Burgo Names Board, CEO

http://www.burgo.com/en

The Annual General Meeting of the Burgo Group has elected a new Board of Directors that will be in office until the approval of 2015 annual report. The Shareholders has confirmed Mr Girolamo Marchi, Mr Giorgio Cefis, Mr Alessandro Bertani and Mr Enrico Benaglio as Board Director. Ms Martina Castegnaro, Chief Controller Officer of Palladio - Zannini Industrie Grafiche SpA, Mr Alberto Marchi, HGM SpA Director, Mr Paolo Mattei, Vice President of the European Association of Graphic Paper Producers, Lorenzo Marzotto and Gianni Vallardi, former Managing Director of Group Il Sole 24ore Newpaper Division, have been elected as directors of Burgo Group for the first time.

Mr Girolamo Marchi, former CEO of the Group, and Mr Giorgio Cefis, former Chairman, has been appointed, respectively, Chairman and Vice - Chairman of Burgo Group while Mr Paolo Mattei, former CEO of Cartiere del Garda and Senior Advisor to the CEO of Lecta Group, will be CEO of the Group. 

Cate Street Pays Katahdin Tax Bill

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/08/22/business/cate-street-pays-1-4-million-tax-bill-but-katahdin-region-problems-remain/

The Katahdin region’s largest single taxpayer paid $1.42 million in property taxes it owed East Millinocket and Millinocket this week, but that money won’t solve the towns’ fundamental problems, officials said Thursday.

Wired to the towns on Wednesday, the money diminishes but won’t end Millinocket’s cash-flow crisis or East Millinocket’s need to further reduce school spending, leaders in both towns say.
Concessions from unions or cuts to public worker retiree benefits or higher taxes eventually might be necessary to keep town governments and schools operational, they said.
But the $363,171 to East Millinocket and $1,066,350 to Millinocket in principal and interest payments in overdue property taxes paid by Cate Street and its subsidiary, the new Great Northern Paper Co., are welcome, leaders said.

Direct Mail Market Trends

http://whattheythink.com/articles/64890-direct-mail-market-trends/

Drivers and Barriers for Adoption of Color Digital

Within the last few years we have seen the introduction of two high-speed inkjet technologies aimed at the direct mail space..

Value of color

As with all new technologies, there are only two reasons to adopt it: it provides additional value or it lowers costs..

Hybrid Production

Both high-speed inkjet presses and high-speed inkjet heads can deliver fully variable color images. Using inkjet heads means the design is limited in size to the width of the head, typically 4.25 wide..

Eliminating Preprinted Forms

High-speed inkjet presses can offer cost savings in addition to full color variable imaging. Nearly all direct mail letters are first printed with an offset shell and then overprinted with black laser..

Postal Savings

High-speed inkjet presses are enabling another cost savings and this one appears to be significant. With one of these presses the direct mailer can run white paper in and the completed job out providing the direct mailer with the option to co-mingle jobs on press. This allows the direct mailer to bypass a cost center (co-mingling) and create substantial savings.

Workflows

Being able to print the output for a direct mail campaign is just part of the challenge..

Ad Spending

Direct mail is just one of many choices for marketers today..

Cross Media

While according the 2012 Channel Preference Study conducted by Epsilon, direct mail is still the most trusted channel, direct mail alone is not sufficient for communicating with customers..

Summary

The digital printing industry has been promoting the value of variable data printing for quite some time now – a good solid ten years. Adoption occurred first with low volume applications. Now, finally, we are seeing the large direct mail suppliers purchasing high speed color inkjet presses and heads and as the remaining barriers to adoption are being knocked down, we are seeing adoption and rapid growth for high volume color digital printing of direct mail.

ACMA Urges Cataloguers to Fight Postal Rate Case

http://www.arandell.com/news/postal-rate/

ACMA has credible inside information from Washington that the USPS Board of Governors may order an 8%-10% exigency postage increase following its September 5th Board meeting. There’s time for the catalog mailing community to beat this back, but not much time. Whether you’re an ACMA member or not, if you don’t step up and get involved fast, this increase could be disastrous.
Sadly, with less than 2% of the catalog industry participating in any industry trade association focused on national postal policy, we simply do not have the resources necessary to execute the most effective opposition to the exigency threat that we can think of.
If 8%-10% of your annual postal spend seems to be an enormous number, for a fraction of this amount, you can greatly reduce the likelihood that an exigent increase will be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission by investing in an ACMA membership or by making a contribution to our postal action fund (more on that below). Even if the PRC grants an exigency request, mailers can still fight this in court. What’s more, Washington is obviously a very political environment. A well-orchestrated public relations campaign can also preempt an unfavorable exigency decision if executed now.

BoSacks: Defending Print the Right Way

http://www.piworld.com/article/bosacks-speaks-out-defending-print-the-right-way/1

Several times this week I have been involved in correspondence and conversations about QR codes and various other forms of augmented reality. The theory continuously presented to me is that print will be saved by the use of augmented reality. It is at that point I stick my feet into the ground, as I think there is nothing much further from the truth on this subject than this thought process. 

