While
Vermont Gas Systems Inc. is now actively seeking the necessary permits and
easements it needs to extend its pipeline south into Vergennes and Middlebury
by next year, the company is also starting to lay the groundwork for the second
phase of its expansion plans: Service to International Paper Co. in
Ticonderoga, N.Y., by 2015, a construction project that will affect several
property owners in Cornwall and Shoreham.
Vermont
Gas officials have already met with the Cornwall selectboard for some
preliminary discussions about the 10.5-mile underground pipeline segment that
would extend from Middlebury through Cornwall and Shoreham, then flow under
Lake Champlain to the International Paper Co. mill in Ticonderoga.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Hearst's President: People Still Reading Magazines
http://allthingsd.com/20130212/hearsts-david-carey-on-how-people-are-still-reading-magazines-really/
Despite what you may have read online, the print magazine business is
actually pretty good.
Or so says Hearst Magazines President David Carey.“A lot of magazines get tarred with a lot of the anxiety around the newspaper business,” Carey said, speaking at our D: Dive Into Media conference. “Magazine brands are powerful things.”
Fashion and beauty advertising hit a new record last year, Carey said, and younger women in particular remain avid magazine enthusiasts. (Younger men are still a challenge, Carey agrees.)
NAA Suit Against PRC Proceeds
NAA Files Brief in Suit against the Postal Regulatory Commission: On behalf of its member newspapers, the Newspaper Association of America filed its initial brief today in its lawsuit against the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding that agency’s August 2012 decision to approve a negotiated service agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and Valassis Direct Mail. The lawsuit is being heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Under the NSA, USPS granted Valassis Direct Mail discounts of 20 percent to 34 percent on new mail pieces containing advertising from national retailers of durable and semi-durable goods. Through these discounts, the U.S. Postal Service—a governmental enterprise—has given one company a price incentive to move advertising inserts out of newspapers delivered to consumers’ homes. Advertising inserts comprise a critical revenue stream that supports the original reporting done by local newspapers in service to their communities.
Under the NSA, USPS granted Valassis Direct Mail discounts of 20 percent to 34 percent on new mail pieces containing advertising from national retailers of durable and semi-durable goods. Through these discounts, the U.S. Postal Service—a governmental enterprise—has given one company a price incentive to move advertising inserts out of newspapers delivered to consumers’ homes. Advertising inserts comprise a critical revenue stream that supports the original reporting done by local newspapers in service to their communities.
Easy Sales for Digital Presents Challenge
Digital media sales is a great business to be in at the moment. Interactive advertising revenue in the U.S. regularly goes up by double digits year over year. Advertising is the standard means of monetizing digital content, and all content is becoming digital. It's easy to make money selling digital advertising—but that's actually a really big problem.
The 2012 Interactive Advertising Bureau Interactive Ad IQ Survey demonstrated that industry professionals aren't comfortable articulating the value of digital media platforms. Eighty percent of respondents said understanding the value of online video was important, but nearly 20% weren't comfortable articulating its value in an overall media mix. For search, a classic, 35% of respondents expressed a lack of comfort. If we don't pause for regular training, we won't be able to articulate the value of our ever-evolving and advancing media to marketers; and if we can't communicate value, we can only sell on price.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Hearst/NBCUniversal Launch Esquire Network
Hearst, NBCUniversal Partner to Rebrand G4 as Esquire Network:
NBCUniversal has partnered with Hearst's Esquire to relaunch its G4 cable channel, which previously focused on gadgets and gaming, as a network featuring a broader menu of male-related content. For Hearst, the partnership resembles its branding strategy with the Scripps Networks' HGTV and Food Network, only in reverse.
NBCUniversal has partnered with Hearst's Esquire to relaunch its G4 cable channel, which previously focused on gadgets and gaming, as a network featuring a broader menu of male-related content. For Hearst, the partnership resembles its branding strategy with the Scripps Networks' HGTV and Food Network, only in reverse.
MPA Launches Campaign
Five months into her tenure as head
of the MPA, the Association of Magazine Media, Mary Berner is trying to get
its notoriously competitive members to play ball together.
Berner has spearheaded the creation of a 76-word working
statement that makes the case for magazines. Next week, she'll kick off a road
show with publishing companies and ad buyers to present it. First up are
Hearst, Meredith and Bonnier.
