The Good Things Manual,
Holland & Barrett
Food, fitness & wellness -
commercially powered, consumer loved
In just one issue, The Good Things Manual sparked £284k in sales – with advertising revenue of £98k covering the lion’s share of production costs.
We are endlessly proud of our phenomenal sales team at River, and they really stepped up to the plate. Beyond the balance sheet, the magazine reignited engagement with consumers, resulting in a 70% uplift in average order value, 63% more items per basket and – critically – 41% of voucher-redeemers being previously lapsed customers. Even better, 3% were brand-new to H&B.
We aimed for the three Rs: reach, revenue and relevance – and hit each one.
Client need
Holland & Barrett didn’t want just another branded magazine – they wanted a smart,
self-funding platform that could educate, engage and sell. The brief was ambitious: create content that connects with core wellness audiences, showcases the breadth of the product range and delivers sales impact that can be directly tracked.
Do it fast, at year-end, when time and budget are tight. Oh, and attract new customers.
Creative
Revenue came from a smart mix of advertisers, while distribution punched above its weight, extended through affiliate partners to hook both loyal readers and fresh eyes. The content spoke with credibility, the design with energy – and the results spoke for themselves.
Enter our creative team, agile challengers by design. We built a 52-page powerhouse, balancing editorial storytelling with commercial opportunity. Of those pages, 32 delivered high-quality health and wellness content, while 20 offered a blend of display ads, advertorials, editor’s picks and product placements – all seamlessly integrated for a solid, non-intrusive and entertaining read.
"From their tenacious CEO to their committed sales and creative teams, River doesn't settle for OK – they go after transformational. The Good Things Manual proves it. This wasn’t just a magazine – it was an epic re-engagement."
- Holland & Barrett -
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