RR Donnelley Awarded a Multi-Year Agreement by International Airlines Group:
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company has been awarded a multi-year agreement by International Airlines Group (IAG) and its subsidiaries British Airways, Iberia and Avios. Under the terms of the agreement, which renews and expands the companies' relationship, RR Donnelley will provide a range of print management, direct response, warehousing and logistics services.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
More Mills Raise Prices in Europe
http://www.arcticpaper.com/en/Pressroom/News-archive/Arctic-Paper-announces-a-general-price-increase-of-5-7-for-coated-fine-papers/
Arctic Paper wishes to announce to its customers a price increase on all CWF paper grades, both in sheets and reels. The price increase will range from 5-7% and will differ from the current price levels per country and paper grade.
The price increase will affect deliveries from 15 April 2013. Further price increases in 2013 seems to be inevitable, to secure a minimum profitability.
Arctic Paper wishes to announce to its customers a price increase on all CWF paper grades, both in sheets and reels. The price increase will range from 5-7% and will differ from the current price levels per country and paper grade.
The price increase will affect deliveries from 15 April 2013. Further price increases in 2013 seems to be inevitable, to secure a minimum profitability.
The increase will be at least 50
Euro per tonne and take effect for all deliveries invoiced from 15th April
2013.
PwC Forest Product CEO Survey Released
Forest, paper & packaging
(FPP) CEOs are less confident about revenue growth over the next 12 months than
their peers in other sectors, but are more optimistic about their company's
revenue prospects in the next three years, according to PwC's 16th Annual
Global CEO Survey released recently in Davos, Switzerland.
"CEOs have identified their
top three priorities: enhancing operational effectiveness; investing in
innovation and R&D; and developing new business models."
The
survey found 92% of sector CEOs have implemented a cost-reduction initiative in
the past 12 months.
R&D
and innovation is a top priority for 42% of FPP CEOs in the next 12 months-a
full 10% higher than the overall average across the entire CEO Survey.Half of the FPP CEOs surveyed have entered into a new strategic alliance or joint venture in the past year, 34% completed a cross-border M&A and 32% completed a domestic M&A.
Every FPP CEO surveyed said that customer service was a key differentiator, the only sector in the full survey where 100% reported that customers influence their strategy.
Seventy-five per cent of FPP CEOs worry that energy and raw material costs could pose a threat to growth, far more than the average across the overall survey sample.
Ninety-five per cent reported that supply chain partners are influencing their strategy, and the large majority of CEOs are increasing efforts to engage with them.
Nearly three quarters (71%) of FPP CEOs plan to increase their company's focus on reducing their environmental footprint, while 18% will continue at their current levels.
Study: Consumers Trust Ads in Magazines & Newspapers
Study: Consumers Trust Advertising in Magazines and Newspapers More Than Any Other Media:
New research has revealed that despite important changes in media consumption in recent years, consumers continue to have most trust in advertising in printed media. When asked how much trust they attach to advertising in the various media, consumers gave magazines and newspapers a score of 63%, TV 41% and Internet 25%. Consumers were also asked about the role of advertising in purchase decision making - almost seven out of ten said that advertising in magazines and newspapers was most important in supporting purchase decisions. When asked to compare direct mail with social media almost 90% of respondents valued addressed and non-addressed mail above social media.
New research has revealed that despite important changes in media consumption in recent years, consumers continue to have most trust in advertising in printed media. When asked how much trust they attach to advertising in the various media, consumers gave magazines and newspapers a score of 63%, TV 41% and Internet 25%. Consumers were also asked about the role of advertising in purchase decision making - almost seven out of ten said that advertising in magazines and newspapers was most important in supporting purchase decisions. When asked to compare direct mail with social media almost 90% of respondents valued addressed and non-addressed mail above social media.
Catalogs Are Part of a Balanced Marketing Diet
http://www.dmnews.com/catalogs-are-part-of-a-balanced-marketing-diet/article/283668
For a supposedly dead channel, print isn't doing too badly. According to the Direct Marketing Association, roughly 12.5 billion catalogs—often featuring interactive elements such as QR codes, text codes, and augmented reality enhancements—are printed and mailed each year.To demonstrate the continued viability of print as an evolving and thriving channel, NewPoint Media Group, publisher of The Real Estate Book and a variety of other targeted magazines, issued its advertisers and prospects the following challenge: collect as many catalog covers as you can and mail them in to win a cash prize.The secondary goal of NewPoint's “Catalog Challenge” was to open people's eyes to the sheer number of targeted, welcome print catalogs they receive, especially around the holiday season. Even e-commerce behemoths like Amazon and Zappos print and mail catalogs in the lead up to Christmas.
