Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Esquire with Interactive Magazine
Penton Media Buys Farm Progress
Penton Media buys Farm Progress, boosts agricultural offerings: Penton Media today acquired Farm Progress, a holding company that includes 23 agricultural magazine titles, four expositions, digital and broadcast products as well as investment data.
Dwell/E-Retailer with Augmented Reality Offering
Dwell Partners With E-Retailer in Augmented Reality Offering: Modern design publisher Dwell Media joined the growing collection of print products to add augmented reality (AR) to its pages earlier this week, turning it's shopping magazine into a shoppable store.
October M&A Media Deals Up 4%
Report: M&A media deal volume up slightly in October: The number of mergers and acquisitions transactions in the marketing, media, technology and services industries totaled 310 in October, up 4% compared with the same time period in 2011, according to data released by investment bank Petsky Prunier. In the same time frame, the aggregate value of deals in this sector increased 8%, to about $6.9 billion.
Online Holiday Sales: Up 20% in Value, 8% Overall
ShopVisible, winner of the 2012 CODiE Award for Best
Electronic Commerce Solution and the recent winner of the American Business
Bronze Award for Most Innovative Technology Company, today announces data that
gives retailers insights into the early picture of the 2012 holiday shopping
season: The data, drawn from over one billion in sales and over 100 online
retail sites, reveals: 1) Based on growth trends revealed from an analysis of
all client site traffic over the past 6 years, ShopVisible projects that the
trend shall continue, with order volumes increasing 8%-10% for most online
retailers.
More Cookies from Publishers
In a recent study, online
privacy firm Truste found that publishers’ homepages average more than twice as
many persistent third-party cookies as those of e-commerce sites. Such
third party cookies often allow these pubishers to know things about their
visitors, such as whether they might in the market for a new smartphone based
on their recent Web activity.
Bertelsmann Reports 9-Month Results
http://www.rttnews.com/2004491/bertelsmann-reports-rise-in-9-month-profit-on-higher-revenues-quick-facts.aspx?type=qf&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=sitemap
Bertelsmann, the international media group, released the financial results for the nine-month period ended 30 September 2012, reporting a rise in Group profit for the period on higher revenues.
Bertelsmann, the international media group, released the financial results for the nine-month period ended 30 September 2012, reporting a rise in Group profit for the period on higher revenues.
Record High Global Carbon Emmissions
Worldwide emissions rose 834 million metric tons to 33.99 billion tons, IWR said today on its website. China’s releases of the greenhouse gas climbed 6.5 percent, offsetting declines in the U.S., Russia and Germany, the Muenster-based institute said.
Q3 Retail & Consumer M&A Value Up 160%
For the three month period ending September 30, 2012, there were a total of 32 deals in the retail and consumer sector with values greater than $50 million, accounting for $19.8 billion in deal value, a 60 percent increase in volume and a 160 percent increase in value from the 20 deals worth $7.6 billion during the third quarter of 2011.
Direct Marketers: Big Data & Big Measurement
A new view of Big Data for direct marketers:
Technically we now have access to a range of data management options that deliver scale and performance with standards-based hardware and open-source software. However, as IBM's recent study shows (“From Stretched to Strengthened”) CMOs still believe that they're relatively unprepared for the explosion of data and the accompanying ROI accountability. Throw in channel proliferation and we have potential for the types of false starts and failed ROI that Gartner identified with the emergence of CRM.
As a resolution to this challenge, direct marketers should adopt, in conjunction with Big Data, the concept of Big Measurement, which involves applying the right data with the right measurement metrics, and implementing a systematic model that manages both.
Technically we now have access to a range of data management options that deliver scale and performance with standards-based hardware and open-source software. However, as IBM's recent study shows (“From Stretched to Strengthened”) CMOs still believe that they're relatively unprepared for the explosion of data and the accompanying ROI accountability. Throw in channel proliferation and we have potential for the types of false starts and failed ROI that Gartner identified with the emergence of CRM.
