British Airways’ Business Life magazine was named the Most Effective Travel and Leisure Title at the Association of Publishing Agencies’ Customer Publishing Awards 2006.
The magazine was one of four travel titles shortlisted, the others including Thomson’s Real Holiday’s, Virgin Blue Airways’ Virgin Blue Voyeur, GNER’s Livewire and Orient Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises’ Orient Express Magazine.
The APA Awards, now in their eighth year, redefined their focus this year from The Customer Magazine Awards to The Customer Publishing Awards in order to showcase not only the best magazines, but also the best branded content in the UK customer publishing industry.
APA Chief Operating OfficerJulia Hutchinson said: “The travel sector has suffered at the hands of heavy competition, commoditisation of travel leading to very little brand loyalty and the ongoing threat of terrorism.
“Consequently, the need for travel companies to build closer relationships with their customers and reinforce their brand has never been higher.
“Customer magazines engage readers for an average of 25 minutes – something other media can only dream of. As a result travel marketers are beginning to recognise that customer magazines are an extremely effective communications and marketing tool.
“It is therefore unsurprising that Mintel predicts by 2011 customer publishing will be a £1 billion industry”