Digital 2.4% of Magazine Circulation
Magazine
circulation remained roughly flat in the second half of 2012 as digital
editions grew again but remained a small contributor to the whole, according to
new figures from the industry's chief arbiter of circulation.
Paid digital editions in the second half increased approximately 147% from the second half of 2011, according to the latest twice-yearly report from the Alliance for Audited Media. That means digital now comprises about 2.4% of the industry's total circulation. A year earlier, digital was under 1%.
Paid digital editions in the second half increased approximately 147% from the second half of 2011, according to the latest twice-yearly report from the Alliance for Audited Media. That means digital now comprises about 2.4% of the industry's total circulation. A year earlier, digital was under 1%.
NYT Style Magazine Debuts
Deborah Needleman’s first issue of T: The New York Times Style
Magazine will make its debut Feb. 17.
The magazine will look very different from Singer’s T. It has a larger trim size, heavier paper stock, as well as a redesign aesthetic that ditched the Gothic typeface of the old magazine and replaced it with a custom design by creative director Patrick Li.
The magazine will look very different from Singer’s T. It has a larger trim size, heavier paper stock, as well as a redesign aesthetic that ditched the Gothic typeface of the old magazine and replaced it with a custom design by creative director Patrick Li.
Macmillan Settles eBook Suit
Macmillan, the last publisher left in a U.S.
lawsuit alleging an e-books price-fixing conspiracy with Apple Inc.,
reached a settlement with the U.S., agreeing to void deals with retailers that
restrict discounting.
The settlement also requires Macmillan to
avoid entering any new restrictive agreements on price or promotions until
December 2014. Macmillan, a unit of Stuttgart, Germany-based Verlagsgruppe
Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH, also agreed to a compliance program that includes
reporting to the government communications with other publishers.
Direct Mail: A Positive for USPS
Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe
added that direct mail had a strong surge last fall and gave the marketing
channel a promotional boost, saying, “Direct mail is the best return on
advertising investment there is.”
USPS Admits FSS Is Losing Money
USPS Admits FSS Is Losing Money: On the same day it very publicly announced the planned cessation of most Saturday delivery, USPS released data confirming what Dead Tree Edition speculated about two weeks ago. ( See So Far, FSS Is A Step Backward, USPS Data Indicate. ) The data show that two of the three major types of mail processed on FSS machines—Standard (non-carrier-route) Flats and Periodicals—had experienced larger increases in processing costs the past two years than they had gained in delivery savings.
The Print Buyer's World
A Peek into the Print Buyer’s World for 2013:
In December I created and distributed a 20-question survey about the state of print buying today. My goal was to get a sense of how print buyers are facing 2013, whether print volumes were up or down, how large or small their buying staffs were, and the most preferred ways by which they chose new print service providers.
Highlights:
About 62% of these buyers had over 15 years of experience in the field
53% manage $1 million and up in print spend each year
The #1 most popular value-added service a printer can offer is mailing and fulfillment
Nearly 64% buy more offset than digital printing
When sourcing digital print for the first time, most buyers give preference to printers with whom they’re already working
In December I created and distributed a 20-question survey about the state of print buying today. My goal was to get a sense of how print buyers are facing 2013, whether print volumes were up or down, how large or small their buying staffs were, and the most preferred ways by which they chose new print service providers.
Highlights:
About 62% of these buyers had over 15 years of experience in the field
53% manage $1 million and up in print spend each year
The #1 most popular value-added service a printer can offer is mailing and fulfillment
Nearly 64% buy more offset than digital printing
When sourcing digital print for the first time, most buyers give preference to printers with whom they’re already working
Friday, February 8, 2013
PaperAge Names Domtar CEO "Papermaker of the Year"
Domtar's John Williams Earns Paper Industry Executive Honor: PaperAge announced that John D. Williams, President and CEO of Domtar, is the recipient of its 26th annual "Executive Papermaker of the Year" award. An exclusive interview with Mr. Williams will be published in the March/April 2013 issue of PaperAge.
PaperAge selects its Executive Papermaker of the Year based on corporate vision, strategic objectives and strong leadership both within the individual's company and in the paper industry as a whole. The award has been an industry tradition since 1988.
Under Williams' leadership, Domtar has made strategic adjustments to its uncoated freesheet paper business and in the manufacture of hardwood, softwood and fluff pulp. In the first quarter of 2012, Williams struck a 15-year paper supply deal with Appleton whereby Domtar will supply Appleton with most of the uncoated base paper the company needs to produce its thermal, carbonless, and other specialty paper products.