For a supposedly dead channel, print isn't doing too badly. According to the Direct Marketing Association, roughly 12.5 billion catalogs—often featuring interactive elements such as QR codes, text codes, and augmented reality enhancements—are printed and mailed each year.To demonstrate the continued viability of print as an evolving and thriving channel, NewPoint Media Group, publisher of The Real Estate Book and a variety of other targeted magazines, issued its advertisers and prospects the following challenge: collect as many catalog covers as you can and mail them in to win a cash prize.The secondary goal of NewPoint's “Catalog Challenge” was to open people's eyes to the sheer number of targeted, welcome print catalogs they receive, especially around the holiday season. Even e-commerce behemoths like Amazon and Zappos print and mail catalogs in the lead up to Christmas.
News Corp. Puts $2.6 Billion in Publishing Co.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/in-filing-news-corp-says-it-will-provide-2-6-billion-to-its-new-publishing-company/?partner=rss&emc=rss
News Corporation’s new publishing company will receive a $2.6 billion infusion of cash and have no debt when it separates from the company’s higher-growth cable channels and Hollywood studio this summer.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, the company confirmed what analysts had expected: Rupert Murdoch will make sure his beloved trove of roughly 175 newspapers will have plenty of capital once they are split off on their own.
The $2.6 billion figure, $1.82 billion of which will come from the parent company, is slightly higher than investors had anticipated, leading to speculation that it might be used to acquire additional newspapers.
News Corporation’s new publishing company will receive a $2.6 billion infusion of cash and have no debt when it separates from the company’s higher-growth cable channels and Hollywood studio this summer.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, the company confirmed what analysts had expected: Rupert Murdoch will make sure his beloved trove of roughly 175 newspapers will have plenty of capital once they are split off on their own.
The $2.6 billion figure, $1.82 billion of which will come from the parent company, is slightly higher than investors had anticipated, leading to speculation that it might be used to acquire additional newspapers.
Men Still Prefer Newspapers for Sports
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/195349/newspapers-remain-top-sports-source-for-men.html#axzz2NGRghbV
Between social media, mobile and cable TV, sports news outlets have been proliferating -- but newspapers are still the top source for sports news for sports fans. Among male sports fans ages 18-54, 76% cited the sports section of their local newspaper Web site as one of their “go-to” sources for sports news, while 69% cited the print edition.
That compares with 66% for ESPN.com, 46% for league sites, 45% for Yahoo Sports.com, and 45% for ESPN Sports Center. Further down the list, 33% said sports talk radio and 23% said Sports Illustrated or SI.com.
Between social media, mobile and cable TV, sports news outlets have been proliferating -- but newspapers are still the top source for sports news for sports fans. Among male sports fans ages 18-54, 76% cited the sports section of their local newspaper Web site as one of their “go-to” sources for sports news, while 69% cited the print edition.
That compares with 66% for ESPN.com, 46% for league sites, 45% for Yahoo Sports.com, and 45% for ESPN Sports Center. Further down the list, 33% said sports talk radio and 23% said Sports Illustrated or SI.com.
How Time Inc. Should Reinvent Itself
http://adage.com/article/media/time-reinvent-independent-publisher/240254/
When Time Warner spins off its magazine unit, the world's biggest magazine company will become an anomaly: a publicly traded media company consisting entirely of magazines. Time Inc. titles were once the crown jewels of media, generating nearly a billion in annual operating profit just a decade ago. By 2012 that had fallen to $420 million, a precipitous 25% drop from the year earlier. Despite recent cost cuts, that portfolio -- and its infrastructure -- was built for an era when ad dollars were plentiful.
When Time Warner spins off its magazine unit, the world's biggest magazine company will become an anomaly: a publicly traded media company consisting entirely of magazines. Time Inc. titles were once the crown jewels of media, generating nearly a billion in annual operating profit just a decade ago. By 2012 that had fallen to $420 million, a precipitous 25% drop from the year earlier. Despite recent cost cuts, that portfolio -- and its infrastructure -- was built for an era when ad dollars were plentiful.
