Neutral and balanced content on brands, brand-adjacent businesses, and lifestyle for different media channels

The world of branding has always been a fascinating subject matter. Having seen first-hand the transformative power of a strong brand, the merchandise or experience being sold is merely a small part of why consumers choose to pay for particular goods or services. On the contrary, one may have an extremely well-made product that fills a gap within the market and is reasonably priced, however, its ability to sell and reach a wider audience is stifled because of the lack of branding. Or worse, putting out the wrong type of branding that attracts the wrong consumers etc. Seeking to understand more about this subject, I delved into available reading materials to gain more exposure and glimpses into the world of branding. This is where I discovered Magazine B. 

Magazine B, although titled a magazine, sits somewhere between a magazine and a non-fiction book. The resource is presented within an easily digestible format, yet exceeds the rigour typically seen within articles in magazines. The insights gained from reading Magazine B are as if one gains a one week free pass to meet experienced employees within key departments of the brand in focus. One can understand how the brand thinks, acts, actions and more. It is truly fascinating. In addition, there is usually a section to explore brand loyalty to learn about the brand from the perspective of a loyal customer. From Muji to Disney, the list of selected brands in itself is a careful curation by the Magazine B team.

Founded in South Korea by Suyong Joh, Magazine B tends to have a South Korean link, especially in its earlier issues, through its interviews with Koreans who have forged their paths in the international market or have an international point of view. Building a brand that is successful in its country of origin, but through a global lens whereby international customers are equally enamoured by the brand. This, again, is a fascinating point of view as I find first-hand associations or empathy in the discussions that are typically revealing of a particular brand and the sector in which they exist. What makes a brand become a leader within its industry? What makes a brand worthy of attracting tourists within its country of origin even when visitors have limited time during their visit? For example, HAY is a furniture brand that attracts visitors who travel to Copenhagen; it is unlikely that a temporary visitor will purchase furniture there, so why are they visiting?

The global lens in which Magazine B operates is particularly relevant today. Brands seek to portray or protect the values and cultures from their place of origin, yet have the desire to grow. A failed growth strategy may be the Achilles heel of an already successful brand in its homegrown region. A deliberate expansion strategy that favours revenue, profit and building brand loyalty rather than opening many new stores, may be the preferred risk profile by some companies such as Muji who adopt these methods. This is why you will not see many Muji stores globally, but when they do, such as the Muji store in Tottenham Court Road in London and in Times Square in New York, they fittingly approach the city to serve the demands of the people which they establish a foot in. 

Within Magazine B, the interviews tend to be in a medium to long-form format which is a form of exposure I have enjoyed consuming, as well as had a few dabbles in sharing information in this manner when interviewing specialists in areas of interest. Author and podcaster Tim Ferris carries out long-form interviews with great success, diving deep into the specialism of his interviewee, yet providing sufficient flexibility not to be stifled by the list of prepared questions. While Tim Ferris explores this through podcasts lasting two hours or so, which is admittedly more challenging than written materials where one has opportunities to edit, edit and edit, Magazine B does this well too. Through consuming the materials, there are deep-level insights that I rarely find in other sources, especially if they title themselves as a magazine.

To date, I have started and only read a couple of Magazines B but have been impressed by its editorial and the choice of brands that they choose to spotlight on. Its copyrighting may need to be tightened to eliminate minor and easily corrected errors but the easy reading and insightfulness viewpoint wins. I am also curious about Magazine B’s series that spotlights food and cities such as ‘coffee’ and ‘Seoul’. Magazine B finds a balance between providing its readers sections that are light to flip through and inspirational - typically found in magazines, yet, able to inject a few medium to longer forms of interviews which are invaluable. It is insightful without being overwhelming. I cannot wait to further explore the publication’s materials.