Here is my reason why although it is a good tool, it isn't something that you could or would use on every page, or for any extended period in a printed magazine. When we are offered a QR code or other AR launch system in a magazine that takes us to the Web, we are then forced to balance two separate devices. The Web product/cell phone/tablet in one hand and a magazine in the other hand, or on your lap, or perhaps on the desk, making neither a comfortable long-term reading experience. Continually sending people from the printed magazine page to an electronic device defeats the purpose of having a good print product and the concurrent rewarding lean back experience that we are all so proud of as an industry. As the old expression goes, putting lipstick on a pig only wastes your time and annoys the pig. Although AR indeed has its valuable moments and its usefulness, AR is a distraction to the nature of our printed products. In this case it is trying to fake the electrification of the printed page. If I wanted to get online, I would have done so. If I chose to read a magazine, why send me somewhere online? Does that make sense to you?

Fight the ‘Dead Tree Media’ Myth

http://inlandpress.org/articles/2013/08/23/knowledge/current_stories/doc5153313351cfd437632202.txt

The public doesn’t want to make hard choices, and they don’t want their oxen gored. They certainly don’t wish to be disabused of any cherished mistaken notions. For this reason, the environmental advantages of print on paper as a medium of information exchange are seldom addressed. A pity it is, for rarely has a subject been so mired in misconception.
This means it is up to you and me to enlighten the public. Consider the following facts, which we all know to be true but are lost on the public at large:
Paper is carbon locking, meaning that paper retains carbon dioxide, just as if it were still a tree.
The paper industry plants more trees than it harvests. Without paper, there would be fewer trees.
No virgin forests are used for papermaking. 
Only one-third of paper is made from cutting trees. Another third is made from sawmill waste and another third from recycled paper. 
Newspapers in particular have been on the forefront of the recycling movement. Newspapers may very well be the greenest medium of all.
The manufacture and use of computers, e-readers and mobile devices is damaging to the environment. Ditto for the Internet and cloud computing, which rely upon vast arrays of power-gulping servers.

 

Digital Platforms Hot, Print Works

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/opinion/digital-platforms-may-be-hot-but-print-works/story-e6frg9tf-1226703701817

I HAVE been charting the course of the print industry in this space for more than a dozen years now. It has been an uneasy, often depressing journey for an old newspaper hand who remembers fondly the glory days of The Way We Were.
Of course, we will never return to those times when circulations grew and "rivers of gold" filled the corporate coffers. But there are growing indications the worst of the decline might be behind us. The time is now right for a reappraisal of print and newspapers in particular.
New research, here and in the US, comparing consumer use of digital platforms - whether they be desktops, laptops, tablets or smartphones - with printed editions of newspapers shows a previously obscure factor: the level of engagement between readers and their source of information.

Skateboader Magazine Shuttered

http://www.pubexec.com/aggregatedcontent/skateboarder-magazine-cease-publication

Skateboarder Magazine announced Tuesday that it will cease publication later this year after nearly 50 years of operations. The move follows the merger of GrindMedia and TransWorld, which was announced in May. "Skateboarder Magazine will discontinue regular frequency publishing on print and digital platforms effective Oct. 15, 2013," GrindMedia said in a statement. "This week, Skateboarder will release its third digital edition and companion limited edition print version, which will be its final edition."

Domtar & PrintEco’s Partnership-Lessons Learned

http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/collaboration/opposites-attract-five-branding-lessons-printeco-learned-our-partnershi?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=schtweets&utm_campaign=editorial

Domtar Corporation is one of the largest and most innovative paper companies in the world. Our company, PrintEco, is a two-year-old software startup with a mission to help save paper and ink and protect the environment. So when we announced our partnership with Domtar at SB ’13 in June, a lot of our friends were like, “Congratulations! Wait ... a paper company?” Admittedly, we’re a bit of an odd couple — but working with Domtar has taught us a lot about branding and about sustainable business in general. Here’s what we’ve learned:  Domtar brands itself “The sustainable paper company.” Sounds nice, but isn’t that an oxymoron? Turns out,  not in Domtar’s case. The company commits more resources to sustainability initiatives than you can imagine, including: Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) certification at 100% of its facilities, over a decade of collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, Contribution of over $1 million to World Wildlife Fund’s global conservation work over the past three years, donation of a year’s supply of Domtar EarthChoice® Office Paper to Recyclebank’s Green Schools Program. These programs provide a solid operational backbone for Domtar’s sustainability messaging and give the brand team plenty of specific achievements to share with its audience. Between environmental issues and advances in paperless technology, the future of the pulp and paper industry is fraught with uncertainty. If people stop printing they won’t need PrintEco software, so the future of paper is important to us, and a topic that we were glad to borrow Domtar’s expertise in considering. Such a dynamic industry environment creates an opportunity for brands such as Domtar to be proactive in guiding the evolution of their industry, rather than being reactive. Domtar launched its Paper Because campaign to educate people about the responsible use of paper. The campaign website tells you, “Paper has value. It’s sustainable, personal and purposeful — and the more we know about it, the more we can understand how to make smart choices about when and how to use it.” Sound like some cheesy marketing fluff? That’s what I thought, until I read some of the articles and actually learned a lot about paper — while taking intermittent breaks to laugh at some of their hilarious paper videos. ‘Ok,’ I thought, ‘responsible paper use. I’m onboard.’ But I’m willing to say that the decision by Domtar leadership to partner with PrintEco is a game-changer. People who use PrintEco software will buy less paper, and that’s the bottom line. To me, the partnership is Domtar’s way of saying, ‘We’re committed to sustainability, and we’re willing to stake today’s profits on it for the sake of tomorrow’s customers and our brand.’

