Verso Announces NYSE Notice

https://www.versopaper.com/uploadedFiles/Home/News/Verso%27s%20Press%20Release%20%28Final%29.pdf

Verso Paper Corp. announced today that the New York Stock Exchange has notified Verso that it has fallen below the NYSE's continued listing standard requiring that the average closing price of Verso's common stock be at least $1.00 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. As of August 14, 2013, the date of the NYSE notice, the average closing price of Verso's common stock over the past 30 trading days was $0.97 per share.

To maintain its NYSE listing, Verso has until February 14, 2014, which is six months from the date of the NYSE notice, to bring the closing share price and the average closing share price of its common stock back above $1.00. Verso has notified the NYSE that it intends to cure the share price deficiency. During the cure period, Verso's common stock will continue to be traded on the NYSE, subject to Verso's compliance with other NYSE continued listing requirements.
Separately, and as previously disclosed, Verso has appealed the NYSE staff's determination to delist Verso's common stock due to Verso's failure to satisfy the NYSE's continued listing standard requiring that Verso have an average market capitalization of at least $75 million over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. The review committee of the NYSE's board of directors currently is scheduled to hear Verso's appeal on September 10, 2013.

Resolute/Greenpeace Lawsuit in Court

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/story/2013/08/16/tby-greenpeace-fights-back-against-resolute-defamation-suit.html

A Superior Court judge in Thunder Bay is reserving his ruling in the first battle of what is expected to be a long courtroom war between Resolute Forest Products and Greenpeace Canada. 

The forestry giant is suing the environmental group for $5 million for "defamation, malicious falsehood and intentional interference with economic relations."The claim relates to a Greenpeace campaign, beginning in 2012, that was critical of Resolute's forest practices. Greenpeace asked the court on Thursday to strike down Resolute's claim of intentional interference. 
Lawyer Jordan Goldblatt argued that Resolute had not shown the court that the company suffered financial losses related to the environmental group's interactions with its customers.But the lawyer for Resolute said the company is unable to make those connections until it has full disclosure from Greenpeace about its tactics.

Kruger/CEP Sign New Labor Pact

http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2013-08-17/article-3354148/Woodland-workers-ratify-new-labour-contract-with-Corner-Brook-Pulp-and-Paper/1

The union representing loggers and silviculture workers employed by Corner Brook Pulp and Paper have reached and ratified a new collective agreement, though by only a slim majority.

The negotiating team representing Local 60N of the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union reached a tentative deal with the paper company July 26. In a subsequent series of ratification meetings held in Gander, Deer Lake and Corner Brook, the roughly 300 members of Local 60N accepted the deal with 56 per cent of the votes cast in agreement.

The three-year deal replaces the former labour contract that had expired at the end of 2008.

National Geographic Society Names President/CEO

http://www.minonline.com/news/22931.html

On Aug. 19, the National Geographic Society board of directors announced the hire of National Public Radio CEO (since Dec. 2011) Gary Knell as president/CEO. When he starts at NGS in November, Knell will be assuming the CEO duties of John Fahey, who continues in his 16th year as chairman.
The NGS presidency had been vacant since Tim Kelly left last December. 

Store Circulars Remain Essential

http://printinthemix.com/Fastfacts/Show/765

According to data analysis from CPG solutions and services provider Information Resources, Inc.’s (IRI) Q2 2013 MarketPulse survey, print sources remain an important part of the American consumer's grocery shopping planning and purchasing experience.
To compare prices prior to the trip to the store, two-thirds (65%) of survey respondents rely on retailers’ weekly grocery circulars to compare prices prior versus 26% who compare prices using retailer websites.
Coupons, retailers’ weekly grocery circulars received in the home, loyalty cards, and in-store circulars are the marketing tactics that most influence the grocery shopping purchasing decisions. 