As a resolution to this challenge, direct marketers should adopt, in conjunction with Big Data, the concept of Big Measurement, which involves applying the right data with the right measurement metrics, and implementing a systematic model that manages both.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Verso Paper Reports Q3 Results
Verso Paper Corp. Reports Third Quarter 2012 Results: Verso Paper Corp. (NYSE: VRS) today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2012. Results for the quarters ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 include:
-Adjusted EBITDA before pro forma effects of profitability program of $50.2 million in the third quarter of 2012, compared to $23.5 million in the second quarter of 2012 and $64.2 million in the third quarter of 2011. (Note: Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and is defined and reconciled to net income later in this release).
-Net loss before items of $12.0 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2012 compared to net loss before items of $43.1 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2012 and net income before items of $0.8 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2011.
-The closure of the Sartell mill resulted in an aggregate pre-tax charge to earnings of approximately $97.2 million in the third quarter of 2012. This includes approximately $16.3 million for severance and benefit costs; $75.8 million in non-cash charges for fixed asset and other impairment charges; and $5.1 million related to other costs.
-Adjusted EBITDA before pro forma effects of profitability program of $50.2 million in the third quarter of 2012, compared to $23.5 million in the second quarter of 2012 and $64.2 million in the third quarter of 2011. (Note: Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and is defined and reconciled to net income later in this release).
-Net loss before items of $12.0 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2012 compared to net loss before items of $43.1 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2012 and net income before items of $0.8 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2011.
-The closure of the Sartell mill resulted in an aggregate pre-tax charge to earnings of approximately $97.2 million in the third quarter of 2012. This includes approximately $16.3 million for severance and benefit costs; $75.8 million in non-cash charges for fixed asset and other impairment charges; and $5.1 million related to other costs.
Nova Scotia/Resolute Negotiating Bowater Mersey
Nova Scotia is negotiating with Resolute Forest Products to aquire assets of Bowater Mersey:
The Chronicle Herald is reporting today that the province of Nova Scotia is negotiating exclusively with Resolute Forest Products to acquire the assets of Bowater Mersey Paper Co. Ltd.
The Chronicle Herald is reporting today that the province of Nova Scotia is negotiating exclusively with Resolute Forest Products to acquire the assets of Bowater Mersey Paper Co. Ltd.
RISI Announces 2012 PPI Awards
RISI announces winners for 2012 PPI Awards including DS Smith, Mondi, Tamil Nadu, Finch Paper: RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, announced the winners of this year's PPI Awards during a gala dinner tonight, November 12, at Le Plaza Hotel in Brussels.
2012 WWF Environmental Paper Awards
The 2012 WWF Environmental Paper Awards go to 7 paper producers and 46 paper brands: WWF, the world´s largest conservation organisation, is today announcing the winners of the 2012 WWF Environmental Paper Awards in the categories “Transparency” and “Best Environmental Performance Paper Brands”. WWF praises the transparency of 7 paper producers and the “excellent” environmental performance of 46 paper brands published on WWF´s Check Your Paper database of eco-rated papers.
Scholastic Donates 1MM Books to Sandy Victims
With more than 20 schools in New York City unable to reopen and dozens
of schools in New Jersey still closed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy,
Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company,
today announced that it will donate one million books to schools and libraries
in the hardest-hit areas of the tri-state region. To help in the recovery
efforts with support for the educators, families and students who have suffered
losses, Scholastic is accepting book grant requests at www.scholastic.com/bookgrants.
Former Williams-Sonoma Exec Joins Best Buy
j2 Global Buys Ziff Davis Media
Eying Ad Network Capabilities, j2 Global Buys Ziff Davis Media: Cloud services provider j2 Global has acquired long-standing tech media publisher Ziff Davis Media (ZDM), the companies announced Monday. The purchase is for $167 million and is expected to be immediately accretive, according to the release. The transaction will be funded from j2's cash on hand.
