IP to Sell Temple-Inland Building Products to GP

International Paper Reaches Agreement to Sell Temple-Inland Building Products Division for $750M:
International Paper today announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Temple-Inland Building Products division to Georgia-Pacific LLC for $750 million in cash, subject to certain pre-and post-closing adjustments.

Port Workers Give Leader Strike Authorization

http://www.afandpa.org/ 

Before contract talks started Monday for negotiators representing East and Gulf coast port workers, and employers, the employees' union leaders of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) provided ILA pres Harold Daggett with the authority to call a strike if needed.

The vote occurred before contract talks opened on Monday in Delray Beach, FL. The deadline for an agreement is Dec. 29. The contract covers 15 East and Gulf Coast ports.

Burgo Increases Woodfree Paper Prices

Burgo to hike CWF and UWF paper prices by 5-6% for all deliveries from Feb. 1, 2013

The price increase will apply to all CWF and UWF grades, both sheets and reels, and will be effective for deliveries as from February, 1st 2013.

Rising production costs, particularly related to transportation, energy, chemicals and raw materials, have made the price hike necessary.

IP to Stay in Memphis

International Paper will stay in Memphis:
The company settled on an incentive to stay in the Bluff City, which could include an expansion involving multiple real estate buildings.

Postal Regulators OK Revised Standard Mail Flats Price

Green Light for Revised USPS Standard Mail Flats Rate Rise:

US postal regulators have finally approved controversial new Standard Mail Flats prices at the US Postal Service.

USPS had suggested the Postal Regulatory Commission was going a little further than its remit when it rejected its original proposals last month, and demanded an above-average price rise for the rate category that includes items like catalogues.
Under protest, USPS went away and proposed a fresh rate increase, which yesterday was approved by the regulators.
As approved, Standard Mail Flats rates will increase by an average of 2.617% as of 27th January, 2013.

Hearst with New Imprint & Sales Channel

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/55063-hearst-puts-a-toe-back-in-trade-publishing.html

Ever since Hearst Corp. sold William Morrow to News Corp. in 1999, its book publishing activities have focused on partnering with different houses to publish books based on content from its magazines. That strategy will change January 2 when Hearst releases 7 Years Younger: The Revolutionary 7-Week Anti-Aging Plan under the new 7YY/Hearst Magazines imprint. Now in a third printing with 72,000 copies before publication, the book is the cornerstone of a new franchise devoted to helping baby boomers and others look and feel younger.

Old Navy Part of Divas Concert

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/old-navy-gif-diva-145908

Old Navy's presence during VH1's popular Divas concert on Sunday night will include pricey 30- and 60-second spots during the cable channel's telecast. At the same time, there's a potentially fun digital component to point out.

The retailer is sponsoring a GIF photo booth on the red carpet and backstage at show, which will take place at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. In a nutshell, the technology takes photos and creates limited-motion GIFs of those in the booth.

Avon Announces Cuts

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-12/avon-to-cut-1-500-jobs-exit-south-korea-vietnam.html

Avon Products Inc. (AVP), the world’s largest door-to-door cosmetics seller, will cut about 1,500 jobs globally and exit South Korea and Vietnam as part of plan to save $400 million by the end of 2015.

Publishers: Plan for Change

In Sales, Plan for Change:
Best practices for avoiding the pitfalls of a shifting media landscape.
Publishers need to stop being afraid of social media. That was the message delivered today by panelists at the MPA Digital Social Media Summit at the Time Life Building.

Most Marketers Not Satisfied with Metrics

Most marketers not satisfied with customer experience metrics:
Only 11% of marketers gave their companies a “good” rating on customer experience metrics, according to a study from research firm Temkin Group. 

Transcontinental Predicts Slow Magazine Growth

Transcontinental Inc. Predicts Slow Magazine Growth:
Transcontinental Inc., the largest printer in Canada and the fourth largest in North America, and publisher of over 30 magazines, saw a mixed end to 2012, reporting an increase in its revenues by 12 percent and adjusted operating income by 21 percent in the fourth quarter. The company’s community newspaper business remained strong and performed better than expected, but the same cannot be said for its portfolio of glossies. 

