NewPage: Details on Layoffs

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/02/20/news/rumford-paper-mill-laying-off-about-45-workers/

Rumford, ME

Nearly four dozen local people will be out of work as NewPage paper company prepares to lay off 5 percent of its workforce nationwide.

Several workers on Tuesday said they were told the layoffs would begin at the end of the month.

http://times-news.com/local/x1633487489/Layoffs-at-Luke-mill-will-drop-work-force 
Luke, MD

As part of a NewPage corporate-wide initiative, the Luke mill announced to its employees Tuesday that it will reduce its work force by approximately 5 percent.

With 874 employees as of Dec. 31, the mill will lose about 44 workers. This action will affect both hourly and salaried employees.
The affected positions will be announced to employees this week, and all the reductions will be completed by the end of March, according to a news release labeled as a standby statement provided in response to a Times-News inquiry.

ArjoWiggins to Increase Coated Prices

http://www.arjowigginsgraphic.com/

Arjowiggins Graphic has announced its intention to raise coated woodfree (CWF) paper prices by £40/tonne, or approximately 6%, in the UK from April 1.
In November last year, the company said it would raise CWF prices in Europe during January this year, without specifying by how much.

Paper Manufacturers Fear Rising Costs

Paper manufacturers fear more price increases
Paper manufacturers fear pulp producers will burden them with more prices increases. However, pulp manufacturers say they could not rule out another hike in the first quarter if demand from China should increase and if the US dollar should become stronger against the euro. These are some conclusions drawn from the new report EUWID Price Watch Pulp for February.
The report also states that there were no problems with supply of pulp in February, pulp supply even increased last year in Europe. Several pulp manufacturers succeeded to beat their record last year.

2012 CEPI Paper & Board Production Falls

Preliminary Statistics 2012: Indications are that paper and board production by CEPI member countries fell by in the region of 1.7% in 2012. It is estimated that CEPI member countries produced around 92 million tonnes of paper and board in 2012, resulting from some adjustments in production capacities with closures amounting to 2 million tonnes and new capacities or upgrading of existing ones accounting for close to 1 million tonne.

Neenah Paper Reports 2012 Results

Neenah Paper Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results: Neenah Paper, Inc. (NYSE:NP) today reported earnings from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of 2012 of $0.55 per diluted common share compared with earnings of $0.47 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2011. After excluding $0.05 per share ($1.5 million pre-tax) of costs incurred in 2012 for integration of acquired fine paper brands and the early redemption of bonds, adjusted earnings per share in the fourth quarter of 2012 of $0.60 increased 28 percent compared with the prior year period.

IP & Memphis Agree on Plan

Memphis and International Paper "renew vows" with PILOT approval:
The Economic Development Growth Engine of Memphis and Shelby County approved a long-awaited payment-in-lieu-of-taxes application for International Paper Co. The approval clears the way for the company to launch its proposed $115.7 million expansion and office tower renovation at 6350 Poplar. The Memphis-based company plans to build a 235,000-square-foot, 10-story tower close to its current headquarters in East Memphis.

Future US Names President

Future US Promotes Considine to President:
Future US announced today that it has promoted chief operating officer Rachelle Considine to president. Considine [pictured] had been COO since 2011, overseeing day-to-day operations. She's helped lead the U.S. division of the British media company into a digital and mobile-first strategy.

The Atlantic, Redesigned

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/atlantic-redesigns-bolder-look-147438

For the ninth time in its 155-year history, The Atlantic is getting a facelift. The magazine's March issue will mark the debut of a redesign overseen by creative director Darhil Crooks, who previously lent his design talents to Ebony and Esquire before joining The Atlantic in August.

NYT Plans to Sell Boston Globe

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/new-york-times-co-will-try-sell-boston-globe-147432

The New York Times announced it planned to unload The Boston Globe and its related properties, which would further strip the company of assets outside of the paper of record. As Bloomberg News reported earlier, and the Times confirmed, the company is working with Evercore Partners, an independent investment firm, to assist with the process. 

The properties in the New England Media Group that are for sale include the Globe along with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and their respective Web sites and GlobeDirect, the Globe's direct mail marketing company.

Amazon's Changed Approach on Sales Tax

http://www.magillreport.com/Why-Amazon-Suddenly-Supports-Online-Sales-Taxes/

Amazon used to be against collecting taxes on sales to consumers in states where it doesn’t have a physical presence. In November it switched sides. 
And when the Marketplace Fairness Act was introduced in the House and Senate last week, Amazon was listed among its supporters.

So what happened?
Lots.  Amazon can expect to benefit from the collection of online sales taxes in at least three ways.

