key takeaways:
- Transportation Topics has relaunched its print issue, after more than a year in the works, following an initial design preview of its Top 100 For-Hire Carriers list edition.
- Burke says the relaunch reflects reader research that shows busy trucking professionals are increasingly consuming digital news first and need in-depth print analysis.
- She notes that TT plans to continue updates on its website, multimedia and social channels while maintaining reliable reporting and industry analysis.
Had to travel a long journey to reach here.
The transportation topic has evolved with the trucking industry for over 90 years. This relaunch is part of that history, but it also reflects how trucking operates today and how readers consume news.
This work took more than a year to complete. In the last issue, we gave you our annual Top 100 For-Hire Careers list, as well as a first look at the new design. The issue is the actual relaunch – the version of TT we’re building for.
I want to give you some context as to what’s changing and why, because this is more than a design update.
We started this project with two questions: How are people using transportation themes right now, and what do they need from us? We did not guess. We surveyed readers, talked to industry leaders, looked at how business media was evolving and took a hard look at our own product. Some of what we found was encouraging, and some was not so encouraging. All this was useful.
Some things came to light. Our readers are busy professionals with limited time. They’re consuming a constant flow of information, from industry news to internal company data. Our job is to help them understand what it means and why it matters to their business. They are also reading us digitally before the print comes out. We knew we needed to rethink the role of print and digital for our readers.
Breaking news is online. It’s where readers go first and where we can connect with a story as it develops. Print has a different role now. This is where we can slow down and delve deeper into the stories that shape the trucking industry.
Here’s what’s changing:
- Small print issues, published twice a month
- More in-depth reporting and faster analysis
- Clean design, strong visuals and better data usage
- A customer experience that better matches the way readers use transport topics
We also made tough decisions about what to leave out. We looked at every element of the newspaper and evaluated it based on reader feedback. If something wasn’t valued or didn’t serve a clear purpose, it wasn’t included in our updated design.
There is a business case here too. If we create a strong product for readers, we create a strong audience for advertisers. The digital updates we’re rolling out — including premium content, updated subscription options, and better audience data — will help us better serve readers and advertisers over time.
What hasn’t changed matters most.
At a time when much of the media environment is moving toward entertainment and hot takes, we’re going in the other direction. We’re doubling down on our trustworthy reporting. That means the types of facts, sources, analysis and coverage trucking leaders can rely on to make smart decisions. It hasn’t moved, and it’s not going to.
I’ll be honest about something else: getting here wasn’t easy. There were concepts that we scrapped, there were ideas that we tested and moved away from and there were a lot of internal debates. This kind of work takes time and we have a 92-year legacy that we take seriously. We wanted to get this right.
We are not finished. Websites, multimedia and social channels are still evolving. This issue is a tipping point, not a finish line.
Some changes will become apparent as soon as you open the magazine. Others you will notice over time. Either way, we hope it makes the experience better and worth your time.
Thanks for coming along on the journey.
Kala Burke has been with ATA since March 2021.