Sartell Mill Demolition Is Approved

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20130822/NEWS01/308220034/Sartell-council-OKs-first-permit-needed-Verso-demolition

The process to erase a mainstay from the Central Minnesota skyline could start as soon as next week. The Sartell City Council unanimously approved Thursday an interim use permit to demolish the former Verso Paper mill, which is now owned by AIM Development. Council member Steve Hennes was not at the meeting. The work is expected to start this month and take 15 months to complete. A portion of the mill was destroyed in an explosion and fire last year. Its former owner decided to cease operations and sold the property. The company will demolish buildings, vertical concrete structures and metal. The company says that more than 530,000 square feet of buildings and 104,000 of tanks and other items will be removed. Up to 95 percent of the materials will be recycled, according to the company. The only buildings that will remain are the office building, hydroelectric operations and a warehouse. On Thursday the council also approved a development agreement and structurally substandard buildings resolution. Those have to be put in place in case a tax-increment financing district is created for the site.

Winstone Pulp Price Increase

http://www.wpi-international.co.nz/

New Zealand’s Winstone Pulp International  has announced a US$20/ton price increase for Asia, effective Sept. 1, 2013 in softwood bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP). Winstone produces more than 160,000 tons/year of BCTMP.

Rodale Partners On New Waldorf Astoria Magazine

http://www.telegraphindia.com/external/display.jsp?mode=details&id=36304

Created for the luxury traveler, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of individual magazines available both in-room and online, each with a distinct voice and point of view offering inspiring design, arts, culinary, style and travel content from preeminent lifestyle writers. “These exciting new magazines not only extend our voice in the luxury space, but also allow us to provide relevant lifestyle content through the unique lens of our Waldorf Astoria and Conrad brands,” says John T.A. Vanderslice, global head, luxury and lifestyle brands, Hilton Worldwide. “The debut of these beautifully curated magazines reinforces the exceptional experiences awaiting each guest when they arrive at one of our nearly 50 luxury properties around the world.”  Published biannually in partnership with publishing house, Rodale, print copies of the magazines are available in-room at all Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels and resorts globally. Digital versions, featuring videos and exclusive bonus content, are available free for download via Flipboard and iTunes (for iPad) or the Google Play Store (for Android), and at www.waldorfastoria.com/magazine or www.conradhotels.com/magazine.

Mags, News, Brace For Postal Increase

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/magazines-newspapers-brace-exigent-postal-rate-hike-152010

Magazines, newspapers and direct marketers are girding for the possibility that the U.S. Postal Service will pass an exigent rate increase on top of the annual postal rate that is capped by the consumer price index. The increase, made possible by a 2006 law that gives the postal service the option to raise rates in case of extreme circumstances like a terrorist attack, could be as high as 10 percent across the board. It couldn't come at a worse time for the media and marketing industries that depend on mail service. "We're finally getting our footing back since the 2009 recession," said Mary Berner, president and CEO of the MPA, the Association for Magazine Media. Magazines, for example, spend $3 billion annually on postage. A 10 percent increase would add $300 million to an industry that is already challenged. Some magazines could go out of business, Berner warned. Others could cut back on mail delivery and redouble digital efforts. But lobbyists are running out of time to convince the post office not to jack up the rates. The Postal Board of Governors is scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Sept. 5. Given that the U.S. Post Office is bleeding billions of dollars each year, lobbyists fear a rate increase seems almost inevitable. To fight the increase, the mailing industry brought back together the Affordable Mail Alliance, a coalition of more than 50 organizations, including the MPA, the Direct Marketing Association and the National Newspaper Association. Three years ago, the group fought against the first exigent rate increase and won, challenging it in court in a case that now lies dormant. In a letter this week to the Postal Board of Governors, the group argued that a rate increase would be self-defeating and could lessen the pressure on Congress to enact much-needed postal reform. The group also asked the Board of Governors for a personal meeting. "Right now, the [postal service] can't rationalize their business. We're supportive of five-day delivery, consolidation of facilities, and reduction in the cost of benefits," said Berner. "This exigent increase is a distraction and it won't help the postal system. We need to focus on legislation that gives the postal service the tools they need." If the board of governors passes the increase (and all expectations are that they will), the Postal Regulatory Commission will have 90 days to pass it. And if that happens, the mailing industry will be forced to litigate, again. "That diverts time and resources away from coming up with a long-term solution," Berner said.