RRD Closing Greenfield, Ohio Plant
Citing "changing market conditions," the RR Donnelley &
Sons company in Greenfield, previously known as Banta publishing, informed its
employees Wednesday that it will be closing in May. Nearly 170 employees will
lose their jobs as a result of the closing.
2012 Ad Spending Up 3%
http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130311/ADVERTISING13/303119997/kantar-media-reports-u-s-ad-spending-up-3-last-year
Total ad spending in the U.S. reached $140.0 billion last year, up 3% over 2011, according to Kantar Media. Kantar tracks ad spending for measured media including TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, online (display ads only) and outdoor advertising. During the fourth quarter, total ad spending was up 2% compared with the same period in 2011.The fastest-growing media category last year was TV, which grew 8% over 2011, Kantar said. Outdoor advertising grew by 5%, and radio increased by 3%. Categories that were down last year included magazines (down 2%), newspapers (down 3%) and online (down 3%).
Total ad spending in the U.S. reached $140.0 billion last year, up 3% over 2011, according to Kantar Media. Kantar tracks ad spending for measured media including TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, online (display ads only) and outdoor advertising. During the fourth quarter, total ad spending was up 2% compared with the same period in 2011.The fastest-growing media category last year was TV, which grew 8% over 2011, Kantar said. Outdoor advertising grew by 5%, and radio increased by 3%. Categories that were down last year included magazines (down 2%), newspapers (down 3%) and online (down 3%).
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/195465/us-ad-economy-expands-for-third-consecutive-year.html#axzz2NGRghbVr
U.S. Ad Economy Expands For Third Consecutive Year: Big, Mid-Tail Advertisers Biggest Factors
Buoyed by big and mid-tail advertisers, the U.S. advertising marketplace expanded for its third consecutive year, albeit at a relatively modest 3% rate of growth.
U.S. Ad Economy Expands For Third Consecutive Year: Big, Mid-Tail Advertisers Biggest Factors
Buoyed by big and mid-tail advertisers, the U.S. advertising marketplace expanded for its third consecutive year, albeit at a relatively modest 3% rate of growth.
Brown Printing Buys Nellymoser
Brown Printing Expands Mobile Solutions through the Acquisition of Nellymoser: WASECA, MN—March 11, 2013—Brown Printing Company today announced the acquisition of Nellymoser, a Boston-based mobile marketing and technology company. Nellymoser is a mobile innovator and a pioneer in rich media delivery, having deployed over 800 print-to-digital campaigns in 2012 for 50 of the Top 100 magazines.
Print Wins Again
Now THIS Is Funny! Print Wins Again:
This is for all those claiming that print is dead . . . or who want to respond to those who do. No commentary necessary. This ad speaks for itself. Enjoy.
This is for all those claiming that print is dead . . . or who want to respond to those who do. No commentary necessary. This ad speaks for itself. Enjoy.
World’s Largest Biomass Plant Started
World’s largest biomass gasification plant inaugurated
Vaskiluodon Voima Oy has inaugurated the world's largest biomass gasification plant, which was supplied by Metso, in Vaasa, Finland. The plant was inaugurated by the Finnish Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen on March 11th.
Vaskiluodon Voima's plant is ground-breaking in many ways, as this is the first time in the world that biomass gasification is being adopted on such a large scale for replacement of fossil fuels.
Vaskiluodon Voima Oy has inaugurated the world's largest biomass gasification plant, which was supplied by Metso, in Vaasa, Finland. The plant was inaugurated by the Finnish Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen on March 11th.
Vaskiluodon Voima's plant is ground-breaking in many ways, as this is the first time in the world that biomass gasification is being adopted on such a large scale for replacement of fossil fuels.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Boise Cascade Reports 2012, Q4 Results
Boise Cascade Reports Profit in Q4: BOISE, Idaho - Boise Cascade Company today reported financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2012.
Fourth Quarter and Year End 2012 Operating Results
Total sales in fourth quarter 2012 were $694.6 million, compared with $547.4 million in fourth quarter 2011. Total sales for the full year improved by 24% to $2,779.1 million: growth of 23% in our Building Materials Distribution (BMD) segment and 32% in our Wood Products segment.
