Catalogs Biggest Influence on Holiday Purchases

http://www.wset.com/story/20532170/paper-catalogs-influenced-holiday-shopping-behavior-more-than-twitter-pinterest-and-facebook-according-to-baynote-study

Baynote, a leading provider of personalized customer experience solutions, today revealed the results from its 3rd Annual Holiday Online Shopping Survey. The study, conducted in partnership with the e-tailing group, surveyed 1,000 U.S. online holiday shoppers between Nov. 24 and Dec. 5 in order to gain insight into consumer behavior and key buying influencers across various retail channels, including physical stores, eCommerce websites, social networks, tablets and mobile devices.  

Paper catalogs influenced both in-store and online purchases more than social media.
While 2012 saw the continued rise of social media platforms, their influence on holiday shoppers paled in comparison to the time-tested paper catalog. According to the survey, paper catalogs influenced twice as many consumers as both Pinterest and Twitter for both in-store and online purchases. Paper catalogs influenced 81.9 percent more in-store purchases and 42.9 percent more online purchases than Facebook. Social platforms were most influential to consumers between the ages of 25 and 34, while paper catalogs were most influential among consumers 45 years and older.

McGraw-Hill Education Offers Adaptive Learning Products

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/08/5100258/mcgraw-hill-education-unveils.html

Today at the International Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, McGraw-Hill Education launched a suite of adaptive learning products for higher education that use advanced technological engines to improve learning and student performance. The new "LearnSmart Advantage" suite takes adaptive learning – one of the biggest trends in education in 2012 – beyond the realm of course study tools by using adaptive technology to provide more dynamic, personalized learning experiences across new aspects of the student learning experience. Included in the suite is SmartBook™, the world's first ever adaptive e-book, which revolutionizes college reading by focusing students' attention on the content that is most critical to their learning.

2013 Global Ad Forecasts: Up 4-5%

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/190679/global-ad-forecasts-4-5-in-2013.html#axzz2HPpcCeF8

Another worldwide advertising estimate has pulled back on its projections for growth in the industry.
Global advertising will now climb 4% in 2013 -- down almost a full percentage point from the previous estimate made by London-based Warc, a marketing research service. But Warc says advertising growth levels will spike up next year, 2014, to 5.5%.

Other ad agencies have lowered estimates for 2013, but eMarketer offered up more optimistic projections -- 2012 advertising spending grew 5.4% to just under $519 billion, a rate that will continue at about the same levels through 2016, topping out at $628 billion.

PRIMIR Study: Impact of Electronic Technologies on Print

PRIMIR's Impact of Electronic Technologies on Print Study Now Available: Reston, VA — PRIMIR, the Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization, today announced that its study, "Impact of Electronic Technologies on Print," is now available for sale. First published in February 2012 and previously only available to PRIMIR and NPES members, the 282-page report can now be purchased by non-members for $1,495.
In 2011, PRIMIR commissioned IT Strategies Inc. to investigate electronic communications technologies relative to how and why the printing industry is and will continue to be impacted by the ever-increasing array of communications solutions.

Stora Enso Shuts Down Hylte Newsprint PM

Stora Enso permanently halts 180,000 tonne/yr newsprint PM at Hylte mill in Sweden:
Stora Enso has permanently stopped the 180,000 tonne/yr newsprint unit PM 1 at its Hylte mill in southern Sweden.

Production was halted on December 27.

The company will now clean the machine and put any parts it can use on the mill's other PMs to the side, according to Henrik Axelsson, communications officer at the factory. The firm has yet to decide what will happen to the remainder of the PM in the long term, he added.

West Fraser Joins Others in Pulp Price Increase

One of North America's leading producers of northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp, West Fraser, announced to domestic and European customers that it was increasing prices effective January 1, industry contacts said.

Vancouver-headquartered West Fraser informed North American customers that its NBSK list price would increase to $900/tonne. The firm also also advised European customers that its price would be $840/tonne.
West Fraser's NBSK price increase, which it announced to customers in late December, is similar to hikes various major producers set for Jan. 1 in the USA and Europe.
Major producers that set US NBSK list prices at $900/tonne included Canfor Pulp, Resolute Forest Products, and Domtar, the first NBSK producer globally to set a January increase on Dec. 11. The increases are $30/tonne.

