In an evolving world of digitization where it’s as if the print media is daily losing its value and audience to the online media, the Podium Magazine has launched its print edition.
The Podium which started with an online edition via www.thepodiummedia.com had a formal unveiling of its print edition, the Podium International Magazine, on June 7, in Lagos; tagged: “Branding and Entrepreneurship: Myths and Realities’.
According to Mr Ademola Akinbola; an experienced Journalist, a Digital Marketing, Brand and Reputation Management professional and Publisher of The Podium Magazine, the magazine is to celebrate Nigerian professionals, business managers, and entrepreneurs with verifiable means of livelihood.
“We focus on sharing success stories so that others can learn and be inspired. We want to be known for identifying, showcasing, and serenading Nigerians’ success stories all over the world as a way of positively projecting the image of Nigeria.
“We want to identify honest Nigerians who are doing honest work, identify what they are doing, celebrate them and appreciate them. We want this society to move away from the culture of celebrating only the rich. There are so many people who might not be rich in Naira but they have good works,” he added.
Following its successful debut in the United States of America, Akinbola said, “this is the 4th edition. We started in the US. And I feel that this should go around the whole world. We just launched in Nigeria, after Nigeria, we’re going to the UK and then to Canada. The whole idea is to make it a global media brand that will be the voice and face of Nigeria wherever they are”.
Speaking further on the essence of the magazine, the Publisher noted that in Nigeria today, people are depressed and discouraged, but when they read other people’s success stories, it will inspire them and give them hope to keep working and not give up.
“That’s the essence of the magazine. To encourage people to continue to do the right thing. We do not believe in a shortcut to success, we do not believe in Yahoo Yahoo, nor rituals.
“I’m a success today because of the path that I followed. I worked hard and followed due process. I believe you should have passion for whatsoever you’re doing and you must be consistent and not give up but stay on your path. Don’t use another person’s life to run your race. Everyone has their gifts and talents, so we should identify those gifts and talents and work with them”, Ademola added.
Speaking on the benefits of the Podium International Magazine to its subscribers and frequency of publication, the Former Business Editor at The Punch Newspaper, said, “I’m so happy about this milestone, we’re going to be publishing six times a year; once in two months. This is a platform for Advertisers to advertise their products and services because this is a global platform. So whatever advert you put on the platform will go round the whole world and people will see what you do”.
“We want to create a digital handshake between Nigerians at home and the diaspora. So when we feature someone doing something good in Nigeria, someone in the US can see it and say – oh I need to invest in this person because this person is doing something interesting,” he added.
” Secondarily, it’s a platform that is going to connect people to do businesses together. Apart from celebrating people, it’s a business networking platform. So many people in the diaspora have lost hope in Nigeria because they think there are no honest Nigerians but through this magazine, we will show the world that there are honest Nigerians, but you just need to identify them and reach out to them,” Ademola further stated.
Expatiating on why he chose to have a print edition despite the increasing number of online media in this age, he said, “When online media came, everyone thought it’s going to be the end of the print media but it has not happened, rather the online media has come to complement the print”.
“I believe in integrated marketing communications. Online has its role, print also has its role. You can read this magazine in your car, in your bedroom, office, at your reception – it has various purposes, adding that, Print media can never die. The reach that the online media has is an advantage that should be celebrated because it can get to where print cannot get and that’s why we’re using the two. So we have our online porter, we also have the print”.
Akinbola who further stated multiple reasons to contrast the online and print media and how they complement each other said “We also want to help people to reduce exposure to screen. People are always reading on the phone, on their ipads , people are having eye problems. So let’s go back to print”.
“Print has an advantage of documentation, it can be there for the next 10 to 15 years. But online, once your website is hacked, that’s all. It has happened to us once or twice, we lost many files. But if they were documented in a printed form, we would still have them,” he added.
The Publisher believes that both online and print editions exist side by side to promote brands. “Any good brand manager will not neglect one for the other, so the media mix must be on point, you must be able to use the two”.
