the magazine a fresher look. First and foremost, it needed to stand out from a competing national magazine that had a similar design, which was confusing the audience. And NPA hoped a fresh, new look would attract more advertisers. Additional goals included spotlighting feature articles to provide a stronger contrast from the trade columns and creating consistent advertising specifications with more strategic ad placement.
The results were spot on. The new look offers a clear, competitive separation and higher-level design, which helped elevate the magazine above its competition, which in turn contributed to member retention. Feature articles are now the spotlight of each issue and provide a stronger contrast from the trade columns. And consistent advertising specifications and strategic ad placement have contributed to the higher-level design and cohesiveness in each issue.
Before and After Redesign
Check out the befores and afters to see for yourself. And if you’re in the market for an award-winning magazine redesign, contact us.
