As we wrap up another year, we reflect on both the highs and lows that have made this year an unforgettable one.
We’ve seen an array of successful new product launches, the onboarding of new titles/portfolios, wide-scale expansions in overseas territories and enhanced relationships with our clients and trading partners.
2023 heralded the launch of our bespoke store-level allocation system, Apex, which has already paid huge dividends in print savings and efficiency gains. It saw the launch of our book development platform and the expansion into major new sales channels. We’ve achieved recognition as the PPA ‘Industry Partner Of The Year’ for the second year and celebrated the success of our International Team in those same awards.
The scope of our business has continued to expand – with print licensing, syndication, bookazines and subscriptions operations forming part of our remit and expertise. We’ve seen a vast number of our colleagues achieve professional certifications in business, leadership and marketing and welcomed new babies to our extended Marketforce family. We’ve celebrated engagements, weddings, new homes and more. We’ve trekked Three Peaks for charity, furthered our thought leadership in the market and marvelled at the power of the Premier League, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles for helping us shift a significant volume of product.
Our commitment to ESG and sustainability continued to be front of mind, and we completed a huge body of work to fully measure our Scope 1-3 carbon footprint. Marketforce is responsible for all elements of the magazine value chain from production through to our newsstand and subscription customers, and we have succeeded in fully measuring our impact across all elements. It’s a flag in the sand that allows us to develop a clear plan to meet our target of reducing our combined carbon footprint by -42% by 2030. Put simply, it is the most important challenge we face.
This year has been an incredible one in so many ways, but it’s not been without its hurdles. We’ve seen the wider economy hit by the cost-of-living crisis leading to pressures on consumer spend, but continue to be proud of the resilience and innovation within our sector.
We’ve experienced the shock and sad loss of our beloved colleague and friend, Mark Reed who passed away unexpectedly in mid-October. After 33-years of loyal service, Mark fittingly won Future’s ‘Unsung Hero’ award at our recent annual awards event and will forever be remembered by all who knew him. Our thoughts continue to be with Mark’s family and friends.
Who knows what 2024 will bring, but as a business, we are genuinely excited to find out. We look forward to continuing our growth and innovation in the market, exploring new opportunities and trying new things.
If you want to do this too – you know where to come
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
