The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) wanted to relaunch their quarterly contract magazine TS Review as a bi-annual title, at the same time improving their online presence (which was represented by an online monthly update TS Today and email newsletter TS Bulletin) and consolidating their position to promote the message to existing and potential members that they represent ‘the voice of the trading standards profession’.
The print magazine needed to continue to give members a tangible, expertly created product, but the online presence would need to take the lead in communicating to a wider audience. We suggested a brand consolidation under the title Journal of Trading Standards (since ‘trading standards’ was much more recognisable than ‘TS’) with the print magazine tackling the big topics in the profession in long, analytical articles from our team of writers that would stay relevant and interesting across the six-monthly publishing schedule and the website allowing a more direct and immediate conversation with the audience, through text and video editorial. The magazine needed to be something the members of the CTSI could be proud of and we wanted to strike a note of hope at a difficult time for the profession because of swingeing cuts to public funding. The design was clean and serious, and the editorial was challenging and thoughtful, but importantly, led by our conversations with leading members of the profession.
There were a number of targets for the new title: CTSI members; the wider trading standards profession dispersed across the UK, key stakeholders in governmental and other public sector bodies; and a broader audience of interested professionals and businesses.
The magazine was delivered directly to the homes and offices of CTSI members and, to reach government decision-makers directly , we distributed copies to each to and every member of the House of Commons and House of Lords.
