Packaging Corp. of America to Acquire Boise

https://odm.boiseinc.com/assets/BOISE/1741947171.pdf

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:

PKG) and Boise (NYSE: BZ) today announced that they have entered into a definitive

agreement under which PCA will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Boise for

$12.55 per share in cash, for an aggregate transaction value of $1.995 billion, inclusive of $714 million of outstanding indebtedness of Boise.

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/09_16_2013pca_boise_acquisition.html

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2013 with committed debt financing, but is subject to certain customary conditions and regulatory approvals.

The combined companies generated $5.5 billion in sales and $879 million in EBITDA (excluding special items) in the last twelve months ended June 30, 2013 (LTM). The combined packaging business generated 75% of sales and 83% of EBITDA over the period, with the remainder generated by Boise’s paper business.

PCA's containerboard capacity will increase to 3.7 million tons from its current level of 2.6 million tons (a 42% increase) including the announced expansion of paper machine number 2 (D2) at Boise's DeRidder mill. PCA’s corrugated products volume will increase by about 30% as a result of the acquisition, and PCA’s market presence will expand into the Pacific Northwest.

Synergies are estimated to generate pre-tax benefits of approximately $105 million and are expected to be fully realized within three years of closing. The synergies are projected to come from mill grade optimization, sales mix and cost reductions, lower transportation costs, corrugated products optimization, and SG&A cost reductions.

IP Elects General Dynamics CEO to Board

http://whattheythink.com/news/65390-international-papers-board-directors-elects-admiral-jay-l-johnson-board/

International Paper Company announced the election of Admiral Jay L. Johnson to its Board of Directors effective October 1, 2013. Admiral Johnson, age 67, retired as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Dynamics in December 2012, one of the largest defense contractors in the world. Prior to leading the aerospace and defense company, Admiral Johnson was the CEO of Dominion Virginia Power, where he oversaw the electric transmission and distribution services to more than 2.3 million customers in Virginia and North Carolina. Admiral Johnson also served as the Chief of Naval Operations and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1996 until 2000, highlighting his more than thirty years of military service.

Hansol Paper Buys Schades

http://www.hansolpaper.co.kr/eng/corporation/overview.asp

Schades has been sold to one of its suppliers. The Korean company, Hansol Paper Co. Ltd., which is listed in Seoul are now the majority shareholder in Schades Holding A/S after the private equity fund Capidea and Danebroge ApS, owned by Laurids Jessen, has sold its shares.

Hansol Paper has with the investment in Schades obtained a market share in Europe of approx. 25%. Schades is the market leader in Europe in the production and sale of documentation rolls for use in cash registers, credit card machines and payment systems. Schades also manufactures and sells self-adhesive labels. The customers are large international chains within the retail, food supply, office supply and financial service industries.

Hearst Is Throwing a Party

http://adage.com/article/media/hearst-throwing-a-party-calling-a-magazine-upfront/244144/

Hearst Magazines has invited hundreds of media buyers and ad agency staff to an "upfront" event next month, according to the company, making it the latest media enterprise to try to appropriate some of the urgency and splashiness of TV's annual ad market.
The Hearst upfront, scheduled for Oct. 15 at Hearst Tower, is meant to drum up advertiser interest in the stories and packages, in print and in digital media, that editors are planning for 2014. To that end, Hearst has trademarked the term "Big Content," a play on the trendy marketing term "Big Data." "What's driving readers to our brands?" said Michael Clinton, president-marketing and publishing director of Hearst Magazines, whose titles include Cosmopolitan, Esquire and Elle. "It's not data per se, it's content."

How Gap Connects Channels

http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/aggregatedcontent/how-gap-connects-store-and-online-channels

For Gap, the No. 3 company in the IW 500 ranking, building the right number of Ship From Store operations is critical to profitability.
As the U.S.'s largest specialty apparel chain, Gap Inc. needs to keep the shelves well stocked at its 2,425 U.S. stores and 3,100 worldwide, and that means keeping a lot of in-store inventory. At the same time, the company needs enough inventory in its e-commerce fulfillment channel to meet that growing demand.

Forbes Unveils ‘Intelligent Scrolling Streams'

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130916/MEDIABUSINESS0803/130919986/forbes-debuts-personalized-content-streams

Forbes has introduced a new website page architecture featuring “scrolling streams” of personalized content along with Forbes' native BrandVoice content and sponsored posts.
The new pages will include ad units on both sides of the content as the user scrolls down, rather than stacked at the top and right columns of the page.
The length of a story will determine the number of ads served, and ads will be distributed evenly throughout the post.
http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

Forbes has begun to roll out a new architecture for online page screens. “We call them intelligent scrolling streams,” writes Lewis DVorkin. “One key feature: rich, continuous streams of content that are curated and personalized—and importantly, serve our business, too.” Another component: progressive loading of ad units and new scalable, trackable and measurable ways to monetize the streams. Each element of the screen is built within a responsive framework, so when the time is right, Forbes can move the experience to smartphones and tablets, DVorkin says.  
Forbes

Time Inc. to Launch New Video Strategy

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/time-inc-ready-launch-its-ambitious-new-video-strategy-152446

Last November, then-Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang announced that the company was gearing up to launch a digital video unit complete with new studios and programming, plus a new leader in former Meredith video exec J.R. McCabe, Time Inc.’s first svp, video. It wasn’t exactly a revolutionary move—other top publishers like Hearst Magazines and Condé Nast had already entered the video space in recent years—but for Time Inc., it signaled an important step forward.