“You really can’t advertise early enough or often enough,” says Susan Viamari, editor of Times & Trends, “The key to winning with consumers is to not only begin the conversation before they enter the store, but also to continue the discussion up to and even after the moment of purchase. So, use those traditional tools, such as signs and circulars, but enhance them with new approaches, such as highly targeted loyalty programs, sampling kiosks, etc."

JC Penney Regroups -- Again

http://adage.com/article/news/jc-penney-boosts-marketing-investment-promotions/243737/

prioritize promotions to try to end its losing streak.
The company said it increased marketing expenses in the second quarter in an effort to attract customers who fled stores in droves over the past year. JC Penny said it plans to boost investments in the second half, but did not provide specifics.
CEO Mike Ullman said that because 90% of most department stores' messaging is promotional, it's crucial for the retailer to compete head-to-head and ensure its message resonates with consumers on a "deep promotional level." He added that JC Penney is underdeveloped in social and digital channels.
"We are … working quickly and forcibly to strengthen our marketing and messaging to restore customer loyalty and excitement," Mr. Ullman said during a conference call with analysts. "This includes positioning JC Penney as a primary destination for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and [maintaining] the same momentum throughout the holidays."

Condé Nast/Amazon Streamline Subscription Process

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/207178/conde-nast-amazon-bow-all-access-magazine-subs.html#axzz2cRrHFK14

Consumers are interacting with digital magazine content across multiple channels -- including smartphones, tablets, and desktops, as well as print -- but they aren’t always able to access this content when and where they want to. To make cross-channel access more convenient, Condé Nast has partnered with Amazon.com to create a new “All Access” subscription model, which offers consumers multiple options to control their subs.In the “All Access” service, consumers can use their Amazon account for “one-click” purchase and renewal of print and digital magazine subs through a number of platforms -- including the Condé Nast Web site, as well as mobile, direct mail and other marketing channels.
They can also access magazine content on a number of devices, including Kindle Fire, iPad, Android tablets and phones.

Q&A: Women's Health Publisher Laura Frerer-Schmidt

http://www.foliomag.com/2013/q-womens-health-publisher-laura-frerer-schmidt#.UhPAm7yYyKw

Rodale's Women's Health was part of the club of magazines that enjoyed a September issue bump. PIB paging for the month is up 29 percent compared to September 2012, and overall the magazine is up 32 percent in ad pages so far this year. Yet the title has been busy expanding internationally as well, with 24 launches since 2007 when it debuted. And the company says Women's Health was up 58 percent in unique visitors in June versus the same period last year.
Here, we speak with publisher Laura Frerer-Schmidt, who's been on the job for two years, about the brand's ad growth, the importance of experiential events and how the "wellthy" demographic is gaining prominence in the brand's positioning strategy.
FOLIO: Take us back two years to when you started. What were the areas that you felt Women's Health needed particular attention?
Laura Frerer-Schmidt: When I first started it was an interesting mix because the brand was coming off a couple of down years from an advertising perspective but circulation was very strong [total circ is now 1.6 million]. So there was something special here, and I knew there was a huge trend going on that was driving that circulation and that's when I found out about the term 'wellthy.'
Wellness is becoming the new cool, it's becoming the new luxury. An automotive brand that's running with us this year that ran almost nothing with us last year is Ford, which has been a sponsor of our Run 10 Feed 10 event and they’re very focused on the wellness trend.
Lots of advertisers, whether they’re beauty or fashion or fitness or auto are recognizing this wellthy trend and they are coming towards brands like Women’s Health. And they’re doing that because the consumers are already there. 