Holiday Shoppers to Use Varied Sources
Holiday Shoppers to Rely On Blend of Sources This Season: Consumers are expected to rely on a blend of offline and digital information sources as they look for holiday gift ideas and sales this year. Two-thirds (67%) of consumers surveyed expect to find out about sales, research gift ideas and read reviews this holiday season through online, social media and mobile, while 60% say they will rely on radio, television and newspapers for this information. Nearly as many (57%) expect to learn about products this holiday season via recommendations from friends and family while 34% point to catalogs as their source of planning this holiday season.
How Dead Is the Book Business?
OPA Study: Marketers Prefer Publishers
The OPA collaborated with industry research firm Advertiser Perceptions to conduct the study, which surveyed 251 marketers and advertising agencies online Aug. 7-15. Participants were required to be involved in video and display advertisement decision-making, have a $1 million minimum digital ad spend over the past 12 months and be involved in brand-focused advertising.
I Believe in PRINT Magazines
I believe in magazines.
In fact, I will go so far as to
say, I believe in PRINT magazines.
So much so, that in the
past two weeks I have launched a new one, and bought another.
It’s quite simple, really –
both were well considered, well researched, business decisions.
In launching Technology
Decisions into the print wasteland of IT media, we are definitely swimming
upstream. However, recent research across our tech, engineering and
science audiences showed us that print magazines are still a preferred
delivery platform for their business-to-business information (over 50%).
PRIMIR Releases Study on Non-Print Revenue
PRIMIR Releases Study on Non-Print Revenue in the Printing Industry: PRIMIR, the Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization, commissioned State Street Consultants and John Zarwan Partners, to research non-print revenue trends for printers. After interviewing a significant sample of commercial printers, digital imaging service firms, transactional printers, direct mail and specialty printers, researchers delivered a comprehensive study that identifies current trends and projects future opportunities for printers to grow their business through key non-print services.
Quebecor Reports Q3, Sun Media Cuts 500 jobs
Quebecor profit falls 29%, Sun Media to cut 500 jobs:
Quebecor Inc. says it expects annual savings of $45 million from taking a new operational and management approach at its newspaper publishing arm, which includes the Sun Media group of newspapers.
Quebecor Inc. says it expects annual savings of $45 million from taking a new operational and management approach at its newspaper publishing arm, which includes the Sun Media group of newspapers.
Kodak Said to Arrange Financing
Kodak Said to Arrange Financing for Bankruptcy Emergence: Eastman Kodak Co., the bankrupt photography pioneer, arranged $793 million in financing from some creditors to exit bankruptcy as a commercial-printing company, said a person familiar with the negotiations. Funding is conditional on selling its its patent portfolio for at least $500 million, progress in the sale of two business units and the resolution of the U.K. pension obligations.
PIA Elects 2013 Officers, Board
Printing Industries of America Elects Its 2013 Officers and Board of Directors: PITTSBURGH—Nov. 12, 2012—Printing Industries of America is pleased to announce the election of its 2013 officers and board of directors. These executives are key industry leaders, and their involvement in the national printing association and their local affiliate organizations is invaluable.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Details Nova Scotia/Port Hawkesbury Agreement
Nova Scotia releases details of its Crown land agreement with Port Hawkesbury Paper:
The province of Nova Scotia has released a redacted version of its Crown Land agreement with Port Hawkesbury Paper today.
The province of Nova Scotia has released a redacted version of its Crown Land agreement with Port Hawkesbury Paper today.
40,500 mt NBSK Removed from Market
Domtar shuttered its Kamloops
market northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp mill in British Columbia
and Mercer International idled its Stendal NBSK mill in Germany for annual
maintenance work in October, according to industry sources and the firms.
Domtar shut down its 477,000
tonnes/yr NBSK mill in British Columbia from October 15-25 for annual maintenance
work. The mill, which reportedly did upgrades and general repairs during
the downtime, shed an estimated 13,000 tonnes of market NBSK output.
Mercer meantime took the largest
market NBSK mill in its system - the 645,000 tonnes/yr Stendal facility - down
for 10 days of annual maintenance downtime in October. The scheduled downtime
trimmed an estimated 17,500 tonnes of market NBSK output.