Exigent Postal Rate Increase Is Feared Near

http://www.dmnews.com/exigent-postal-rate-increase-is-feared-near/article/308510/?DCMP=EMC-DMN_iMktingNewsDaily&spMailingID=6806883&spUserID=NDQyNTYxNTgxNjIS1&spJobID=84930908&spReportId=ODQ5MzA5MDgS1

Exigent rate increase—three words that strike fear into the hearts of direct mailers. It's an increase that comes above and beyond the regular, annual rate adjustment, which is capped by the Consumer Price Index. If passed, it could be a game-changer for marketers who depend on direct mail. Well, start trembling, mailers. The Affordable Mail Alliance claims to have information that the Postal Board of Governors will be considering such an increase in September. The Alliance, formed by concerned associations including the Direct Marketing Association and the American Catalog Mailers Association, sent a letter yesterday to Postal Board Chairman Mickey D. Burnett warning of dire consequences to an exigent increase. “The mailing industry, and its suppliers, responsible for $1.3 trillion in sales annually, and nearly 8 million private sector jobs,” the letter read, “are unanimous in our great concern that, notwithstanding the Postal Service's ongoing financial predicament, an ‘exigent' increase would cause severely adverse, and likely irrevocable, consequences for mail volume and revenue." With Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe insisting that reform be enacted immediately to save the Postal Service from financial disaster, the threat of an exigent rate increase worries direct mailers.

Troy Young Restructures Hearst Digital Division

http://observer.com/2013/08/troy-young-restructures-hearst-digital-division/

Hearst is restructuring its digital department. Although specific details remain unclear, the new strategy calls for a “newsier presence” and building “stronger relationships” between Hearst properties. Earlier this week, Hearst let two top editors go and then promptly touted new digital hires. The reorganization comes not long after Troy Young, who came to Hearst from Say Media, was appointed to the newly created position of president of digital media at the company.  “We’re focusing on editorial, design, and media platforms to create stronger relationships between our properties and their communities, and building a stronger, newsier presence, which means making choices and creating new opportunities,” Mr. Young said in an email to The Observer. “We’re continuing to hire for roles that will move our strategy forward, and you’ll see our site experiences evolve quickly.”  “Digital is a huge area of growth and investment for us, and we’re having our most profitable year ever,” Mr. Young said. In an email announcing its digital hires, Hearst touted big traffic gains for both women’s titles. “In July, Cosmopolitan.com reached 12.2 million unique visitors, its best month ever. ELLE.com reached 3.4 million unique visitors, up 26% versus last year,” the email read.

Gap Looks For Up Year

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/gap_looks_for_up_year_CAMoW63W7WIRYGzmcGR1BP

Gap raised its earnings-per-share outlook for the year yesterday after its summer lineup helped boost second-quarter results and advanced its turnaround push. The higher guidance was short of Wall Street expectations, but the company also hiked its annual dividend by 20 cents, or 33 percent, to 80 cents per share. Its shares rose 1 percent to $42.43 in aftermarket trading. Over the past year, the stock is up 21 percent. Gap owns Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta and Intermix stores, in addition to its namesake chain. Gap’s more upbeat outlook represents a bright spot in the broader industry. Major retailers including Walmart, Target and Macy’s have lowered their expectations for the rest of the year, citing the uncertain economy.

Koch Industries Not Buying Tribune Newspapers

http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/22/sources-koch-industries-not-buying-la-times-chicago-tribune/

Koch Industries will not be buying the Tribune Company’s eight newspapers, which include the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times, The Daily Caller has learned. Sources with knowledge of the business proceedings told The Daily Caller that Koch Industries, after conducting its due diligence, has not been interested in buying the newspapers for “a couple months.” The company determined that purchasing the newspapers was “not economically viable” and that both parties walked away from the negotiations, they said.

Zinio App Offers 3 Mags $5/Month

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/saltzman/2013/08/22/zinio-magazine-app/2684811/

Magazine junkies on a budget, you might just flip over this. The Zinio app – which lets you read more than 5,500 digital magazines on any platform – is now offering a subscription model that costs $5/month for any three of your favorite magazines. Not bad, considering many of the magazines cost $4.99 for a single issue, such as T3, Car and Driver, PC Gamer, Rolling Stone, Esquire and National Geographic. Some magazines cost less -- such as $3.99 per issue for Cosmo, Us Weekly, Wine Access and TV Guide -- but $5 a month for three magazines is still a deal. Called "Z-pass," you can select which three magazines you want and change them up each month, if desired. You don't need to commit for a certain amount of time to get the deal, and the first month is free. You can access your Zinio magazines on virtually all smartphones, tablets and computers (we reviewed the app on an iPad mini). Magazines are downloaded to read offline, so you're fine if there's no Internet connection when you want to read (such as on an airplane). 

AF&PA Reports P & W Shipments

http://www.paperage.com/2013news/08_21_2013afpa_printing_writing_report.html

The American Forest & Paper Association  has released its July 2013 Printing-Writing Paper Report. According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments were within 1 percent of the comparable shipments of July 2012, with total inventory levels increasing 3 percent from June.

June coated free sheet (CFS) papers shipments of 322,600 tons brought the year-to-date CFS shipments essentially flat compared to 2012. U.S. imports of CFS papers increased 21 percent year-over-year in June. Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments increased 2 percent year-over-year in July. For the year, shipments are down 3 percent in 2013. Imports of UFS were flat compared to June 2012, with exports of UFS up 10 percent. July uncoated mechanical (UM) paper shipments decreased 3 percent when compared to July 2012, with year-over-year imports through June up 6 percent. UM exports are up 11 percent in 2013 compared to the first six months of 2012. Coated mechanical (CM) shipments in July decreased 6 percent, the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year decreases. Shipments of CM are down 12 percent for the year, with imports down 3 percent year-over-year in June.