PaperAge selects its Executive Papermaker of the Year based on corporate vision, strategic objectives and strong leadership both within the individual's company and in the paper industry as a whole. The award has been an industry tradition since 1988.
Under Williams' leadership, Domtar has made strategic adjustments to its uncoated freesheet paper business and in the manufacture of hardwood, softwood and fluff pulp. In the first quarter of 2012, Williams struck a 15-year paper supply deal with Appleton whereby Domtar will supply Appleton with most of the uncoated base paper the company needs to produce its thermal, carbonless, and other specialty paper products.
Holmen Invests in Hallsta Magazine Paper Mill
Holmen Invests in Hallsta Paper Mill:
Holmen Paper is investing SEK 200 million in restructuring the energy supply at Hallsta Paper Mill. This is the single largest investment in the mill since the PM 11 paper machine was built in 2002.
The planned measures strengthen the mill's competitiveness and form part of the transition to a two-machine mill.
FPAC Launches Recruitment Drive, Add 60,000 by 2020
The Forest Products Association
of Canada (FPAC), with support from the Government of Canada, is today
launching TheGreenestWorkforce.ca, a resource tool that provides information on
the dynamic direction of the industry and career opportunities on offer right
across the country.
The industry is also launching a
competition to give eight promising students across Canada a paid Green Dream
Internship that includes a four month paid summer placement at a forest
products company, an iPad Mini and a chance to win $5000.
Under Vision2020, FPAC has a set
the goal of recruiting at least 60,000 or more workers by 2020 to meet the
growing demand for such professions as millwrights, electricians, engineers,
sales staff, truck drivers, foresters, chemists and many more.
Caribou Conservation May Cost Forest Industry
Caribou conservation efforts for
the Abitibi River Forest will cost local forestry companies more than $100
million in reduced annual gross sales.
That is collectively a quarter
in lost profits for the seven mills and six independent operators that have
harvesting rights on the Abitibi River Forest.Local communities are similarly expected to be impacted by immediate reductions of 20 to 25% in harvest areas, according to the 10-year Abitibi River Forest management plan which comes into effect April 1.
By 2030, Biomass Demand Will Triple
Driven
by aggressive biofuel mandates, rapid growth will cause great strain on biomass
by 2030, according to Lux Research. Using today's technologies, an area the
size of Russia would need to be cultivated to replace all of petroleum use for
chemicals and fuels - feedstock innovation will be needed to keep growing
biomass's market share.
USPS Q1 $3.1 Billion Loss, Advertising Mail Revenue Up 3.1%
Holiday shipping and the 2012
election helped the Postal Service stems its losses, but the agency’s
financial woes continued in the first quarter, which ended Dec 31.
The Postal Service posted a $1.3
billion loss in the first quarter, compared with a $3.1 billion loss over the
same period last year. The agency said the first quarter has traditionally been
one of its strongest periods. Total mail volume continued to decline, however. Mail volume was 43.5 billion pieces for the quarter, down from 43.6 billion in earlier year, according to agency officials.
Revenue from first-class mail, which provides the bulk of the revenue for the Postal Service, declined $237 million, or 3.1 percent, from the same period last year, with a decrease in volume of 834 million pieces, or 4.5 percent. Revenue from advertising mail increased $141 million, or 3.1 percent, in the first quarter compared with the same period last year on a volume increase of 783 million pieces, or 3.6 percent.
Cataloguer Soft Surroundings Grows 30%, Adds Stores
After starting as a catalog
company in 1998, Soft Surroundings has grown rapidly, with sales surging about
30 percent last year to about $150 million, according to the company.
Last year, it doubled its number
of stores to 10 nationwide. It also launched Retreat, a French-inspired
furniture line with its own catalog, last month.In August, private equity firm Brentwood Associates took a majority interest — 55 percent — in the company in a $150 million deal. With the help of the new partner’s resources and expertise, Soft Surroundings is looking to grow its retail footprint. Four or five stores are slated to open this year, and many more may be on the horizon.
Bonnier Shutters Garden Design
Dave Freygang hasn't wasted time in taking a hard
look at Bonnier Corp.'s financials since becoming its new CEO last month.
On Thursday, one of his first
appointees, David Ritchie, notified the staff of Garden Design that the
magazine would be folded after the April issue. The announcement was made by
Ritchie, the newly appointed chief content officer at the company.
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