China's Pulp and RCP Imports Up

In November, China's Pulp imports grew 7.7% as compared to the same month in 2011,

according to data from China Customs.

Pulp imports for the first 11 months of the year totaled around 15.068 million tonnes, a surge of 15.4% from 2011. 

China's total recovered paper (RCP) imports soared 23.8% to around 2.570 million tonnes in November 2012, up from some 2.076 million tonnes in October, according to data from China Customs.

November's figure was also 3.4% higher than the 2.487 million tonnes recorded in the same month of 2011.

RCP imports totaled over 27.379 million tonnes for the first 11 months of 2012, up 11.5% from the year-earlier period.

Environmentalists, Forest Industry Struggle with Conservation Plan

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Environmentalists+forest+industry+struggle+complete+Great+Bear/7776998/story.html

Environmentalists are ready to give up on negotiations over the acclaimed Great Bear Rainforest conservation agreement, saying the forest industry is not moving quickly enough to achieve ecological and economic goals in the world’s largest temperate rainforest.

The forest industry says a final agreement is achievable and that the industry has come a long way toward getting there. It’s proving difficult, but not impossible, to develop models that reach the conservation goals, given the restraints logging is now under.

Readers Digest UK Cuts 75% of Staff

Readers Digest UK axes 75% of staff:
On Friday (4 January) the company, which was bought out of administration by private equity group Better Capital in 2010, ceased all trading of its CD, DVD and bookselling arm although it confirmed that existing orders would be honoured.  Meanwhile Reader's Digest UK (RD UK) has filed a proposal to place its direct marketing division into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) while it focuses on a restructure. A CVA is a legal agreement between a limited company and its creditors that sets out arrangements for the repayment or writing off of its debts.

Metrocorp Inc. Buys Slice Communications

Metrocorp Inc. Acquires Majority Stake in Slice Communications:
With mergers and acquisitions now hitting prerecession levels, it’s no surprise that Metrocorp Inc., the publisher of Boston and Philadelphia magazines, is expanding its reach by acquiring a majority stake in Slice Communications.
This small Philadelphia-based boutique public relations and social media agency that was founded in 2008 works with a variety of clients in the technology, professional services, customer services and non-profit sectors.

SMB Advertisers to Spend More

SMB advertisers to spend more this year:
Small and midsize businesses are generally confident about revenue growth this year and plan to increase their advertising expenditures, according to a study by marketing research company Ad-ology Research.

Publisher Associations SIIA, SIPA to Merge

Publisher associations SIIA, SIPA to merge:
The Software & Information Industry Association and the Specialized Information Publishers Association, two major associations for b-to-b publishers, plan to merge.

CEO Confidence Up

Conference Board: CEO Confidence Increases: The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence, which decreased in the third quarter, improved in the fourth quarter. The Measure now reads 46, up from 42 in the third quarter (a reading of more than 50 points reflects more positive than negative responses).
Says Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board: “CEO Confidence improved in the final quarter of 2012, despite the cloud of fiscal uncertainty.

PEOPLE and Cooking Light Create Booklet

http://www.magazine.org/time-inc%E2%80%99s-people-and-cooking-light-kick-new-year-%E2%80%9Cfresh-start%E2%80%9D-editorial-bookl

To kick off a healthy New Year, PEOPLE, the No. 1 celebrity brand, and Cooking Light, the nation’s leading epicurean brand, joined forces to create a special eight-page editorial booklet focused on healthy eating and weight-loss tips.  The digest-sized insert booklet, “Fresh Start,” features an exclusive interview with TV star Valerie Bertinelli, who reveals the secret to maintaining her 40-lb.weight loss for the past five years, and a “Celeb Slimdown Hall of Fame” including Kelly Osbourne, Jennifer Hudson, Ricki Lake, and Kelly Preston, along with stay-slim secrets from Cooking Light.

2012: M&A Deals Hit $76 Billion

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/190583/2012-ma-deals-hit-76-bil-marketing-segment-lea.html?print#axzz2HPpcCeF8

While dollar volume in deal-making in media mergers and acquisitions rose in 2012, the average prices for those deals declined.
New York-based investment banker, Berkery Noyes, says total dollar volume climbed 17% to $76 billion last year. But the price for those deals -- in terms of revenue multiples and the cash flow multiple -- went lower.