The complete report with detailed tables, charts, and historical data can be purchased by contacting Caroline Nealon at Statistics_Publications@afandpa.org or 202-463-2448.

Metsä Fibre Announces Price Increases

https://newsclient.omxgroup.com/cdsPublic/viewDisclosure.action?disclosureId=569924&lang=en

Metsä Fibre increases the price of Botnia Nordic Pine (Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft) in Europe, effective 1 September 2013. The new price is USD 880 per tonne, CIF Metsä Fibre’s frequently used European ports of destination.

https://newsclient.omxgroup.com/cdsPublic/viewDisclosure.action?disclosureId=569926&lang=en

Metsä Fibre increases prices of Botnia Nordic Pine and Botnia Nordic Strong (Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft pulps) in China, effective 1 September 2013. The new price of Botnia Nordic Pine is USD 710 per tonne and Botnia Nordic Strong USD 720 per tonne.

G-P/Buckeye Merger Could Cost Memphis Jobs

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2013/08/21/buckeye-merger-could-cost-memphis-jobs.html?ana=e_memp_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2013-08-22&u=229OG2V2o/XXs5VwySVeYw0d0dcf7d&t=1377177623

Assuming the Federal Trade Commission approves the merger of Memphis-based Buckeye Technologies Inc. with Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific LLC, the company could see an infusion of capital on its manufacturing side. The future of certain employees may not be as bright.

On Aug. 15, more than 84 percent of Buckeye’s shareholders voted in favor of the deal, which was valued at about $1.5 billion, and will pay shareholders around $37.50 per share. The original deal was announced as a potential acquisition in April, but changed to a merger in late June.

Even though the vote was favorable, Georgia-Pacific still has to wait on the FTC to review it through the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

David Braun, CEO of Capstone Strategic, an industry analyst, said the deal probably will be finalized, but Georgia-Pacific will most likely have to divest some existing facilities, similar to what Memphis-based International Paper Co. did when it finalized its acquisition of Temple-Inland in early 2012.

“(The federal government) will want to make sure they’ve got local competition in some of those areas to keep everything honest in terms of supply and local manufacturing,” Braun said.

The review process could be done in the next 60 days, but there’s no set timetable.

When, and if, the merger is finalized, Georgia-Pacific will have a foothold in the specialty fibers industry. And the company’s history is to invest and improve its manufacturing operations. However, as the integration of Buckeye into Georgia-Pacific begins, there will inevitably be some elimination of office positions. When it released its fiscal fourth quarter and 2013 earnings last week before the vote, Buckeye reported a 4 percent decline in sales for the fourth quarter and a 17 percent decline in income to $92 million. “The corporate folks have a right to be nervous,” Braun said. “The financials for Buckeye haven’t been good for the last few years. Who is the best owner? A parent company like Georgia-Pacific is favorable.”

Media Growth Up

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/207323/media-growth-up-cable-leads-drive.html#axzz2chce16yB

Total media growth is now up nearly 10% through the first six months of the year in terms of advertising revenue -- and up 2% in July -- with national cable TV still commanding the highest share and healthy gains. The Standard Media Index, which culls data from media agencies amounting to an estimated 60% of total agency spend, says national cable networks grew 5% in ad revenues versus the same time period of a year ago. For the first half of the year, spot TV is 2% higher (an 8.1% share), syndicated TV is flat (a 2.2% share), and local cable 9% is higher (a 1.9% share). Overall, all of U.S. TV is 4% higher in ad revenues, with a 60.1% for the first half of 2013. SMI also says that overall media spending in July was up 2%. Digital media continues to drive upward -- adding 13% in July and 23% for the first six months of the year. It commands a 24% share of media -- second only to national TV cable networks, which have a 25.8% share. Broadcast TV has a 21.3% share -- in third place overall from January to July 2013. Other media show continued strong results for the first six months of the year: magazine revenues grew 15% (a 5.5% share); Radio was 7% improved (a 4.8% share); out-of-home was 12% higher (a 3.8% share); and newspapers grew 15% (a 1.5% share).

MagNet Releases Newsstand Stats

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=2288c68d-33ea-4710-84c3-030e162c7d1d&c=56934470-dfb6-11e2-baf7-d4ae52754950&ch=56987490-dfb6-11e2-baf7-d4ae52754950

After a devastating newsstand sales environment during the first quarter, 2013, second quarter numbers were improved, but were still down compared to the same period in 2012. Second quarter sales were helped by the fact that there were over six hundred more releases in the second quarter 2013, compared to second quarter, 2012. While the AAM  estimated first half sales down 10.6% in dollars, MagNet's numbers, which include sales of all titles sold at retail, including the over 300 titles tracked by the AAM, has dollar sales down in the US by 9.25%, and by 9.4% in the US and Canada combined. Our numbers include book-a-zine titles, which continue to perform well, and aren't tracked by the AAM. Several other titles performed well in the first half 2013, including Sport's Illustrated, HGTV, Woman's Day, Shape and Vogue. Many gun titles performed well also, as reflected in the Outdoors subject category sales jump of 13.7% compared to 2012.