Catalyst Extends Deadline for Elk Falls Sale
Catalyst Paper extends deadline to close sale of Elk Falls site to Pacifica Deep Sea Terminals Inc.: Catalyst Paper announced that it has received partial pre-payment of the $8.6 million purchase price for the Elk Falls site in Campbell River from Pacifica Deep Sea Terminals Incorporated. The transaction includes the 400-acre industrial site and adjacent properties.
Catalyst has also agreed to grant the purchaser an extension to complete the sale. Progress continues to be made on all outstanding terms and conditions.
Sale of the property is the final step in a comprehensive site preparation and sales process which began following the permanent closure of the paper mill in 2010.
Catalyst has also agreed to grant the purchaser an extension to complete the sale. Progress continues to be made on all outstanding terms and conditions.
Sale of the property is the final step in a comprehensive site preparation and sales process which began following the permanent closure of the paper mill in 2010.
UPM Building World's First Renewable Diesel Biorefinery
"The EUR 150 million
investment to Lappeenranta is UPM's spearhead project and the first step on our
way to becoming a significant producer of advanced second generation biofuels.
The Biorefinery is also a focal part in the realisation of our Biofore strategy,
combining the bio and forest industries," says UPM President and CEO Jussi
Pesonen.
AF&PA Better Practices, Better Planet Awards
Leaders
in Sustainability - Energy Efficiency/Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Large Company)
Georgia-Pacific: "Improving
Energy Efficiency"
International Paper:
"Climate Leadership Initiative"
Leaders
in Sustainability - Energy Efficiency/Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Small Company)
Thilmany Papers: "Energy
and Water Restructuring Program"
Leaders
in Sustainability - Safety
International Paper: "It's
about...LIFE"
Leaders
in Sustainability - Water
MWV: "Mahrt Mill Water and
Energy Reduction Project"
Innovation
in Sustainability
Green Bay Packaging: "Fiber
Reclaim Project"
RRD Awarded Contract by Scotiabank
RR Donnelley Awarded Multiyear Print Management Contract by Scotiabank: CHICAGO—Nov. 12, 2012—R. R. Donnelley & Sons has been awarded a multiyear print management agreement by Scotiabank that renews and expands the companies’ relationship. Scotiabank is a leading multinational financial services provider and Canada's most international bank.
Ikea Unveils Catalog
The 31-page catalog, known as Celebrate Brilliantly, is being introduced in time for Thanksgiving and the Christmas shopping season.
Walgreen's Launches Magazine
The premiere edition debuts on Nov.4, in English and Spanish. Each issue is divided into three sections: Health and Wellness, Food and Beverage, and Beauty.
The magazine will be inserted into Sunday newspapers and be available in-stores nationwide. An electronic version can be viewed online at Walgreens.com, and the total circulation is expected to reach approximately 65 million.
Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Catalog Targets Affluent Homes
Bergdorf Goodman Reaches Affluent Homes Via Holiday Catalog: New York-based department store Bergdorf Goodman is looking to boost holiday sales through a direct mail catalog meant to lure affluent recipients to the in-store experience. The holiday catalog promotes the retailer’s exclusive gifts for fans of the Bergdorf lifestyle and features brands such as Cadillac, Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford and Valentino. It includes gifts for men, women, children and the home in a 68-page print catalog.
Rolling Stone Courts Hispanic Market
Rolling Stone Courts Hispanic Market, Spanish Speakers With Latest Issue:
Rolling Stone is trying to get closer to the Hispanic market by introducing Spanish-language advertisements and a secondary Spanish-language cover on the back of its November 22 issue.
As the U.S. Latino population continues to soar, the need to actively court this demographic does as well. Here, FOLIO: checks in with Matt Mastrangelo, publisher of Rolling Stone (pictured below left), to get the details on this new focus for his brand and the industry at large.
Rolling Stone is trying to get closer to the Hispanic market by introducing Spanish-language advertisements and a secondary Spanish-language cover on the back of its November 22 issue.