StrongMail: 2013 Marketing Budgets Up

StrongMail: Marketing budgets to rise next year: Redwood City, Calif.—Marketers plan to increase their budgets next year, with the greatest attention paid to email, social media and mobile, according to a report by cross-channel marketing company Strongmail. StrongMail's "2013 Marketing Trends Survey" found 45.2% of businesses plan to increase their marketing budgets in 2013, while 43.9% plan to maintain their current spending levels.

Executives Want Better Access to Data

Executives want better access to social, mobile data: New York—Although a large number of companies have adopted a data analytics strategy, 60% of management teams don't seem to have the right access to marketplace data needed to make strategic decisions about their social media or mobile media or mobile media efforts, according to a study by auditing company KPMG.

AF&PA Warns of Dangers of East Coast Port Strike

http://www.afandpa.org/

Despite last week's successful negotiations between the West Coast International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the USMX on the East Coast remain unresolved. As a major import/export business, the U.S. forest products industry has a significant interest in swift resolution to avoid strike. 

"If the ILA and the USMX are not able to negotiate an agreement, any impending strike and subsequent shutdown of major East Coast port would have far-reaching, costly, and disruptive implications for not only the U.S. forest products industry, but for manufacturers and distributers across the supply chain," said American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman.

China's Threat to US Paper Producers

http://www.jsonline.com/business/bankrolled-and-bioengineered-china-supplants-wisconsins-paper-industry-8f7a4n5-183039641.html

Wisconsin’s struggling paper industry encounters ‘sudden, potent adversary’ in ‘bankrolled and bioengineered’ China
Over the course of the last decade, China tripled its paper production and in 2009 overtook the United States as the world's biggest papermaker. It can now match the annual output of Wisconsin, America's top papermaking state, in the span of three weeks.
Paper makes for an exceedingly unlikely focus. After decimating its natural forest cover decades ago, China lacks a fundamental necessity for printing-quality paper: wood pulp.

Sappi: New Products for Minnesota Forest Industry

http://www.startribune.com/business/182921411.html?refer=y

The future of the paper industry is not necessarily paper.

Even here, where Minnesotans have made paper since 1898 and Sappi Fine Paper's white cloud of steam pours into the sky above the St. Louis River valley, industry leaders are casting about for new products to make from trees.

The South African owners of the state's largest mill have an idea: rayon.

Management Changes at Resolute, Thunder Bay

Management changes at Resolute in Thunder Bay, ON:
TBNewsWatch is reporting that Doug Murray is no longer the Manager at Resolute Forest Products‘ in Thunder Bay, and their sources say he is no longer with the company.
Management changes are also being reported at Resolute’s Thunder Bay sawmill and in their forestry operations, although the company won’t comment publicly on the changes.

New Canadian Fair Rail Freight Service Act

New Canadian Fair Rail Freight Service Act:
This week the Federal Government introduced the Fair Rail Freight Service Act bill that will give companies that ship goods by rail the right to a service agreement with railways. 
Impact on the Canadian Forest Industry 
The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) believes that the new Fair Rail Freight Service Act is moving in the right direction to help shippers retain and create jobs for the benefit of the Canadian economy. The legislation was tabled after years of complaints by rail customers about inefficient and inadequate service from the railway monopoly.

2012: More Magazine Launches, Fewer Fold

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20121210/MEDIA_ENTERTAINMENT/121209916

Magazine publishers are still tightening their belts three years after the nightmare of the advertising recession shook the industry to its toes. But the itch to launch new magazines shows no sign of going away.

In 2012, veteran publishers and novice entrepreneurs launched a total of 195 print titles, a healthy bump over the 181 that were launched in 2011. And only 74 titles folded this year, compared to 142 a year ago, according to MediaFinder.com. The online database of U.S. and Canadian publications released its year-end numbers Monday.
MediaFinder also counted 32 digital-only launches in 2012, compared to 58 a year ago. Seven digital-only titles folded, compared to 10 in that category last year.

GroupM Revises Ad Forecast to 4.5%

http://www.adhugger.net/2012/12/04/groupm-revises-global-2013-ad-spending-forecast-to-4-5-growth/

GroupM revised its global 2013 ad spending forecast to 4.5% growth, with US ad spending expected to rise only 2.7% as a consequence of continued sluggishness in the U.S. and European economies. The forecast is almost a full percentage point lower than the 5.3 percent spending hike GroupM predicted in June.