US/Japan Show Growth In Q2 Printer Shipments

http://www.piworld.com/article/us-japan-show-growth-in-large-format-printer-shipments-in-q2-2013/1

According to the latest results from the International Data Corp. (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker, the market showed a year-over-year decline of -4.2 percent, with nearly 73,000 units shipped in the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13). Shipment value also experienced a year-over-year decline of -3.2 percent to $781 million. However, for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2010, two of the four largest large-format printer (LFP) markets posted year-over-year growth in this period. The United States and Japan posted 5.0 percent and 4.2 percent growth in unit shipments in 2Q13. "While the worldwide LFP market is mature, we do see pockets of growth opportunity that can be very lucrative in the eco-solvent based printers segment," said Phuong Hang, program manager, Worldwide Large Format Printer Tracker. "We expect vendors to introduce new products soon to target these emerging markets."

U.S. Digital Ad Spending Forecast Upward

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130821/ADVERTISING13/308219993/emarketer-revises-u-s-digital-ad-spending-forecast-upward

U.S. digital ad spending will reach $42.26 billion this year, up 14.9% over last year's spending, according to a new forecast from eMarketer Inc. The projection is up slightly from a June forecast of $41.94 billion. eMarketer made the adjustment largely due to a revision in its mobile ad spending forecast, which is now set at $8.51 billion for the year, up from a June projection of $7.65 billion.

This year, 22.1% of all U.S. digital search spending will be on mobile devices, according to eMarketer. By 2017, U.S. advertisers will spend 59.6% of all digital search dollars on mobile, it projected.

Source Interlink Deleverages' Business

http://www.audiencedevelopment.com/2013/source+interlink+significantly+deleverages+business#.UhURXryG4oY?utm_source=MV_Audience+Development&utm_medium=email&utm_content=HTMLLinkID%3a+18&utm_campaign=Source+Interlink+%e2%80%9cSignificantly+Deleverages%e2%80%9d+Business...Summit+Business+Media+Reorganizes%2c+Changes+Name...The+Circulator+%7c+08.21.13

Source Interlink has reached an agreement with investor GoldenTree Asset Management to recapitalize the company. The deal "significantly deleverages" each of the company's core business units, Source Interlink Media and Source Interlink Distribution, while increasing GoldenTree's stake in the group. "The tremendously improved capital structure will provide both Source Interlink Media and Source Interlink Distribution with the ability to maximize transformational opportunities across their respective industries," says Michael Sullivan, president and CEO of Source Interlink, in a statement. "This transaction will put both businesses in better positions to strengthen strategic partnerships and make investments to enhance their position in their respective industries." "This is a very typical move that most media companies that were acquired by private equity firms in the past 5-7 years are making," says Reed Phillips, CEO and managing partner of investment firm DeSilva + Phillips, in an email to Audience Development. "Most of these buyouts were overleveraged and can no longer support the level of debt that was originally put on the businesses, and are thus being restructured. That simply means that debtholders take equity in exchange for reducing the debt load on the company and the equity holders see their positions shrink to the point where many are no longer in control of the business. The net result is that this is very good news for the company because they can start to run their businesses without the constraints they had when the company was overleveraged."

Chris McLoughlin Moves Over To Rolling Stone

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/wenner-media-mens-journal-rolling-stone-chris-mcloughlin_b92561

It was just last month that we were writing about the strategic alliance between Wenner Media’s Fitness and Men’s Journal. And how that deal quickly came together through the efforts of respective publishers Eric Schwarzkopf and Chris McLoughlin. This week, McLoughlin is on to bigger and better Wenner things. A year and a half after being appointed publisher of Men’s Journal, the magazine industry vet is moving over to Rolling Stone in the same capacity. From this afternoon’s announcement: “We’re thrilled to see Chris apply the strategic thinking he displayed at Men’s Journal as he assumes his new role at Rolling Stone,” said Jann Wenner, chairman of Wenner Media. “Chris’s sales and marketing expertise will further redefine and expand the Rolling Stone brand as we increasingly engage and grow our audiences in both the print and digital space.” McLoughlin arrives at RS on the heels of a devastating piece by Matt Taibbi about the looming, disastrous potential bursting of the American student loan bubble. Prior to joining Wenner Media, McLoughlin was most recently associate publisher of Redbook and executive director of golfdigest.com

J. Crew Pinterest Debut For Fall Cat

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/15069.aspx

The first look at J. Crew’s fall catalog isn’t reserved for the glossy pages of a traditional mailer anymore. This year, the fashion retailer is getting hip to glossy (and matte) displays of another sort: any device with access to Pinterest.  On Monday, J. Crew unveiled its fall catalog board on Pinterest, giving loyal followers an early glimpse at the collection and the opportunity to preorder new styles. The effort is a social media marketing first for any fashion brand on the virtual pinboard site.  It’s a fresh move for J. Crew, which just last year didn’t have even a smidge of social media presence. The board features all the women’s looks for fall. No mere coincidence there: The overwhelming majority of Pinterest’s 70 million users are women. We’ve seen Nordstrom integrate the social scrapbooking site in a novel way, but this is the first time a brand has debuted a full catalog on Pinterest.  As fashion magazines release their biggest September print issues to date, J. Crew’s Pinterest strategy leads the retailer’s oncoming digital marketing sprint, which includes a Style Guide campaign on Instagram, as well as a new online video series.