As the U.S. Latino population continues to soar, the need to actively court this demographic does as well. Here, FOLIO: checks in with Matt Mastrangelo, publisher of Rolling Stone (pictured below left), to get the details on this new focus for his brand and the industry at large.
Reed Elsevier Plan Pays Off
The FTSE 100 firm got rid of
Hollywood magazine Variety this year, and has sold other trade publications
such as Publishers Weekly in a bid to hive off parts of the firm that rely on
advertising. However, it is holding on to the successful New Scientist.
The remaining Reed Elsevier
divisions, including research service LexisNexis and the Gray’s Anatomy medical
textbook, drove the company to a four per cent rise in underlying revenue in
the nine months to October.
The firm’s exhibitions business,
which hosts international trade fairs, saw 15 per cent growth, while its
financial data publishing operations also put in a strong showing.
Kantar, ZenithOptimedia, Nielsen: Moderate Growth in 2012
According to Kantar, total U.S.
ad spending plunged from $158.2 billion in 2007 to $142.9 billion in 2008 and a
low of $125.3 billion in 2009, for consecutive annual declines of 9.7% and
12.3%, respectively.
As
the economy bottomed out and slowly began to recover, ad spending edged up 4.6%
to $131.1 billion in 2010, then jumped 9.8% to $144 billion in 2011. But the
rate of growth slowed considerably in the last year. Kantar is currently
forecasting 2.2% growth to around $147 billion in 2012 -- still 7% short of its
2007 level.ZenithOptimedia pegs total U.S. ad spending at $177.6 billion in 2007, $172.5 billion in 2008, $157 billion in 2009, and $151.7 billion in 2010 (which puts the low point a year later than Kantar), for consecutive annual declines of 2.9%, 9%, and 3.4% over this period. In 2011 ad spending increased 1.6% to $154.2 billion, according to ZO, followed by a forecast 4.3% increase to $161 billion in 2012 -- 9.3% below 2007.
Nielsen’s figures for total U.S. ad spending follow a similar arc, from $140.5 billion in 2007 to $136.8 billion in 2008 and $117 billion in 2009, for consecutive annual declines of 2.4% and 14.5%. Ad spending edged up 5.6% to $123.6 billion in 2010, then eked out 2% growth to $126.1 billion in 2011. If Nielsen’s figures for the first three quarters of 2012 are good indicators, 2012 might see growth of up to 4%.
China: World's Largest Economy by 2016
China, India and the rest of the
developing world will eclipse the west in a dramatic shift in the balance of
economic power over the next 50 years, according to research by the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The next five decades will see major changes
in country shares
in global output. The Paris-based thinktank's Looking to 2060: Long-Term Global
Growth Prospects report uses a new economic model which forecasts that China
will overtake the eurozone in 2012 and the US
within the next four years to become the largest economy in the world.
India is in the process of overtaking Japan and is forecast to pass the
eurozone in about 20 years.
USPS Promotion for Online Merchants
USPS offering QR promotion to online merchants: The U.S. Postal Service is offering a postage discount through Nov. 21 to online merchants that include 2-D barcodes as part of their direct-mail campaigns.
The promotion, giving marketers a 2% discount on first-class and standard-mail postage, is designed to spur mobile purchasing by putting mobile-optimized promotional offers, coupons and catalogs into customers' hands in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the traditional shopping days that follow Thanksgiving.
The promotion, giving marketers a 2% discount on first-class and standard-mail postage, is designed to spur mobile purchasing by putting mobile-optimized promotional offers, coupons and catalogs into customers' hands in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the traditional shopping days that follow Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 9, 2012
NewPage Disclosure Statement Approved
NewPage Disclosure Statement Approved: (USA) NewPage Corporation (the Company) announced today that the Disclosure Statement for its Fourth Amended Chapter 11 Plan (the Plan) has been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
APRIL Disputes RAN's Statement on Disney
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) issued a media release
on 11 October, 2012, claiming that The Walt Disney Company had "cut ties"
to APRIL following changes to its Paper Sourcing and Use Policy. Disney's own
announcement on its paper sourcing policy did not mention APRIL and to our
knowledge, APRIL does not directly sell paper to Disney and has never done so.
