What do we do? Over the years at Hammock Inc., the way we've answered that question has changed. Back in 1994, we often described ourselves as relationship marketing experts. "Custom publishing" became a popular buzzword in the mid- and late-1990s. And sometimes, we've resorted to the shorthand: "We publish magazines and build websites for corporations and associations." Simple, but for those in the know, it didn't say nearly enough.

Today, we are a custom media company in the business of creating and managing magazines, videos and online media to help organizations build stronger relationships with customers, members and employees.

Recently, Folio: -- the magazine and website for the publishing industry -- interviewed Hammock Inc. President John Lavey in an article about the evolution of custom publishing. John shared his thoughts about how the evolving media landscape provides new opportunities for publishers, advertisers and readers -- the kinds of things we're working on every day.

Just a sample:

Customers are aware of the various [digital media] features and functionality that are out there, but are still relatively unsure how they can specifically apply them to campaigns, which puts the publisher in the fortunate position of educator. “We’re seeing a lot of questions about what they can use and what makes sense to use,” says John Lavey, president of custom publishing firm Hammock Inc. “At the same time, the pressures of the postal increases, increases in the cost of paper, and the difficulty of selling advertising without a robust package of assets to advertisers, are favoring bigger ideas and packages.”

Read the article on Folio:'s website.