Fourth Quarter and Year End 2012 Operating Results
Total sales in fourth quarter 2012 were $694.6 million, compared with $547.4 million in fourth quarter 2011. Total sales for the full year improved by 24% to $2,779.1 million: growth of 23% in our Building Materials Distribution (BMD) segment and 32% in our Wood Products segment.
NA & SA Q4 Wood Fiber Costs Fall
Wood fiber costs decreased in North and South America in 4Q 2012
Lower pulp prices during last summer and an increased supply of sawmill chips put downward pressure on pulpwood prices in North America and Latin America in the 4Q/12. The biggest declines occurred in Western US, British Columbia and Brazil.
Wood fiber prices trended downward in the local currencies in many of the key pulp-producing countries of the world in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the report Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ).
However, as a result of the weakening US dollar, wood fiber prices actually increased in US dollar terms in a number countries and the Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) was up slightly (+0.1%) in the 4Q/12 to $100.13/odmt. The biggest increases from the 3Q to the 4Q occurred in Eastern Canada, Finland, France and New Zealand, WRQ added.
The price declines in the local currencies were mainly the result of an increased supply of softwood fiber in regions with extensive lumber production. In the US Northwest, chip prices fell as much as 27 percent during 2012 and pulp mills in the region had some of the lowest softwood fiber costs in the world in the 4Q/12.
Lower pulp prices during last summer and an increased supply of sawmill chips put downward pressure on pulpwood prices in North America and Latin America in the 4Q/12. The biggest declines occurred in Western US, British Columbia and Brazil.
Wood fiber prices trended downward in the local currencies in many of the key pulp-producing countries of the world in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the report Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ).
However, as a result of the weakening US dollar, wood fiber prices actually increased in US dollar terms in a number countries and the Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) was up slightly (+0.1%) in the 4Q/12 to $100.13/odmt. The biggest increases from the 3Q to the 4Q occurred in Eastern Canada, Finland, France and New Zealand, WRQ added.
The price declines in the local currencies were mainly the result of an increased supply of softwood fiber in regions with extensive lumber production. In the US Northwest, chip prices fell as much as 27 percent during 2012 and pulp mills in the region had some of the lowest softwood fiber costs in the world in the 4Q/12.
Bengal Paper Files Countersuit Against Pt Hawk
A Pennsylvania company being sued by the Port Hawkesbury
mill says it will file a countersuit.
David O'Brien, a spokesman for Bengal Paper &
Converting, Inc., of Linfield, Pa., says the lawsuit is "beyond
belief" and contains "crazy allegations.""We are going to be vigorously disputing these allegations and we are going to be countersuing them for contract violations," O'Brien said.
Nippon, Mitsubishi P&W Paper Price Hikes
Japan's Mitsubishi Paper Mills (MPM) and Nippon Paper Group (NPG) have both announced large domestic price hikes for their graphic paper ranges, effective
on shipments from April 21.
In both cases the hikes have been
announced at ¥15/kg, which is equivalent to about $161/tonne. In MPM's case, the hikes cover uncoated and coated fine paper and lightweight coated paper. NPG's announcement covers the same grades, as well as ultra lightweight coated paper. NPG ascribed the need for the increase to conditions since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which had a considerable impact on domestic graphic paper production. It heralded in a boom in imports and a big drop in graphic paper prices, which it is now moving to correct to a level it considers sustainable. MPM also cited the impact of imports on its business, as well as the cost of raw materials and fuel. Prices for graphic paper grades in Japan have fallen by up to 9% since March 2011. |
MediaPost Mag Bag
Magazines are unveiling new looks, as publishers
reposition titles to keep pace with the changing interests and habits of
readers. Both Redbook and Taste
of Home have been revamped to make them more social and
mobile-friendly.
The Reader’s Digest Association is revamping Taste
of Home, giving it a new look and 20% more pages of editorial
content. Now perfect-bound and printed on a heavier stock, Taste
of Home will include more healthy recipes and health-related
content, as well as clip-and-save recipe cards, and a new logo. According to
the fall 2012 MRI index, Taste of Home reaches 11.1 million
readers.
The Week is
raising its rate base for the second time in six months, owner Dennis
Publishing announced this week. Beginning July 1, The Week
will have a rate base of 550,000, up 2.8% from 535,000.
And more...
Personalized Messages Pay Off for Retailers
Personalized Marketing Messages Pay Off for Retailers: A study finds 40% of online shoppers buy more from retailers who personalize their marketing message across all channels; Half say they are willing to share data to receive a better shopping experience.