Publishers’ Favorite Startups

http://www.digiday.com/publishers/publishers-favorite-startups/

The technology world is known for churning out startups focused on the needs of advertisers. Call it the Willie Sutton principle: might as well go to where the money is. But increasingly, the pendulum has swung to startups that cater to the needs of publishers.

Digiday polled top publishers on what startups they’re most excited about and why.

For Wired, Half of Ad Revenue Digital

http://adage.com/article/media/digital-cracks-50-ad-revenue-wired-magazine/238986/?utm_source=mediaworks&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=ada
Digital contributed half of all ad revenue at Wired magazine in the final three months of 2012, a first for the title and an encouraging sign for an industry where most big brands still rely overwhelmingly on the difficult business of print. Across the year as a whole, digital ads comprised 45% of total ad sales at Wired, according to the magazine.

Engineering a Reversal of Fortune in 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/business/media/in-2013-engineering-a-reversal-of-fortune-for-media-leaders.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

In business, all years are critical — make a big mistake and you won’t have the chance to make another one. But in the media, wave after wave of transformation mean the coming year is particularly important.

Insurgents are racing over the hills; margins, along with the advertising sales that drove them, are tumbling; and people consume media content at a time, place and, often, at a cost of their choosing. Forget New Year’s resolutions. We’re talking imperatives, a to-do list that requires eating your Wheaties and then some. So on the last day of 2012, it’s worth looking at a group of leaders who confront very steep hills to climb in the year that ends in lucky 13.

Reform Delayed, USPS Must Seek More Cost Savings

http://www.pubexec.com/article/reform-delayed-usps-must-seek-more-cost-savings-25056487# 
The 112th Congress allowed Mr. ZIP to go over the fiscal cliff without a reform package for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), though both chambers are promising swift action to help the institution find its way to a sustainable track.
The USPS has all but maxed out its options: It lost nearly $16 billion in fiscal year 2012 and is losing money at an alarming clip, an estimated $25 million per day. The five-year plan it drew up, one that promised $22 million in annual cost savings while closing more than 200 of its 461 mail processing plants, was incumbent upon Congress restructuring health care and pension obligations, as well as terminating Saturday delivery.

USPS Reports Loss in November

USPS loses $816 million in November: The U.S. Postal Service posted a net loss of $816 million for the month of November, the second month of its fiscal year.

Study to Review Privatizing Postal Service

Think Tank to Study Privatizing Most Postal Service Operations:
The (Postal Service) review by the nonprofit National Academy of Public Administration will analyze the benefits of restoring the agency’s financial health by using a “hybrid” model, which would farm out to the private sector postal operations other than the last delivery mile. A letter carrier would still drive or walk that last part, dropping letters and packages in mailboxes.

Two Sides Challenges Google’s ‘Go Paperless in 2013’ Campaign

Two Sides Challenges the Veracity of Google’s ‘Go Paperless in 2013’ Campaign: The following open letter has been sent to Eric Schmidt of Google and highlights Two Sides’ concerns that Google and others are trying to promote their services as environmentally preferable to print and paper when there is significant evidence that electronic communication, and Google’s activities in particular, carry a significant and increasing environmental footprint.

UPM Stops Production at Stracel Mill

Coated Magazine Paper Production Ceased at UPM Stracel Mill:  
UPM has finalized the employee information and consultation process with the Central Workers’ Council of UPM France and the Workers’ Council of the Stracel mill. The mill ceased production of coated magazine paper on January 4, 2013.
The consultation process was started in July, 2012. The process is part of UPM’s asset review announced on 31 August 2011, aiming to adjust company’s magazine paper capacity to match the needs of its global customer base.
The current customers of the UPM Stracel will be served from other UPM mills. UPM Stracel mill has been producing 270 000 tonnes of coated magazine paper grades. The mill has 250 employees.
As the next step, UPM will continue the negotiations of the sale of assets and part of the land of the Stracel mill to the joint venture created by VPK Packaging Group and Klingele Papierwerke.

