Our Ambition
The company has been established to develop a strong and expanding publishing business, with a particular focus on specialist consumer magazines and websites.
Our strategic goal is straightforward — To grow the company into a Top-25 consumer publishing business, achieving this through organic growth, launch and acquisition.
Our guiding vision is simple but powerful — To provide the best products for our readers, advertisers, and retail partners; and to thoroughly enjoy making it happen.
Why do we say this? Many companies claim it, but how many deliver?
It is because we truly believe in always trying to improve our magazines and websites and making them even better.
As a fast expanding independent company, we can respond quickly and flexibly to our customers' changing needs.
Our success in achieving this is reflected in the quality of our magazines, books and websites. As a result the company recently achieved the distinctive honour of winning a two PPA awards (the magazine world's equivalent of "The Oscars"), and was also nominated as highly commended in a further award category.
Our Best Asset
At the heart of our business success are all the people whose individual and collective talents make everything happen. Creative, innovative, dedicated and highly knowledgeable in their areas, they are publishing professionals with significant expertise.
Successful publications are the direct result of enthusiastic teams - we touch the pulse of our readers and advertisers to bring them what they really want.
The Directors, who have formed the company, and the senior management all have substantial publishing company experience, together with a track record of building highly successful and award-winning publishing businesses and magazines. There is a combined experience of having published over a 150 different titles, ranging from consumer, business and contract magazines, through to books, and on to websites.
We are also committed to an active involvement in the future of the whole publishing industry as a member of the PPA (The Periodical Publishers' Association). Furthermore, the Chief Executive's long involvement in the publishing industry has also been recognised as he is now Joint Chair of PPA IPAC, the industry's professional association for independent publishers.
Our Business Strength
With a recent successful first year, the company has created a sound financial basis on which to build strongly for future growth, and to take advantage of the opportunities it has identified in many markets.
New products are already being developed, and these will be published in 2006-07, resulting in a widening of the company's range of titles. In addition new opportunities have been identified to work with other companies in launching new magazines.
We look forward to a very successful future for the company, building on the proven ability for our products to compete directly strongly and profitably within their markets.
History
2005 |
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June |
• Signature Publishing Ltd formed |
October |
• The Christmas Magazine launched • Hearth & Home - The Fireplace Yearbook launched |
2006 |
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January |
• DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd acquired as a Signature Group company - The UK's No.1 Equestrian Monthly Publisher |
May |
• PONY wins PPA award, plus it is highly commended in another award |
September |
• Horse&Rider increases frequency to 13 issues per year • All-time record circulation for PONY magazine |
October |
• PONY Annual launched |
November |
• PONY wins its second PPA award of 2006 |
2007 |
|
January |
• I Love Ponies Official Magazine launched |
May |
• PONY Magazine wins Magazine of the Year Award at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2007; Signature Publishing short-listed for Independent Publishing Company of the Year and PONY Editor, Janet Rising, short-listed for Editor of the Year |
August |
• Dinomite! Magazine launched |
October |
• Easy Peazy Magazine launched |
November |
• I Love Ponies: Big Book of Ponies launched |
2008 |
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January |
• Funtastic Magazine launched |
April |
• The Sea Magazine launched |
May |
• Dinomite! Magazine shortlisted for PPA Independent Publisher Launch of the Year; Horse&Rider Magazine's Editor-in Chief Alison Bridge shortlisted for Editor of the Year; Horse&Rider Magazine shortlisted for Consumer Magazine of the Year |
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June |
• Horse&Rider Magazine and PONY Magazine's Commercial Director Marion O'Sullivan awarded an MBE for Services to Animal Welfare and the Publishing Industry in light of her dedication and commitment to DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd since 1951 |
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Suppliers
The company is keen to work closely with all its suppliers, and the newstrade distribution system, in ensuring that the magazines and websites deliver the best results for its consumer and retail customers, and its advertisers.
We have enjoyed strong and reliable relationships with many supplying companies over many years, so we are always prepared to listen, learn and make progress.
Again our approach is very straight-forward, and we welcome any prospective suppliers to contact us, with ideas or proposals that can help the company achieve its goals.
I really believe in everything that we have said, so I am more than happy to put my signature to it, as a personal commitment from everyone in Signature Publishing Ltd and DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd.
Clive Foskett
Chief Executive