What is the business?
The Bailgate Independent is a monthly print magazine published in Lincoln that covers everything from local news and events, to food, interiors and the city’s cultural scene. Along with its bi-annual sister publication, the Hello Lincoln What’s on Guide, the “Indie” has a bespoke delivery system taking it into homes and businesses in thriving areas of the city and can also be found online.
History
Established almost two decades ago, The Bailgate Independent was purchased by Amanda McSorley and her partner Rachel Bishop in November 2016. At the time, the magazine focused solely on Uphill Lincoln. Each with 30 years of experience – Amanda as an editor and Rachel in marketing – the pair introduced professional editorial content and design to the publication, transforming it into Lincoln’s premier free glossy magazine.
How did LORIC Help?
As new business owners, Amanda and Rachel felt they needed to gather as much information as possible to help The Bailgate Independent grow. The pair had heard of LORIC via a press release sent to their own publication and contacted the team to find out if they could use data to expand the Indie’s reach.
LORIC hosted two focus groups, one for The Bailgate Independent and another for the HelloLincoln What’s on Guide. The groups consisted of advertisers, contributors and readers, many of whom agreed that the magazines would benefit from a wider readership. LORIC data analyst Katya helped them to build trust with their advertisers and stakeholders by providing evidence to back up their business decisions.
LORIC’s data collection activities supplied valuable information that Amanda and Rachel used to develop their business strategy. The centre’s analysis also gave grounding to the idea that expanding to LN6 made good business sense, after the focus group suggested that the magazine could be a bridge between North and South Lincoln.
Plans for the future
In the future Amanda and Rachel plan to use the data to develop The Bailgate Independent’s website. They hope to use the site to engage both new and current readers and provide further value for advertisers without compromising the print version of the magazine.
Find out more about The Bailgate Independent here: bailgateindependent.co.uk