Catalyst Paper Names President & CEO

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/08_19_2013catalyst_paper_joe_nemeth.html

Catalyst Paper announced, today, the appointment of Joe Nemeth as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2013.
Nemeth is an experienced pulp and paper industry executive with some 30 years of background, most recently serving as President and CEO of Canfor Pulp.
Nemeth's leadership achievements include best of peer group financial performance; negotiation and oversight of major business and strategic development initiatives; and continuous improvement in operations, cost and organizational management, Catalyst said.
"Nemeth's knowledge of the marketplace and his experience in the operational side of the pulp and paper process are well-matched with our requirements and will ensure the necessary momentum to keep pace with the very competitive global paper industry," said Catalyst Board Chairman and Interim CEO Leslie T. Lederer.
Nemeth holds an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Forestry from the University of British Columbia. He is a director of Fortress Paper Ltd. Born and raised in coastal British Columbia, Nemeth and his family make their home in the greater Vancouver region.

AF&PA Reports Containerboard Ships

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/08_19_2013afpa_containerboard_report.html

The American Forest & Paper Association released its July 2013 U.S. Containerboard Statistics Report, which said containerboard production increased 4.1 percent over June 2013 and 5.3 percent over the same month last year.

The month-over-month average daily production of containerboard increased 0.7 percent.

The containerboard operating rate for July 2013 dropped 0.4 points from June 2013, from 99 percent to 98.6 percent, AF&PA said.

J.Crew Debuts Fall Catalog on Pinterest

http://mashable.com/2013/08/19/jcrew-fall-catalog-pinterest/

J.Crew's at-home catalog subscribers won't be the first to glimpse the brand's September issue: That honor will fall for the first time to J.Crew's Pinterest followers on Monday morning.
It's a big move for a company that, until a year ago, didn't have a social media department, nor a Pinterest account. In fact, so far as we've aware, J.Crew is the first clothing brand to debut its catalog on the image-based network.
J.Crew isn't the only apparel brand to choose social media over more traditional channels to introduce its lineup this fall: Late last month, Oscar de la Renta premiered its fall campaign via Instagram. And many brands now debut their print and TV campaigns on Facebook and YouTube, respectively.

Impulse Book Buying Up in Physical Stores

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

The long-term trend of consumers buying more books on impulse at bricks-and-mortar stores than at online retailers continued in 2012, according to Bowker’s 2013 U.S. Book Consumer Demographics and Book Buying Behaviors Annual Review. In 2012, 28% of all books purchased in stores were bought on impulse, while 13% of books bought at online retailers were sold on impulse—an increase of one percentage point in both cases over the previous year. Planned purchases accounted for 43% of books bought at online retailers last year, up from 42% in 2011, while planned purchases at physical retailers accounted for 29% of units, up from 27%. In 2012, a third buying option began to gain some traction, as consumers used smartphones and mobile devices to make all sorts of purchases. Mobile book buyers tended to favor planned purchases (37% of units bought via smartphones were planned buys). 

Publishers Weekly

Ex Conde Editorial Chief Muses on Magazines

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

In a long NYT profile, James Truman, who resigned as Conde Nast’s editorial director eight years ago, says he believed that the job would be largely focused on cost-cutting going forward, and that “the problems magazines faced didn’t and don’t have editorial solutions.” He adds: “I think magazines are going to be somewhat like department stores. They’ll stay in business, but you’ll wonder why, since you get everything in them from other places, usually with a better customer experience.”

NY Times

Print Ad Demand Rebounds, Wall Street Ups Outlook

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/207023/amid-print-ad-demand-rebound-wall-street-ups-outl.html#axzz2cRrHFK14

Citing an uptick in print ad page demand, Wall Street analyst Matt Chesler raised his outlook for magazine publishing giant Meredith. The move comes amid other recent positive signals from magazine publishers.