Skateboarder Mag to Cease Publication

http://www.pubexec.com/aggregatedcontent/skateboarder-magazine-cease-publication

Skateboarder Magazine killed most of its print circulation to try a digital-first approach in May, but the experiment was short-lived. The 49-year-old title, operated by Source Interlink Media's enthusiast GrindMedia division, is ceasing regular publication after the release of its current issue. All platforms will be shut down by October 15. Norb Garrett, senior vice president and group publisher at GrindMedia, explained the rationale for the decision in a video on the brand's website. Garrett blames the skateboarding market rather than the performance of the digital magazine itself.

Despite the challenges posed by the industry however, GrindMedia will continue to publish TransWorld Skateboarding. Garrett hinted at the possibility of special collaborative projects between the two titles in the future. It's the third time Skateboarder Magazine has shut down—once in late 1960s before coming back in 1975, and then again in the 1980s before returning in 1999.

Cenveo In Agreement to Purchase National Envelope

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130821-910452.html

Cenveo, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the operating assets of National Envelope In conjunction with Cenveo's agreement, Hilco Receivables has agreed to acquire substantially all the accounts receivable and Southern Paper has agreed to purchase the inventory of the Company. Cenveo's purchase price is expected to consist of approximately $20 million of cash and $5 million of Cenveo common stock. The closing is subject to Bankruptcy Court approval and customary closing conditions. Cenveo expects that the acquisition of National will deliver approximately $300 million in incremental annual sales and $30 million of incremental EBITDA when the integration of the two companies is complete. Cenveo expects the acquisition will better position it for continued revenue growth through an enhanced portfolio of products and services, increased geographic presence, and improved financial stability. Cenveo also expects to benefit from overhead cost actions and facility consolidations, as well as implementing and investing in manufacturing efficiencies and best practices. The transaction is expected to enhance Cenveo's credit profile and be accretive to earnings and cash flow per share. National Envelope filed Chapter 11 on June 10, 2013 in order to facilitate a sale. Pursuant to the definitive agreements with Cenveo and its partners, the Company will request the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to authorize the Company to proceed with the sale on September 13, 2013. National and Cenveo assure its customers that a smooth integration is expected and that orders will continue to be produced and shipped in the normal course of business.

Ratios Show Printing Ind Profits Increasing

http://www.printing.org/news/11519

North American printers are learning to improve their profitability even as top-line challenges in sales remain. Printers participating in this years’ Ratios Survey attained average profit rates of 2.7 percent on sales—up from 1.8 percent last year. This is the highest level in the past six years, but it is still not back to the pre-recession level of 3.1 percent in 2008. Profit leaders—printers in the top 25 percent of profitability—saw profits increase slightly to 9.9 percent compared to 9.6 percent last year. This rate of profit brings profit leaders to their highest level since before the recession in 2007. According to our 2013 survey results, materials accounted for the largest single cost category for the typical printer—approximately 36 percent of sales. Total materials expenses increased slightly in 2013 from their previous level of 35.5 percent in 2012. Paper alone consumed more than one-in-five sales dollars last year. Other major costs incurred by printers last year included factory payroll (24.6 percent of sales) down from 24.8 percent in 2012, factory expenses (16.9 percent of sales) down from 17.6 percent in 2012, and administrative and selling expenses (19.3 percent of sales) down from 19.6 percent in 2012. Sales per employee for all printers stood at $155,348. Profit leaders’ sales per employee were significantly higher at $171,153.

J.C. Penney's 'Turnaround'

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12015382/1/jc-penneys-turnaround.html

Dismal second-quarter results don't suggest the company is on the mend. However, is the department store chain really doomed? Retail and turnaround experts make the case for J.C. Penney's comeback.

"The company still has brand equity among its core consumer, "says Michael Appel, president of Appel Associates, a turnaround and performance improvement consulting firm. "  Appel believes that although J.C. Penney has tough competition, there's nothing to suggest the company can't right itself. "In the moderate price point there's so much competition," Appel said. "That doesn't mean with the right management and the right strategy and positioning and right product they can't do it."

J.C. Penney reported a worse-than-expected net loss of $586 million, or $2.66 a share, chock full of extraordinary charges pulling the number down. Net sales slumped 12% year-over-year, and gross margin fell to 29.6% in the quarter. The company plans to end the year with $1.5 billion of cash.

