Enhancing Brand Strategy Efficiency for Economic Publications Through Competitor Analysis

Although consumer behavior and the unfavorable economic context have led to significant losses in the media market for printed products, a new opportunity, provided by online channels through digital publications, brings a significant year-on-year increase in revenue and number of customers. The ongoing process of digitalization and the migration of content toward online channels, are transforming companies’ business models. This study explores the leading Romanian economic magazines to identify strategic insights that can optimize the branding strategy of new or already established economic publications. In order to investigate the current state of economic magazine’s brand and their digitalization process, the study uses online observation of social media platforms and competitors’ official websites in order to evaluate strategies related to branding and the marketing mix. The main trends identified include the use of content marketing and the development of customer loyalty through free content offered on magazines’ websites and social media channels, as well as through subscription models. However, the communication strategy is not integrated across all channels for all magazines. Additionally, competitors’ visual identities reveal common elements, such as the use of similar color schemes and a preference for associative and descriptive brand names. These finding imply a need for efficient strategies regarding proper branding and integrated communication. The results contribute to the theoretical framework of niche branding strategies and the knowledge resulted are useful for shareholders involved in the media market as they require proper guidance for brand development and business growth.