Wired UK

On March 24, 1995, the Guardian Media Group and Wired Ventures Limited launched the UK edition of Wired. While the joint-venture is owned 50/50 by its parents, Wired UK has its own staff. The idea was to create a Wired magazine that has an editorial staff that is focusing on Britain and Europe. Of course, Wired UK has to develop its own revenue base through circulation and advertising sales, and having the Guardian as parent will help it intergrate into the UK media network.

According to the US magazine's Associate Publisher, Dana Lyons, Wired's US advertising base has reached maturity in its market. Therefore, Wired must expand its revenue base by tapping into the UK and European markets. In 1994, Wired received a large, rave review in the Guardian newspaper. The result was a soaring in UK demand, which quickly outpaced the trickle of imported copies of Wired from the US. With such obvious untapped appeal, Wired decided the time was right for an expansion of their editorial horizons and revenue base.

To Wired, the Guardian seemed to provide easy access into the British media market with deep pockets, strong distribution channels and vast connections with advertising agencies. From the Guardian's perspective, it has joined forces with the new media.

"In a sense, the Guardian have their hands on the seed of the style magazine generation for the 21st century," reports The Magazine Business Weekly Report.

While the UK staff is growing, much of the design work is still done at Wired headquarters in San Francisco. For example, the premiere UK edition has a stylized picture of Thomas Paine on the cover, which was designed by John Plunkett, one of Wired's creative directors and original founders. As the UK staff matures, less work will be done in San Francisco. However, it is vital to Wired Ventures that the UK edition not dilute the Wired brandname with 'unWired' design and content. Therefore, Tara Herman, Foriegn Editions Manager, checks Wired UK's content and design prior to printing, bringing anything questionable to the attention of upper management. Often Wired's design team is working with two deadlines, one for the main publication and one for Wired UK.

There are several key questions concerning the Wired UK venture. Regarding the UK media customer, would a magazine tailored to the UK market lose its unique foriegn appeal? Imported magazines have a certain exotic attraction, with foriegn ads and novel cultural perspectives. Also, is the UK market ready to support a customized edition of a technology-culture magazine? In fact, Wired is wrestling with the question whether to stop selling the US edition in the UK? Then there is the issue of how the US - UK long distance relationship should be managed. Can Wired's headquarters really let go of its first magazine off-spring?

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