On Friday, for example, Hearst announced its first rate base increase for Town & Country magazine in 10 years -- boosting it 5.5% to 475,000, effective with the January 2014 issue.
“According to MIN data released after Friday’s close, magazine industry print ad pages rose 0.7% for September monthly titles,” Deutsche Bank's Chesler writes in a report sent to investors this morning. “This follows August’s +1.1%, and points to some sense of stabilization in the industry. The year-to-date performance (February through September 2013) is +0.4%, essentially flat, and significantly better than what it was at the same time last year (-4.3%)."
As a group, Chesler noted that Meredith’s print ad pages were up 6% in September, following a 7% gain in August, “with results driven by gains at Rachael Ray +44%, Parents +25%, Ladies Home Journal +17%, FamilyFun +16%, Successful Farming +11%, and American Baby +7%.”
“The commonality is that the strong titles are in food, reflecting Meredith’s scale play in the category, and in parenting,” he explains, “reflecting the recent acquisitions of Bonnier’s Parenting and BabyTalk magazines. Encouragingly, Better Homes & Gardens was +2%, the best result in over a year. A number of titles are still showing declines (Traditional Home -22%, Family Circle -13%, Fitness -5%, More -3%), but the gainers now lead the decliners.”
As a result of these trends, Chesler boosted his first-quarter 2014 ad revenue outlook for Meredith from +1% to +3%.

September Vogue Largest Since 2008

http://www.theguardian.com/media/media-blog/2013/aug/18/conde-nast-vogue-upmarket-magazine

Autumnal tones have replaced summer pastels, and with the dawn of a new fashion season comes the biggest style bible of the year. Thumping in at 430 pages, the September issue of Vogue is the largest since the financial crash of 2008.
More significantly, it carries more advertising than any edition in the past five years, with 272 pages bought by luxury brands including Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Dior. Is this a return to the boom-time at Vogue House?
"You pick up a copy of Vogue and say 'Crisis? What crisis?'" says Douglas McCabe, a publishing expert at Enders Analysis. "It is absolutely fat with advertising. But I don't think every competitor would be feeling quite as bullish and optimistic as they are."
Vogue is enjoying its most profitable year ever, according to publisher Condé Nast, as the high-end fashion title prepares for its centenary celebrations in 2016. Advertising is up 6% compared to last year and spin-off events, like the Vogue festival and new courses at Condé Nast's school of style, have helped boost company coffers. "Brand Vogue has never been more powerful or profitable, or enjoyed a wider reach, than today," says Nicholas Coleridge, president of Condé Nast International and managing director of the British division.

Postal Service Applies Old Promise to New Priority

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/19/business/media/postal-service-applies-old-promise-to-new-priority.html?src=rechp&_r=0

THE Postal Service is identified with a promise that neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night would stay its couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. But the Internet? Don’t ask.
Although ways to communicate online have made untold billions of pieces of first-class mail vanish, costing the Postal Service untold billions of dollars in revenue, there is a silver lining: strong growth in delivering packages that consumers order through e-commerce. Reflecting that, the Postal Service has been devoting more attention to its delivery services, including changes announced last week in Priority Mail that were described as major upgrades. So it is no surprise that the first round of advertising for the Postal Service from its new creative agency, McCann Erickson Worldwide, is being devoted to Priority Mail. The campaign, which will include commercials, print and online ads, direct marketing and a presence in social media, seeks to elevate itself beyond peddling products by introducing a theme, “Priority: you,” that evokes the unofficial Postal Service “Neither ... nor” creed. The initial commercial, scheduled to begin on Monday, even shows postal employees making deliveries in, yes, snow and rain. “Staying warm and dry has never been our priority,” an announcer declares. Scenes of deliveries in rural areas are accompanied by the announcer’s assertion that “catering to the conveniently located has never been our priority.”

AF&PA Reports Kraft Paper Ships

http://www.afandpa.org/

The American Forest & Paper Association released its July 2013 Kraft Paper Report today. Total Kraft paper shipments were 135.5 thousand tons, an increase of 3.1 percent compared to the prior month. Bleached Kraft paper shipments increased year-over-year 11.4 percent, but the 4.8 percent year-over-year decline in unbleached Kraft paper shipments was enough to bring overall Kraft paper shipments down 2.7 percent year-over-year. Total month-end inventory increased 2.5 percent to 73 thousand tons this month compared to June 2013 month-end inventories.