Known for its intelligent coverage of both film and surf/skate culture, The Church of London has a new quarterly magazine in its stable. It comes as a handsome hardback book and is a different kind of venture for a different kind of client: Google
By Mark Sinclair 08/04/2011
Full review: https://www.creativereview.co.uk/thinking-with-google/
Working with the team at Church of London we put together the launch edition of Think Quarterly :: a magazine with an initial UK circulation of 600 copies, (effectively a direct mail piece that ended up reaching more than a million people online ... now gone global with issue two)
From the Guardian:
The first thing to say about about Google's new "online magazine" Think Quarterly is that it's not a consumer magazine. It's a marketing booklet sent to about 1,500 of its partners in the UK.
Google's Think Quarterly magazine
The quarterly magazine is designed by creative agency The Church of London. It features no advertising and is free to view.
Yes, most of the content is produced by Google staffers – alongside contributions from the Guardian's Simon Rogers, and others. But Google is no more a media company today than it was yesterday.
Update: Google nips any media notion in the bud. A spokesman says: "Like most companies we regularly communicate with our business customers via email newsletters, updates on our official blogs, and printed materials. This short book about data was sent to 1,500 of our UK partners and advertisers.
"There are only a limited number of copies, and they aren't for sale or designed for anyone other than our partners – but anyone who's interested can visit the companion website at www.thinkquarterly.co.uk."
Matt Brittin, Google's managing director in the UK and Ireland, wrote in Think Quarterly's first issue:
"At Google, we often think that speed is the forgotten 'killer application' – the ingredient that can differentiate winners from the rest. We know that the faster we deliver results, the more useful people find our service.
"But in a world of accelerating change, we all need time to reflect. Think Quarterly is a breathing space in a busy world. It's a place to take time out and consider what's happening and why it matters.
"Our first issue is dedicated to data – amongst a morass of information, how can you find the magic metrics that will help transform your business? We hope that you find inspiration, insights, and more, in Think Quarterly."
Think Quarterly's launch is timely. Earlier this week, the New York Times' David Carr drew some salient points about the business Google and other Silicon Valley high-fliers are drifting towards.
He asked: "What company derives 96% of its revenue from advertising, has a video platform that is currently negotiating with the National Basketball Association, a movie studio and various celebrities, and is developing a subscription service that would be plug-and-play for publishers and consumers the world over. Time Warner? News Corporation? Viacom?"
The answer, of course, is Google. Carr adds: "Up and down its ranks, Google executives will tell you without fail that Google is not a media company, that its organises and manages content, but stays away from producing it.
"It's an article of faith at the internet giant. But it's also beginning to show strain as Google moves into new territory."