AF&PA Reports November P&W Ships

AF&PA November 2012 Printing-Writing Paper Report: WASHINGTON - The American Forest & Paper Association has released its November 2012 Printing-Writing Paper Report.According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 4 percent in November compared to November 2011. 
November shipments of coated mechanical (CM) papers decreased 5 percent compared to November 2011. Year-to-date shipments of CM are down 5 percent compared to the same 11 months in 2011.
November shipments of coated free sheet (CFS) papers increased year-over-year for the sixth time in the past 12 months.  CFS shipments increased 1 percent when compared to November 2011 to 330,800 tons, the fourth highest total in 2012.
November uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments decreased 24 percent when compared to November 2011, the twentieth consecutive month of year-over-year decline.
While uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers shipments decreased 2 percent compared to November 2011 to 705,500 tons, October exports increased year-over-year for the third consecutive month.  Year-to-date shipments of UFS paper are down 3 percent compared to the same months in 2011.  Exports of UFS increased year-over-year in October, up 15 percent.  Year-to-date UFS exports are up 11 percent in 2012 compared to same 10 months in 2011.

RRD Names Daniel L. Knotts as COO

RR Donnelley Names Daniel L. Knotts as COO: CHICAGO, - R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company today announced that Daniel L. Knotts is being named Chief Operating Officer, succeeding John R. Paloian who is retiring after over 25 years in the industry and having served for more than five years as the company's COO. Mr. Knotts has most recently been the company's Group President, with responsibility for global sales, operations, information technology, logistics, financial services, business process outsourcing operations, strategic sourcing and Environmental, Health and Safety.

Energy Dept. Invests in Biomass/Biofuels

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=822

As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above strategy to develop every available source of American energy, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $10 million to five projects in California, Washington, Maryland, and Texas that will develop new technologies to convert biomass into advanced biofuels and bioproducts like plastics and chemical intermediates.
These projects use innovative synthetic biological and chemical techniques to convert biomass into processable sugars that can be transformed into bioproducts and drop-in biofuels for cars, trucks, and planes. The awards announced today will support projects led by collaborative teams, including universities, national laboratories and private industry.

Kruger's Corner Brook PM Running Again

Kruger employees back at work in Corner Brook after Christmas layoff:
Kruger workers who were laid off over the Christmas holidays in Corner Brook, Newfoundland returned to work today.
One of the paper machines was shut down on December 23.  The 15 day shutdown reduced Corner Brook Pulp & Paper’s newsprint output by 4,000 metric tonnes.

Postmaster General Scolds Congress

Postmaster Raps Congress for Failure to Pass Bill: Hanging from a cliff, the 112th Congress ignored USPS boss Patrick Donahoe's pleas for postal reform. Now he's setting an agenda for the 113th. Warning that the United States Postal Service is on “an unsustainable financial path,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe released a statement yesterday chiding the adjourned 112th Congress for failing to pass legislation that he believes will “put the organization on a stable, long-term financial footing.”

Heidelberg Offers Carbon Offsets

Heidelberg now offers carbon neutralized for its postpress equipment: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is taking its environmental commitment to the next level. Customers can now have all postpress equipment for commercial printing supplied with carbon offsetting.

Cenveo Announces Refinancing

Cenveo Announces Refinancing:
Cenveo Corporation (the "Company"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cenveo, Inc., today announced that it had completed the steps necessary to refinance the remainder of its 7.875% senior subordinated notes due 2013 ("7.875% Notes").

Pinterest for Printers?

Is Pinterest Relevant to Printers? (Digital Nirvana):
Print is a visual medium, and since Pinterest appeals to visual thinkers like designers, you’d think there would some great overlap there. Yet look for a printer on Pinterest and, well, if you find one, let me know.
I can see this really working for printers. Different boards for different types of products alongside quirky boards about unusual uses for recycled paper, unorthodox employee activity, contest results for the most creative use of empty ink cans, things like that. It would be killer for dimensional mail, I would think. Especially considering the visual- and design-focused audience.

Resolute Requests Lower Taxes for Ft Frances

http://fftimes.com/node/256766

Some district municipal leaders are concerned about the possible reassessment of the mill property in Fort Frances heading into 2013.
With the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board's cost apportionment schedule based on weighted assessment, including payments in lieu, using municipal tax ratios for municipalities, and weighted average tax ratios for the unincorporated areas, there is concern some of the smaller townships will see their payments increase.