Former Vertis Workers in Court
A dispute between former employees of Vertis Communications in Stevensville
and Quad/Graphics Marketing will most likely be resolved in a courtroom and not
on the picket line.
And, it will likely take some time before all the legal issues are ironed out.
On Thursday, lawyers representing both the workers, who are members of the
Communications, Energy and Paperworks Union of Canada, and Quad/Graphics
appeared in the Superior Court of Justice in St. Catharines to try and resolve
some issues regarding what has been taking place on the picket line.
And, it will likely take some time before all the legal issues are ironed out.
Senate Reconsiders Eliminating Paper Communication
US Senate to Reconsider Elimination of Paper Based Communication: 'Consumers for Paper Options', a coalition of individuals and organizations advocating for the right to paper-based communications, today applauded a new Congressional resolution to protect access to paper-based options for government services and information. This bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 97), introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) and Mike Michaud (D-Maine), seeks to reverse recent federal initiatives to completely eliminate paper-based information and services, such as Social Security checks and earnings statements, savings bonds and income tax forms.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Verso Paper Reports 2012 & Q4 Results
Verso Paper Corp. Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2012 Results:
Verso's net sales for the fourth quarter of 2012 decreased $89.3 million, or 19.8%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2011, reflecting a 17.0% decline in total sales volume, which was driven by the closure of three paper machines late last year and the closure of the Sartell mill in the third quarter of this year, as well as a 3.4% decrease in the average sales price per ton for all of our products. Verso's gross margin was 14.0% for the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to 12.6% for the fourth quarter of 2011.
Verso reported net income of $25.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, or $0.48 per diluted share, which included $47.4 million of net gains from special items, or $0.90 per diluted share, primarily due to proceeds from the insurance settlement related to the fire and explosion at our Sartell mill.
Verso's net sales for the fourth quarter of 2012 decreased $89.3 million, or 19.8%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2011, reflecting a 17.0% decline in total sales volume, which was driven by the closure of three paper machines late last year and the closure of the Sartell mill in the third quarter of this year, as well as a 3.4% decrease in the average sales price per ton for all of our products. Verso's gross margin was 14.0% for the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to 12.6% for the fourth quarter of 2011.
Verso reported net income of $25.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, or $0.48 per diluted share, which included $47.4 million of net gains from special items, or $0.90 per diluted share, primarily due to proceeds from the insurance settlement related to the fire and explosion at our Sartell mill.
Verso had a net loss of $67.9 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2011, which included $51.5 million of charges from special items, or $0.98 per diluted share.
Verso's net sales for 2012 decreased $247.9 million, or 14.4%, compared to 2011, reflecting an 11.1% decrease in volume for all of our products, which was driven by the shutdown of three paper machines late last year and the closure of the Sartell mill in the third quarter of this year, as well as a 3.7% decrease in sales prices compared to 2011.
China Chengtong Takes Over MCC
China Chengtong Holdings' total
pulp and paper capacity will reach 3.9 million tonnes/yr after it takes over
the Metallurgical Corporation of China's (MCC) pulp and paper business.
The two parties signed an agreement on February 28, which will see MCC transfer its wholly-owned subsidiary MCC Paper to China Chengtong without cost.
But the plan still needs further approvals from the central government.
Both MCC and China Chengtong are giant state-owned companies directly under the administration of the Chinese government.
MCC Paper has a total capacity of more than 1.5 million tonnes/yr of pulp and paper at its many subsidiaries in China.
The two parties signed an agreement on February 28, which will see MCC transfer its wholly-owned subsidiary MCC Paper to China Chengtong without cost.
But the plan still needs further approvals from the central government.
Both MCC and China Chengtong are giant state-owned companies directly under the administration of the Chinese government.
MCC Paper has a total capacity of more than 1.5 million tonnes/yr of pulp and paper at its many subsidiaries in China.
Direct Mail Tops In ROI
Direct Mail Tops In ROI, Say B2C Marketers; Email Delivers for B2B: The Target Marketing 2013 Media Usage survey finds direct mail delivers the strongest ROI for B2C customer acquisition and retention; Email deemed tops amongst B2B marketers.
Time Warner Ends Talks, Will Spin Off Magazines
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/fate-of-four-time-inc-magazines-are-an-issue-in-talks-with-meredith/
The spinoff of Time Inc. means the end of the brutish and short tenure of CEO Laura Lang, whose 15-month run will likely be picked over in the days ahead.
