Ink (company)


Ink, or Ink Global, is a multinational travel media publishing and technology company founded in 1994. Based in London, Ink publishes 33 inflight magazines for 24 airlines worldwide. The company's magazines and other media products reach over 802 million consumers annually.

Ink
IndustryTravel media
Inflight magazines
Trade publications
Founded1994
FounderMichael Keating
Simon Leslie
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
Number of employees
420[1]
Websitewww.ink-global.com

History

Ink was founded in London, in 1994, by Simon Leslie and Michael Keating[2] to service two small airlines in the Middle East and Africa.

Initially based in Shoreditch, London, the company's headquarters moved to West Hampstead where it has grown to work with more than 31 travel clients. As of 2019, Ink employs approximately 300 people across six offices worldwide.

Ink's content business model involves producing print magazines, digital and video content and experiential marketing opportunities, in order to sell media and advertising. This reaches passengers at multiple stages of their journey: through print, travel documents, inflight entertainment and targeted advertising.

The company now works with some of the world's leading airlines, including: American Airlines, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, easyJet, Norwegian and several others.

In 2018, Ink won 40 international awards for content, editorial, design and business success. Titles included Magazine of the Year (Travel Media Awards), Editor of the Year (The Folio: Eddie and Ozzie Awards) and Designer of the Year (The Folio: Eddie and Ozzie Awards).

Products

Ink's products include:

  • 33 inflight magazines in nine languages for around 24 airlines and rail operators [3]
  • Magazine websites and digital editions available on mobile and tablet [4]
  • 20+ digital advertising products capable of being targeted to multiple chosen data fields
  • One airline mobile app allowing users to book travel, extras and check-in from their Android and iOS devices
  • Digital advertising on airline and travel web pages
  • TV programming in all of North America's major airports
  • Experiential Marketing connecting brands and travellers

Business

In a recent article Ink was described as “the publisher bucking the print trend”[2]. Latest figures in June 2017 put revenue at £58 million with £10.6 million gross profit[3].

Magazines

Ink publishes 33 magazines produced in nine languages across Europe, the United States and Central, Africa, Asia, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.[5]Ink is responsible for many publications both online and offline such as Hemispheres magazine,[6]  American Way,[8] Smile [9], SilverKris and more.

Video

Ink creates bespoke video content for a number of airlines and travel partners, including: American Airlines, easyJet, Etihad Airlines, Silkair, United and Norwegian. In 2019, Ink took a controlling share in ReachTV in Los Angeles.

Targeted Advertising platform

Ink's Targeted Advertising (TAD) technology enables advertising to be customised to specific types of passengers based on origin, destination, gender, nationality, age, language, cabin class, fare type and frequent flyer status.

Advertising

In addition to its magazine business, Ink produces personalised advertising on print-at-home boarding passes and confirmation emails,[10] and tailored inflight eMagazines. It sells advertising in more than 100 countries in the form of magazines, retail catalogues, entertainment guides, and websites, print-at-home boarding passes, itineraries and confirmation emails as well as mobile apps. Ink also sells media space on headrest covers, table trays, menus, timetables and seat-backs for airlines.

Travel documents

Ink offers advertising space on travel documents using their highly targeted advertising platform. Their range of travel documents includes print-at-home boarding passes, itineraries and booking confirmations.

Technology and mobile

Ink creates travel apps for iOS and Android platforms that allow airline passengers to book future travel, check-in and obtain mobile boarding passes among other key functions. To date, Ink has launched mobile apps for Jetstar and Cebu Pacific.

Joint CEO Simon Leslie

In Autumn 2019, Simon Leslie’s book There is no F in Sales launched. The book has been described as an "autobiographical journey into the world of sales, with a deep insight into the values and hard lessons he encountered, as well as the hindsight he has gained over the last few decades".

Partners list

Ink's client list includes:

gollark: No.
gollark: Have you *seen* my reminders?
gollark: Yes. Also my past selves. It's very efficient.
gollark: I feel like I might need to implement rustaceous SPUDNET because this is ridiculous.
gollark: (it violates GTech™ policy)

References
  1. Burrell, Ian (2014-10-19). "Ink global has used savvy marketing and a globe-trotting readership to take over the world's skies". The Independent. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  2. Jefferson. Michaela. https://mediatel.co.uk/newsline/2019/10/31/ink-the-magazine-publisher-bucking-the-print-trend"the publisher bucking the print trend"], Mediatel, 31 October 2019. Retrieved on 20 December 2019.
  3. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-5293147/Publisher-magazines-airlines-fetch-70m.html"£58 million revenue with 10.6 gross profit"], This is Money, 21 January 2018. Retrieved on 20 December 2019.
  4. "American Way Inflight Magazine".
  5. "Nexos Inflight Magazine".
  6. "American Airlines Picks Ink to Publish Inflight Magazines".
  7. "The National Magazine".
  8. "b.inspired Magazine".
  9. "Smile Magazine for Cebu Pacific".
  10. "easyJet Traveller — Inflight Magazine of easyJet".
  11. "Atlas Inflight Magazine".
  12. "Eurowings Inflight Magazine".
  13. "Aspire Inflight Magazine".
  14. "Product". Ink Global. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  15. "Norwegian Inflight Magazine".
  16. "Mabuhay Magazine for Philippines Airlines".
  17. "Oryx Inflight Magazine".
  18. "Silkwinds Inflight Magazine".
  19. "Product". Ink Global. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  20. "Hemispheres Inflight Magazine".
  21. "Vera Inflight Magazine".
  22. "Inflight Magazine of Wizz Air".
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