Direct Mail Important Tool for Insurers

http://chiefmarketer.com/blog/direct-mail-watch-insurers-still-post

There are numerous ways for consumers to research and buy insurance products, but don’t discount good old-fashioned direct mail just yet.

Today, consumers can get insurance everywhere from the web to big box retail stores like Walmart.
But perhaps because the industry is regulated so heavily and there is so much information to convey to a prospect, direct mail can be an ideal way to make that first contact and share the ins and outs of a program.

Warc Global Marketing Index Rises

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130221/STRATEGY03/302219998/warc-global-marketing-index-rises

The Warc Global Marketing Index, which tracks global marketing budgets, trading conditions and staffing levels, rose to 56.2 this month, up from 53.8 in January.

A GMI reading of 50.0 represents no change in global marketing conditions; a score of 60.0 indicates rapid growth; and a score below 50 marks a decline.
The Americas continues to be the most positive region, with a GMI of 59.5, up 1.5 points from January. Asia Pacific also showed growth, with a GMI of 56.2, up from 53.8 in January.

Lagardère Active Launches Unified Digital Platform

http://www.minonline.com/news/21888.html

Lagardère Active, the owner of the Elle brand, has created a new digital platform to promote the Elle International Network, including a website, mobile site, Facebook page and Twitter account. These combined digital tools connect with the websites, mobile sites, applications, pages and accounts of the 43 international editions of Elle and also promote Elle's media and events worldwide.

By sharing international and local news, promoting global and regional initiatives and highlighting the operations of the different editions, the new Elle platform aims to drive traffic locally and to further develop its global audience.

Stability Returning to Print Industry

Stability Returning to North American Print Industry: Although the NPES recent announcement of U.S. Printing Equipment shipments (www.piworld.com, November 2012) indicates a continued retraction in machinery purchases, this does not do justice to what we, at Howard Graphic Equipment, are noticing.
For the year 2013, we look for further realignment of the printing industry with many printers still eager to amalgamate or be purchased by more aggressive firms that have changed their structures and are aggressively looking for more sales.

Circulation & The Risks of Niche Strategies

Magazine Circulation Illustrates Risks of Niche Strategies for Printers (Dr. Joe):
We’ve all heard the phrase “print will always survive” or “print will always be there,” but I always wonder exactly what is meant by that. I have no doubt that print as a medium will always be available in some form or some format. I think that is irrefutable. Some in the industry take these phrases as comforting thoughts. I believe that they are at best benign and at worst meaningless. The real question is what volume and nature will the demand for that medium take. Print volume is a function of size, sides, page count, run length, and frequency. Those are all determined by the nature of the content and the audience size. The prime mover of all of these aspects is the original idea.

PIA Value of Print Initiative

The Value of Print: A PIA Initiative: In this video blog I discuss a recent Printing Industries of America (PIA) initiative on the value of print. See www.printing.org/valueofprint for more on this program, which includes a flip book and a mobile application.

"Why Print Works" Campaign

Velocity Print Solutions launches Top 12 Reasons Why Print Works Campaign: Velocity Print Solutions has launched a year long campaign to promote the value and benefits of utilizing print in business marketing campaigns. The theme of Print…It keeps on working will feature monthly reasons of why print is a valuable tool in increasing ROI, sales growth and brand exposure and also helpful guides for its customers.

Why Print?

To Print, or not to Print? That is the Question: 
Why print?
First and foremost, consumer preference leans towards the printed piece. In Epsilon’s consumer preference survey, direct mail was the channel of choice for health information, insurance information, and financial services statements. 62% of Americans enjoyed checking the mailbox daily. Print technology is simply making the printed piece even more engaging, and consumers also expressed that printed mail is easier to reference at a later date. Digital Print technology has evolved in such a way to take statements and personalize them to levels never before thought possible. Utility statements can show individualized usage charts and suggestions based on energy consumption. 401k mailing and insurance statements can pair with information databases to show full color representations of distribution and growth, as well as market trends. These personalization options will continue to shift consumer preference towards print, and any business can outsource the data storage, printing and mailing responsibilities to a qualified provider.

USPS Essential to $1.3 Trillion Industry

Quad Urges Congress to Act Swiftly to Restore Financial Stability to U.S. Postal Service:
Quad/Graphics Chairman, President and CEO Joel Quadracci urges Congress to move swiftly to put the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on a path to sustainability, noting that the $65 billion Postal Service is at the core of a $1.3 trillion mailing industry that provides family-supporting jobs for 8.4 million Americans, nearly 200,000 of whom live and work in Wisconsin.

Problems with Mobile Marketing ROI

Survey: Marketers face mobile ROI, staffing challenges: Demonstrating mobile marketing's ROI is a top concern among companies planning to grow their marketing programs, according to a survey from Forrester Research and Aquent, a staffing company for the marketing industry.