Time Warner Ends Time Inc. Sales Talks with Meredith, Announces Spinoff Instead CEO Laura Lang to step down.
After weeks of reported negotiations, Time Warner has abruptly ended talks to combine Time Inc. titles with Meredith into a new company and is instead announcing that it will spin off Time Inc. as a separate, publicly traded company. The separation is expected to be finished by the end of the year. In the meantime, Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang has decided to step down following the transaction.
Time Inc. Spinoff Has a Bumpy Road Ahead: Time Warner has decided, in the wake of talks breaking down with Meredith Corp. over a proposed spinoff company that would house a combination of the two companies' magazine brands, to form a separate, publicly-traded company on its own. It's a plan-B move and it's going to be a rough road going forward. For one thing, the combined company between Meredith and Time Inc. would have kicked back almost $2 billion in a one-time dividend to Time Warner. Now that's not going to happen and shareholders are going to have to hope that the Time Inc. spinoff will perform as well or better than TW's other spinoffs, AOL, and Time Warner Cable. The spinoff transaction is expected to be done by the end of the year.
http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/lessons-laura-langs-brief-tenure-atop-time-inc-147755
After weeks of reported negotiations, Time Warner has abruptly ended talks to combine Time Inc. titles with Meredith into a new company and is instead announcing that it will spin off Time Inc. as a separate, publicly traded company. The separation is expected to be finished by the end of the year. In the meantime, Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang has decided to step down following the transaction.
Time Inc. Spinoff Has a Bumpy Road Ahead: Time Warner has decided, in the wake of talks breaking down with Meredith Corp. over a proposed spinoff company that would house a combination of the two companies' magazine brands, to form a separate, publicly-traded company on its own. It's a plan-B move and it's going to be a rough road going forward. For one thing, the combined company between Meredith and Time Inc. would have kicked back almost $2 billion in a one-time dividend to Time Warner. Now that's not going to happen and shareholders are going to have to hope that the Time Inc. spinoff will perform as well or better than TW's other spinoffs, AOL, and Time Warner Cable. The spinoff transaction is expected to be done by the end of the year.
http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/lessons-laura-langs-brief-tenure-atop-time-inc-147755
Lessons From
Laura Lang's (Brief) Tenure Atop Time Inc.
Revenue declines, layoffs and low
morale By Lucia Moses Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang was hired away from Digitas some 15
months ago. The spinoff of Time Inc. means the end of the brutish and short tenure of CEO Laura Lang, whose 15-month run will likely be picked over in the days ahead.
When
Lang was hired away from Digitas for the post a little over a year ago, her
selection was aimed at bringing digital credibility to a publishing company
with prestige titles (Time, Fortune) but steeped in the low-growth print
business.
Channels Driving Holiday Purchases
Channels Driving Holiday Purchases: Not Online or Social Media: A 2013 Holiday Retail Marketing Survey finds that email, TV, and print ads were the strongest drivers of purchases, while online and social media proved least influential.
TV ads – 45%
Print ads (newspaper/magazine) – 42%
TV ads – 45%
Print ads (newspaper/magazine) – 42%
Fortune Writes Articles Exclusively for Advertisers
Advertisers looking to escape the dreaded advertorial trap
and give consumers content they'll actually read has helped create the boom in native
advertising or branded content. At the same time, publishers continue to
seek ways to make their editorial work harder for them.
Fortune is rolling out a new response to this dilemma in the
form of a program called Fortune TOC—Trusted Original Content. Similar to
licensed editorial content, TOC involves creating original, Fortune-branded
editorial content (articles, video, newsletters) exclusively for marketers to
distribute on their own platforms. The publisher has set a price range from
$250,000 to $1 million.
Everyone Knows Print Is Dead: NSFWCORP Launches Print Edition
Tina Brown, the editor of
Newsweek/DailyBeast says print is dead, and as proof she points to the
closure of a magazine that she drove into the ground using a succession of
bullshit linkbait-y barely-Business Insider-worthy covers
which succeeded only in turning a troubled print brand into a doomed one.