Both
the RAN announcement and the Disney announcement mentioned that Disney's new
sourcing policy was designed to have particular impact on Indonesia.
Finnish Forest Industries Reports Q3 Results
Finnish paper and board production decreased by 3% year on
year to 2.8 million tonnes in the third quarter, according to figures from the
Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF).
This is an improvement compared to the approximately 2.6
million tonnes produced in Q1 and Q2, respectively, which were equal to a
year-on-year drop of 12% and 8%, respectively.
Production of printing/writing paper fell by 8% year on year
to 1.8 million tonnes in Q3, while board manufacturing levels rose by 4% to
705,000 tonnes. Finnish pulp producers churned out 3% more pulp in the third
quarter this year compared to last year, at 1.7 million tonnes (see table
below).
According to the FFIF's year-to-date figures, Finland saw
its biggest drop in printing/writing paper, where production was down 11% to 5
million tonnes in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period
last year.
P&G Announces New Fiber Sourcing Goals
P&G Releases New Fiber Sourcing Goals for Tissue-Towel and Absorbent Hygiene Products: The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) today announced new fiber sourcing goals for the pulp it purchases for its tissue-towel, baby care, and feminine hygiene brands. These new goals help deliver progress toward P&G’s long-term environmental sustainability vision, which includes having all products and packaging made from 100% sustainably sourced renewable or recycled materials. The new fiber sourcing goals, developed in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will be published in P&G’s 2012 Sustainability Report issued on November 12th.
Arctic Paper Makes Offer for Rottneros
Arctic Paper to Form an Integrated Pulp and Fine Paper Group With A Leading Position In Europe – Launches Recommended Public Offer to the Shareholders of Rottneros: Arctic Paper S.A. has announced a public offer to acquire all shares in Rottneros AB, a non-integrated and customized supplier of high quality paper pulp listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. Rottneros’ Board of Directors has unanimously recommended the offer.
Dawn Zier Leaves Reader's Digest
Global Ad Budgets Up 2.7%
Nielsen Global AdView Pulse says for the first half of 2012, telecommunications lifted spending by 7.9% -- the biggest category gain -- with the largest pushes in Latin America, up 32.5%, and the Middle East & Africa, 28.3% higher.
Williams-Sonoma Launches Mark and Graham
http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/08/4397593/williams-sonoma-inc-announces.html
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), the North America-based retailer that specializes in high-quality products for the home, today announced that it has launched its newest direct-to-customer brand, Mark and Graham, specializing in personalized gifts and accessories. As the newest brand to join the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio, Mark and Graham will offer colorful and timeless products personalized with a choice of more than 50 custom monograms and creative type treatments. The brand will offer its products through an exclusive direct mail catalog and an e-commerce website markandgraham.com.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), the North America-based retailer that specializes in high-quality products for the home, today announced that it has launched its newest direct-to-customer brand, Mark and Graham, specializing in personalized gifts and accessories. As the newest brand to join the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio, Mark and Graham will offer colorful and timeless products personalized with a choice of more than 50 custom monograms and creative type treatments. The brand will offer its products through an exclusive direct mail catalog and an e-commerce website markandgraham.com.
HMH Announces Acquisitions
HarperCollins Closing Operation in Throop, PA
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/harpercollins-closing-warehouse-almost-200-will-lose-jobs-1.1400529
"The industry is changing," said Erin Crum, spokeswoman for HarperCollins, a book publisher based in New York. "It just makes sense for us to go this route as we shift to a more digital industry."
Q3 Retail Spending Strong
Year-over-year, online retail spending increased 15% to $41.9 billion in the third quarter, according to new estimates from comScore.
That represented the 12th consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year
growth, and eighth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, comScore
chairman Gian Fulgoni said Wednesday.
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