Why Did This Magazine Launch Fail So Spectacularly?
History is full of old people making excruciating attempts to be down with the kids. Like when Hilary Clinton asked people to “Pokémon Go to the polls”, or that time Richard Madeley did an impression of Ali G.
But one of the most spectacular belly-flops in history took place in the 90s, in a quiet corner of the UK magazine industry.
Since the early 1980s, a computer magazine called Amstrad Computer User had been building a small but loyal readership. In 1992, this magazine decided it needed a full brand refresh to appeal to a younger audience.
It was a humiliating catastrophe.
A few issues later, the magazine closed down for good.
A very quick history of 8-bit computer magazines
First, a little background.
The 80s saw an explosion in home computing, thanks to cheap systems like the Spectrum ZX and the Commodore 64. These were multipurpose machines that you could use for programming, office…