Editors of dozens of local
newspapers say print is dead because they are unable to find an audience hungry
for their daily bowl of rehashed AP Newswire copy, unfunny comic strips,
dumb-as-a-rock “humor” columnists, and some nonsense about an escaped dog.Media experts say print is dead because, well, that’s the kind of forward thinking insight you have to offer to succeed in media punditry. Writing off an analog format is far more likely to get you a book deal, and far less likely to come back and bite you in the ass than “betting against the future” might.
The consensus that print is dead is clear. And the continuing print success of the Economist (where the same number of subscribers choose a print-only subscription as a digital-only one) is annoying and confusing. As is the continuing print success of the New Yorker and The Week.
They’re easily dismissed though: Those magazines are special. Or they’re institutions that have been around forever (apart from The Week). Or they’re for stuffy old people (apart from The Week). Or, I dunno, the people who buy them are elves, or goblins — or some kind of creatures that eat paper. Perhaps they’re the same elves or goblins or creatures who buy a combined 6,005,090 print copies every day of the top-ten newspapers in the US.
Publishers Increasing Digital Subscription Prices
Publishers who use Press+, the
metered access platform created by Journalism Online and now owned by RR
Donnelley, are raising subscription prices and lowering the number of articles
visitors can view for free before having to pay.
Far
from seeing online readership drop after implementing paywalls (as once
feared), publishers feel confident enough to push the model further for
additional revenues.Among the more than 400 publishers using the Press+ platform, the average price for a monthly subscription has increased from $6.66 in July 2011 to $9.26 today, for 39% growth in less than two years; 5% of that increase came in the last six months, a survey of Press+ customers conducted by the company.
Publishers' Next Issue Expands Offers
Next Issue, the digital magazine
project of five major U.S. publishers, is taking its all-in-one app to Windows
8 devices. The newsstand app offers some 80 titles, including Fast Company,
Men’s Fitness, New York Magazine, Food & Wine and ESPN The Magazine.
As with the versions for the
iPad and Android tablets, unlimited access to monthly and bi-weekly magazines
in the Next Issue app for Windows 8 costs $9.99 a month. A “premium” plan for
access to all titles is $14.99.
J.C. Penney's Lay Offs Continue
Department store J.C. Penney laid off about 2,200 employees
in its stores and district offices on Wednesday, according to a report from The Dallas Morning News.
These cuts follow another 19,000 employees that have been laid off in the past year since the company began its transformation with Chief Executive Ron Johnson at the helm.
These cuts follow another 19,000 employees that have been laid off in the past year since the company began its transformation with Chief Executive Ron Johnson at the helm.
TravelAge West Launches Explorer
The semiannual publication will provide readers with on-site reviews, packages, sales tools and related products for the experiential travel market. The first issue will be published April 29.
Washington Post Turns to Paid Content Option
Desperate to find new sources of advertising
revenues, major publishers are turning to paid content and native advertising,
in essence, allowing advertising clients to present marketing messages in
formats resembling editorial content.
The latest publisher to join the trend is The
Washington Post, which unveiled a new paid-content feature, “Brand
Connect,” which includes placement on the “front page” of the newspaper’s Web
site.According to WaPo, marketing messages delivered via “Brand Connect” benefit from their adjacency to the Web site’s real editorial content.
Online Display Ads Down, Total Media Buys Expand
In what is likely the most accurate
accounting ever of the U.S. media-buying marketplace, a new, more realistic and
somewhat surprising picture of ad spending is beginning to emerge. The data --
the first ever to be released publicly from a system that taps directly into
the data processing systems of Madison Avenue’s major agency holding companies
-- is shedding light on real market behavior, including a dramatic slowdown in
the expansion of online’s premium display advertising marketplace, and a
corresponding upsurge in so-called “secondary” display media-buying channels
such as ad networks and exchanges.
WSJ Introduces WSJ.Money Magazine
The Wall Street Journal announced it will
introduce WSJ.Money, its new personal wealth management magazine, on March 9.
The quarterly magazine will appear in the U.S. edition of WSJ Weekend and cover
personal finance and wealth management for the long term.
M&A Professionals Expect More Deals
M&A Professionals Expect To Perform More Deals In 2013, According To KPMG Survey: According to a survey conducted by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, merger and acquisitions (M&A), private equity and tax professionals from the technology, financial services and healthcare sectors, among others, expect an increase in their companies' or clients' deal activity in 2013 compared to 2012. Of the more than 400 survey respondents, 60 percent said that they would do more deals this year than last year.
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