Catalyst, Lincoln Paper & Tissue, Port Townsend News

Catalyst Paper unable to close sale agreement
Catalyst Paper announces that the sale of its Elk Falls site in Campbell River to Pacifica Deep Sea Terminals Incorporated did not close and the sale agreement has been terminated.  
More on Catalyst:
Catalyst Paper Corporation announced today that final approval has been received for listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) of its new class of common shares (new Shares) created pursuant to its reorganization under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act that completed on September 13, 2012 . The new Shares will begin trading on the TSX on January 7, 2013 under the trading symbol "CYT".

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/01/02/business/lincoln-mill-hopes-to-have-natural-gas-deal-announced-soon/?ref=latest

Lincoln Paper & Tissue LLC leaders hope within a few months to have a deal made to get their mill machinery operating on natural gas that isn't trucked to the facility, co-owner Keith Van Scotter says.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130103/NEWS/301039995/jefferson-county-issues-formal-denial-of-port-townsend-paper-permit

Port Townsend Paper Corp. no longer qualifies for an inert-waste permit for the landfill at its Port Townsend plant, according to final findings issued by the Jefferson County Public Health Department, and the company plans to appeal the decision.

Hanley Wood Buys Metrostudy

Hanley Wood Boosts Market Intelligence Group with Metrostudy Deal:
Hanley Wood has put some of the capital it received from its new owners to use by acquiring Houston-based market research and information firm Metrostudy. The deal firms up and expands the structure of Hanley Wood's Market Intelligence group, with the group operating from here on out under the Metrostudy name.

Starbucks Offers Substitute for Paper Cup

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/02/starbucks-reusable-cup-trash/1804095/

Amid public pressure to curb trash from disposable cups, Starbucks is rolling out a novel possible solution Thursday: a $1 reusable tumbler.

The Seattle-based coffee giant will start selling the plastic cups, bearing its logo and resembling the paper version, at all its company-owned stores in the USA and Canada in a bid to get customers to kick their throwaway habit. It will give a dime discount for each refill so the cup pays for itself after 10 uses.
The $1 tumbler is the latest effort to address criticism that food and beverage retailers need to reduce the amount of disposable cups and containers that ends up in landfills or litters streets and waterways. Thousands of people have signed petitions on Change.org, a website promoting social change, urging companies to promote reusable options and abandon polystyrene foam packaging, which is rarely recycled.
McDonald's began testing a paper cup at some of its stores last year and Dunkin' Donuts plans to do the same this year, but neither requires its stores to offer a refill discount to customers with reusable tumblers. Jamba Juice, which plans to phase out foam cups this year, says it offers a dime discount to those bringing in clean reusable ones, but very few do so.

Brown Printing Names CEO

http://www.piworld.com/article/mike-amundson-appointed-president-ceo-brown-printing-volker-petersen-retire/1

Mike Amundson, currently CFO and executive vice president of the Catalog Market Segment at Brown Printing, has been appointed president and CEO. Volker Petersen, current president and CEO of Brown, will retire as planned on June 30, 2013, after devoting the next few months to a smooth business transition.

Congress Leaves USPS Hanging

Congress Leaves USPS Hanging:
Hemorrhaging $25 million a day, Postmaster warns of 'accelerated cost-cutting.'
Add the USPS to the list of unfinished business left by the now-adjourned 112th Congress. As it muddled its way through negotiating terms for avoiding the fiscal cliff, the legislation the Postal Service was looking for fell by the wayside, prompting Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to voice his disappointment in an official statement.

The Wicks Group to Acquire TMG and McMurry

The Wicks Group to Acquire TMG and McMurry:
Wicks Group has made a big private-equity play in content marketing, acquiring two of the sector’s leaders in The Magazine Group and McMurry, according to multiple sources.

MeritDirect Buys LDSGroup

MeritDirect Buys LDSGroup: The first in a series of upcoming moves, direct marketing firm MeritDirect has purchased LDSGroup, another direct marketing firm specializing in list management and prospect generation for consumer publications.

Holiday Online Spending Up

US Online Spending Up This Christmas: New figures from comScore reveal how much America spent online over the holiday period. The figures reveal that American shoppers spent $42.3 billion online between November 1st and December 31st 2012.  That represents an increase of 14% on the figures for 2011.

Global Newspaper Readership Still High

Global Newspaper Trends: Readership Remains High: According to the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, in 2012 more than 2.5 billion people read daily newspapers in print, 500 million read daily newspapers in both print and online, and 100 million read online only.