And now, after a long wait and a new CEO, it’s finally ready to roll.

MPA, Adobe Work to Standardize Engagement Metrics

http://whattheythink.com/articles/65383-mpa-adobe-work-standardize-engagement-metrics-digital-publications/

Adobe’s September 16^th announcement signals a new era of measurement for digital publications.  Through analytics included with Digital Publishing Suite, Adobe now enables publishers to measure the total number of tablet readers per issue, total number of sessions per issue, average amount of time spent per reader per issue, and average number of sessions per reader per issue, providing a clear method to measure and report audience readership and engagement across multiple digital magazine editions.
In this development process, Adobe collaborated with two key industry associations, the Association of Magazine Media (MPA) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), as well as leading publishers. The implementation was audited by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) to ensure that the methodology provides accurate and consistent industry-wide benchmarking for publishers.

MagNet Intros ‘MagNuggets’

http://ipdahome.org/newsstand/?cat=296

MagNet has launched a series highlighting single-copy industry facts based on its data. First batch notes, for example, that about 50% of all retail magazine copies are sold on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and Wednesday is lowest-selling day (yielding only 11.5% of total sales during an average week).  

B2B Peint Ad Pages Decline

http://www.talkingnewmedia.com/2013/09/13/u-s-b2b-publishers-continue-to-see-their-ad-pages-declining/

The ABM releases ad page reports about as quickly as the Greek government, but because the news they are reporting is generally not good, I guess there is no rush to release these reports.
B2B ad pages fell 9.15 percent in the month of April, according to the latest BIN numbers. For the year ad pages are down about the same amount, 9.11 percent.

While the ABM reports revenue numbers, and these are often repeated, I find these less accurate based on my own experience, and my own biases.

Ad pages have been falling since the beginning of the financial crisis, but have moderated somewhat recently. In 2011, for instance, ad pages were essentially flat, recording a modest uptick of 0.36 percent. But recently declines have started to accelerate once again, bad news for publishers hoping to see a real recovery from the recession.

AAF on Advertising's Tax Deductibility

http://adage.com/article/news/aaf-sounds-alarm-advertising-s-tax-deductibility/244171/

The tax man comes in April for most people but some worry he may be returning this fall for the advertising industry.
Clark Rector, exec VP for the American Advertising Federation, is among industry lobbyists who worry the expensing of advertising costs will be targeted in a tax code overhaul underway in Congress -- even if that Congress hasn't proven itself capable of passing much legislation.

Stagnito Media Acquires Tesoro

http://www.foliomag.com/2013/stagnito-media-acquires-tesoro-business-media#.UjdeJryYyKw

Stagnito Media, an integrated media company servicing the b-to-b needs of retailers in the convenience, grocery and specialty food store markets, has purchased Tesoro Business Media.

The Deerfield, Ill.-based portfolio company, itself acquired in January by Topspin Partners, LBO, will integrate Tesoro’s events and digital media brands Store Brands Decisions and Green Retail Decisions into their portfolio of magazines, websites, e-newsletters and conferences.
MagNet

UBM CEO Steps Down

http://www.foliomag.com/2013/ubm-ceo-step-down#.Ujdd0byYyKw

David Levin is stepping down as CEO of UBM after eight years at the head of the UK-based events and communications giant, the company announced today.

Levin intends to leave by July 31, 2014, but is expected to stay on throughout the search for his replacement.

Senate Hearing on Postal Reform

http://www.dmnews.com/hearing-on-carper-coburn-bill-slated-for-the-19th/article/311664/

Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE) and Ranking Member Tom Coburn (R-OK) will convene a hearing of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee next Thursday to hear comment on the Postal Reform Act (PRA) they introduced in August. Jerry Cerasale, SVP of government affairs for the Direct Marketing Association, will give testimony on behalf of concerned associations. At least one mail industry executive is expected to testify, as well.
The hearing comes as mailers work with postal employee unions to find common ground on reform before the end of the month, when thepostal Board of Governors have promised to take up the issue of an exigent rate increase at their meeting in Kansas City. The Board has made it plain that passage of postal reform in Congress would be the best remedy for a potential rate hike.

U.S. Postal Service Opens Store on eBay

http://whattheythink.com/news/65384-us-postal-service-opens-store-ebay/

In a move to expand its reach to domestic and international customers, the Postal Service today announced that it has opened a Postal Store on eBay at ebay.com/stamps.In making the announcement, the Postal Service’s Chief Marketing Officer also revealed that the Postal Service is auctioning rare stamp-related collectible philatelic products and items from the Postmaster General’s Collection beginning today at 3 p.m. EDT at this link on eBay.