When we launched our Places publication eight years ago, we did so in a market we knew would soon transition to digital-first. Despite the fact that we publish a range of print titles, we love digital. We therefore built a property website alongside, places.je
Last year we completely overhauled the platform and built a new portal from the ground up for property hunting, engaging all the agents and enabling them to do things with places they couldn’t do with UK products that weren’t quite fit for purpose or local attempts that were slow or had limited features. We’re property fans, so it was a labour of love.
Thankfully it was all worth it and the new places.je property platform is now the best solution for house-hunters on the island. With open viewings, historic property information and listings enhanced by agents, all on a platform designed for all devices at top speed, we know it’s better than the rest. Although statistics can sometimes be nonsense, we know the 17,333 users we had in January means we’re doin’ it right. Daft Punk would be proud. But that left us in a dilemma over what to do with our Places print title.
Gallery has always been viewed as a ‘young’ media. Ironic considering we’re coming up for 15 years old. I’d call us an adolescent, which sort of fits well. We try and cover a range of creative content for life and style but with a reasonably fresh tone of voice; happy to leave the nimby news to the JEP or other media. We don’t really want to be part of the establishment, and we’re still happy something out as bullshit, but without a political agenda. This year we’re re-affirming that targeting, getting back to the art and lifestyle content that first drove us to start publishing.
Meanwhile, Places in print had always been simply property, but we knew there was a market for a more mature and targeted distribution; a market covered not well covered by other titles. Our new Places’ Islander title for 2019 is designed to cover that market. With direct door-to-door distribution to the parishes of St Ouen, St John, St Mary, Trinity and St Martin (and all out of town business), it’s the wellies to Gallery’s loafers and heels, the country walk to our night out in town; our country cousin.
We’ll not be building a Trump wall between the two, you’ll still be able to get Gallery islandwide and Places will still sit alongside our distro network of 300 stands, but it’s just about building print and digital title that are best in class. Even if we get sent out occasionally.