CEO Myron 'Mike' Ullman noted on the company's earnings call that the reversal of initiatives by its former chief executive Ron Johnson will take time - and money. Essentially reversing initiatives to reinstate things like sales and promotions instead of the everyday pricing, clearly identifiable staff and checkout stations as well as a newly launched home section that already was not resonating well with customers and needs modification all requires investment.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/207340/admitting-mistakes-in-retail-ackman-remains-feist.html#axzz2chce16yB

Admitting Mistakes In Retail, Ackman Remains Feisty

With his billion-dollar bets on J.C. Penney and Herbalife situated far south of where he expected them to be, it has been increasingly clear that Pershing Square Capital Management honcho William Ackman would have “some splainin to do,” as Ricky used to say to Lucy. Yesterday he did so in a 23-page letter to his shareholders replete with disclaimer and notes. “Clearly, retail has not been our strong suit, and this is duly noted,” he said, referring not only to Penney, from whose board of directors he “voluntarily” resigned earlier this month after yet-another spat in public with other members over the performance of a sitting CEO, but also to past failures Borders and Target. “He said he may exit Penney, where he owns 39 million shares and is the company’s biggest investor, but would not say when. At Target, he stuck it out for 19 months after losing a bitter and expensive proxy fight, he reminded investors,” reports Reuters’ Svea Herbst-Bayliss.

As for Borders, Pershing “took a $200 million bath,” as the New York Post’s Mark DeCambre puts it, when it went belly-up in 2011. “Borders was a big mistake on the buy,” Ackman told “CNBC producer and Wall Street insider” Maneet Ahuja for the “hedge-fund tome,” The Alpha Masters: Unlocking the Genius of the World’s Top Hedge Funds, DeCambre reports. “Retailing is for retailers. It’s not for hedge fund managers,” Erik Gordon a law and business professor at the University of Michigan, tells Herbst-Bayliss. “Successful retailers have spent their whole lives in the business. Ackman finally figured that out.”

Las Vegas Papers Go To Court To Prevent Monopoly

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/207306/las-vegas-sun-sues-joa-partner-las-vegas-review.html#axzz2chce16yB

Another newspaper joint operating agreement is coming under pressure in Las Vegas, where one partner in the JOA -- the Las Vegas Review-Journal -- wants to dissolve the JOA and then stop printing and sharing advertising revenue with the other partner, the Las Vegas Sun. The Sun’s publisher and editor, Brian Greenspun, is suing Review-Journal owner Stephens Media to stop the dissolution of the JOA, according to the Sun.  As in other cities, the JOA was agreed by the newspapers at the behest of the U.S. Department of Justice, with the goal of keeping both newspapers viable and thus ensuring continued diversity of reporting and opinion, as well as competition for readers and advertisers in the Las Vegas market. Greenspun is arguing that the dissolution of the JOA would allow Stephens Media to force the Sun out of business, leaving the Review-Journal with a de facto monopoly.  The story becomes more complicated because several of Greenspun’s own siblings, who co-own the Sun, agreed to terminate the JOA in return for receiving ownership of the valuable lasvegas.com URL. Until now, the Greenspun family has been paying Stephens Media $2.5 million a year for the right to use the URL. However, Brian Greenspun contends that his siblings have no right to dissolve JOA, as doing so would violate federal antitrust laws.

Mag+ and Appboy Partner

http://www.foliomag.com/2013/mag-and-appboy-partner-offer-publishers-expanded-mobile-platform#.UhYZ8xushcZ

Mag+ announced its partnership with Appboy Wednesday, bringing a new management platform to the company’s various digital publishers looking to deepen reader relationships on mobile.

Mag+, a publishing platform for creating content optimized for mobile, counts magazines like The Atlantic and New York Magazine and international corporations among its customers. These publishers will now have access to Appboy’s mobile relationship management (MRM) platform to build their businesses through mobile.  “Monetization and engagement are the biggest challenges of digital publishing today,” contends Mike Haney, Mag+ co-founder and chief creative officer, in a statement. “Appboy helps companies by offering deep insights about their readers and targeted communications to segments of those readers.” In a rapidly evolving mobile ecosystem, the partnership between the two companies will help Mag+’s nearly 1,500 apps build a long-term, sustainable mobile business, contends Mark Ghermezian, CEO of Appboy.  “By bringing sophisticated marketing tools to mobile, the platform empowers digital publishers to derive more value from their apps,” says Haney.

Xulon To Offer Free Publishing For Faith Titles

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/religion/article/58754-xulon-to-offer-free-publishing-for-faith-titles.html

Xulon Press, one of the leaders in Christian self-publishing, has announced what it is calling a first-of-its-kind free book publishing program for the faith-based market. Through FreeChristianPublishing.com, writers will be able to prep their manuscripts for print and e-book publication at no charge. Xulon will make its money from the new venture through printing copies to order, and up-selling such other services as marketing and promotion. The website will go live next month, with print-ready PDFs being accepted for automated checking and processing. A do-it-yourself system that will guide writers through formatting their manuscript for production—including access to a selection of free stock covers—will follow later in the year, or early in 2014. “We have been talking about this concept for a while,” said Chad Nykamp, Xulon v-p and general manager. “Xulon has a long life as a high-end, high-service, high-touch publisher, where we serve a certain segment, but there were a lot of authors we just couldn't help because the price was out of their range.” The new service will enable Xulon to break out its existing packages—which range from $1,699 to $4,999—into a la carte options. In addition to printing and distribution, Xulon services include editorial help, press releases, and video trailers. While free formatting options exist in the general market, until now there has not been anything available for the faith-based market. The process “not only provides (authors) the ultimate level of control over their publishing journey, but also dramatically lowers the cost of bringing a book to market,” said Nykamp. Xulon is on track to publish around 3,000 titles this year.