Mine, an experimental customized magazine, shows consumer interest for tailored content – and receiving print communications.

As magazine publishers experiment with new methods for delivering content, Time Inc., American Express Publishing Corp. and Lexus have given us a look at how the future of print might look.

Mine magazine — a customizable publication offered for a 10-week period earlier this year — let consumers influence the content and ads that would appear in each issue. And they even got to select a delivery method: print, online or smartphone. Surprisingly, most requested a printed copy.

Here, Wayne Powers, president of Time Inc. Media Group, discusses how customization and printed magazines are a powerful combination.

Deliver: How did Time come to create a customized magazine?

Powers: As Lexus planned the launch of the new 2010 RX, it joined forces with Time Inc. and American Express Publishing Corp. to create an integrated marketing campaign around the idea of driver-inspired design. The car comes with what Lexus calls “driver-inspired technology,” such as MP3-player connectivity operated through steering-wheel controls, and a remote-touch controller, similar to a mouse, for the pop-up navigation system.

In thinking about how we could bring our assets to market in a unique way on their behalf, we pinpointed several Time and American Express Publishing magazines that fit with Lexus’ targeted consumer from a demographic and psychographic point of view. From there, the idea evolved into looking at how we could take content from these various magazine brands and aggregate it in a way that the consumer would have some choice.

Deliver: Why was consumer choice important?

Powers: We wanted the end result to be aligned with the definition of the Lexus RX brand as user inspired. That’s why consumers were given the opportunity to choose five magazine brands from a list of eight — Time, Sports Illustrated, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Money, In Style, Golf and Travel + Leisure — that they were the most interested in and would like to receive content from. Our editors then chose which content from each publication appeared in Mine. Lexus was the sole advertiser, with four full-page ads in each 36-page issue.

Deliver: How did you promote the program?

Powers: Advertising in the participating magazines and their Web sites drove consumers to a site where they were able to choose their content and delivery method. Within the first four weeks, consumers had signed up for all of the 31,000 print subscriptions available, and from launch until the end of the program, more than 20,000 people signed up to receive a digital version of Mine.

Deliver: Why do you think so many wanted a printed magazine in the mail?

Powers: I think consumers felt connected to the actual magazines themselves. The photography and the content they were expecting to see are things they are accustomed to seeing in a printed product. But it was the customization that really drew attention because it let them sample magazines they don’t subscribe to but may be interested in.

Deliver: What was the benefit of a customized magazine for Lexus?

Powers: Lexus was able to customize the ads for each recipient based on his or her interests using data from the sign-up process. During the process, consumers were asked a few simple questions to find the magazines that best matched their interests. For example, an ad might show a car driving on a local road or highlight a destination of interest. It was hoped that this would make consumers feel connected to the ads. So far, the data is proving this to be true. Of the consumers who signed up to receive Mine, 16 percent opted in to receive additional information about the new Lexus RX.

Deliver: Is customization something publishers and advertisers are looking to as they consider the future of print?

Powers: There’s a lot of interest around customization right now. We had more than 300 million media impressions around Mine and we’re receiving inquiries from the media and advertisers around the concept all the time.

One of the questions that advertisers are asking is whether the use of customization for ads can evolve to the point where consumers are not only influencing the messaging, but also the actual product that appears in the ads. For example, one consumer might be defined as an SUV driver while another a sedan driver. The question is, how can we evolve the ads and the content of the ads to address each of these consumers?

The editorial content may evolve as well. For Mine, the editors involved with each publication chose the content. However, one recipient may be more interested in international news while another leans toward national news. Are there ways we can better align the content within these magazines to match the consumers’ interests? Right now, we’re doing some investigating around these ideas.

Deliver: How do you feel about the increasing amount of personalized and customized mail?

Powers: I think the traditional direct mail channel is a very challenging place. What we like about Mine is that the consumer actually chose to receive this, either through the mail or digitally. So while the messaging may be viewed as direct to consumer, it is more of an engaged relationship. The ads that appeared in Mine are there because of what we know about our subscribers. So it’s a great way to get that direct-to-consumer relationship without being in a mass distribution medium.