Gap Buys Intermix Inc.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323689604578218041584954854.h

Gap Inc. is buying women's fashion boutique Intermix Inc. for $130 million, a deal that will give the mostly casual-clothes retailer an opening to the all-important luxury market.

The acquisition is the first in half a decade for Gap, which is coming off a string of rare fashion successes that boosted its sales and stock price last year.

Media Daily News: Mag Bag

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/190329/mag-bag-atlantic-posts-big-digital-gains.html#axzz2H21IHyhM

Atlantic Posts Big Digital GainsThe 'Atlantic' announced that digital advertising revenue increased 32% in 2012 compared to the previous year, and now makes up over half (59%) of its total advertising revenues...
Yoga Journal To Publish 4 Special Issues in 2013
Yoga Journal will publish four special issues in 2013...
Sullivan Decamps From Newsweek Daily Beast Co.
Andrew Sullivan is taking his blog independent again. That means the well-known political/cultural  blogger is leaving the Newsweek Daily Beast Co...
Marie Claire Announces Editorial Hires
Marie Claire is starting off the year with some new appointments and a promotion on the editorial side...

Time's Latest Collaboration

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/time-incs-latest-collaboration-146250

Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang has made a point of capitalizing on the company's enormous number of print subscribers and breaking down walls between its traditionally autonomous brands.

In keeping with this new collaborative spirit, celeb weekly People teamed up with healthy-eating monthly Cooking Light on a new editorial booklet called “Fresh Start” that mixes celebrities’ weight-loss stories with healthy eating tips and recipes. Sponsored by Barilla pasta and featuring a cover interview with actress and Jenny Craig spokeswoman Valerie Bertinelli, the booklet appears in People's ’s annual “Half Their Size” issue on sale Jan. 4 and in Cooking Light's Jan/Feb issue.

The Atlantic Publishes First eBook

http://www.pubexec.com/article/the-atlantic-publishes-its-first-original-ebook-battle-end-eden/1

In "Battle at the End of Eden," a globe-trotting tale that marks the first time original Atlantic reporting is being published exclusively as an ebook, author Amanda R. Martinez takes readers inside the fight to preserve the most delicate places on Earth.

Getting Attention with Once Forbidden Words

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/books/womens-magazine-editors-allow-more-printed-vulgarities.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Cindi Leive, editor in chief of Glamour, was searching for the best way to draw readers’ attention to an article in the November 2011 issue about how women could better organize their closets and bank accounts. “12 ways to get your act together” didn’t have much punch. “12 ways to get your stuff together” also fell flat. So she decided to substitute “act” with a word unprintable here and waited for the angry letters to pour in. They never came.

The long-running debate in women’s magazines — how frank can they be? — seems to have shifted, as editors throughout the industry are sprinkling more curse words on their covers and weaving expletives into the headlines and the copy between the photos of celebrities with flawless skin. 

Metrocorp Acquires Slice Communications

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/190355/media-reach-publisher-metrocorp-buys-slice.html#axzz2H21IHyhM

Another media owner just entered the agency sector. Metrocorp, parent company of Philadelphia and Boston magazines, confirmed it has purchased a majority interest in Slice Communications, a social media and public relations shop based in Philadelphia.

The deal is the latest example of a media company buying into the agency business.
Both Hearst and Meredith have invested in well-known shops. In 2010, Hearst bought digital shop iCrossing for more than $300 million. That same year, Meredith purchased mobile specialist The Hyperfactory. Terms of the Slice acquisition were not disclosed.

December Retail Spending Up

http://adage.com/article/news/minute-markdowns-boosted-holiday-sales/238978/

Retailers lured reluctant shoppers with late-December specials after Hurricane Sandy, the presidential election and the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., tempered earlier holiday spending.

December same-store sales for the more than 20 companies tracked by Swampscott, Mass.-based Retail Metrics rose 4.8%, excluding drugstores, beating the estimate for a 3.4% gain, the firm said in a report today. That follows a 1.6% gain in November

84% of Americans Go Online Daily

84% of Americans Go Online Daily; Increase Thanks to Smartphones: In 2011, 78% of U.S. adults went online daily. In 2012, this number jumped to 84% -- thanks to the increasing adoption of smartphones.