E-News : September 8, 2010
Top Media Moves
Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. announced that it has created digital versions of its trucking publications that are available on the iPhone and iPad. The brands available for free on the Apple devices include Commercial Carrier Journal and Truckers News.
Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) has selected Farm Journal Media as its exclusive national media partner to publish and distribute its annual results.
Crain Communications’ Crain’s Chicago Business announced that David Snyder has been named publisher of the brand. He succeeds David Blake, who will retire at year-end.
Committee Watch
Business Information Council
Next Tuesday, September 14, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
ABM Headquarters
Production/Manufacturing Technology Committee
Next Wednesday, September 15, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
ABM Headquarters
Audience Development & Finance/Operations Committees
Next Thursday, September 16, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET
ABM Headquarters
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Job of the Week
In addition to the “Job of the Week” highlighted in each issue of E-news, ABM has recently expanded its online job board to better reach out to the membership and media community with quality career opportunities. Powered by mediabistro.com, the site is updated constantly with openings across the country and enables you to search by industry and location. So what are you waiting for … Click here to begin your search!
Clark Pettit’s Path to a New Vision
Listen in via webcast THIS AFTERNOON!
This afternoon, from 2:00pm – 2:10pm ET, ABM’s new President & CEO Clark Pettit will address members via webcast to deliver a brief update on his path to a new vision. Pettit will outline the approach he is taking to identify members’ challenges and opportunities, the progress he’s made so far and how he believes ABM can better serve members’ needs.
Click here to register.
Business Magazines Still Affected by Economy, but Continue Improving Trend
June ad pages and print revenue both decline 2.1%
Ad pages declined by 2.1% in June 2010 versus one year ago, while print revenue in June also declined by 2.1%. This compares favorably with declines in each of the previous months of the year.
Despite overall losses, seven Business Information Network (BIN) categories showed revenue increases for the first six months of 2010. Those categories include: Agriculture; Automotive; Banking, Financial, Insurance; Business, Advertising & Marketing; and Healthcare, among others. The June data, by category, is available here.
| JANUARY | FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | YEAR TO DATE | |
| PAGES | -15.3% | -9.4% | -5.7% | -4.5% | -4.2% | -2.1% | -6.0% |
| REVENUE | -12.4% | -7.5% | -3.1% | -3.7% | -2.6% | -2.1% | -3.5% |
ABM’s Business Information Network examines 21 markets comprised of all business-to-business books tracked by IMS/The Auditor, and PERQ/HCI for healthcare figures.
The BIN categories are:
Agriculture
Architecture, Design, Lighting
Automotive
Aviation, Aerospace & Military
Banking, Financial, Insurance
Building, Engineering, Construction
Business, Advertising & Marketing
Computing, Software, Telecom
Electronic Engineering
Government (Local, State, Federal)
Healthcare**
MFG, Processing
Miscellaneous*
Movies, Radio, TV & Video
Pharmaceuticals
Professional Services
Resources, Environment, Utilities
Restaurants, Foodservice, Lodging Gaming
Retail, Services
Science, Research & Development
Transportation, Logistics
Travel, Conventions & Meetings
*Miscellaneous includes Arts, Coin Operated & Vending Machine, Security and Classified pages across all categories.
**Supplied by PERQ/HCI
First in ABM’s Digital Broadcast Series Explores the ‘When’
in Multi-Platform Content Creation
This fall, ABM's Digital Media Council will continue its monthly digital broadcast series focusing on the challenges and opportunities that multi-platform content creation and distribution pose for b-to-b media companies. The series, divided into four sessions, will explore not only the new platforms and devices available, but also the respective user needs and expectations.
On September 29, at 11:00am ET, join us for the series’ first broadcast, dedicated to “The When” – as in, when to take action. As small screens and portable reader technologies continue to expand the multi-device content consumption environment for b-to-b publishers, it is imperative to first understand when and how you should consider new platforms for the distribution of your information.
Register now for this FREE event (click here to join the discussion in-person at ABM Headquarters or here to view the webinar live from your desktop), and learn how to:
- Analyze current trends
- Determine how to shift with your audience – not ahead of or behind them
- Set a KPI for mobile applications and devices
And much more!
Key speakers will include Brian Randall, VP, eMedia, Diversified Business Communications; Bruce Rogers, Chief Brand Officer, Forbes; and Will Stofega, Industry Analyst/Program Director, Mobile Device Technology & Trends, IDC.
ABM’s Digital Broadcast Series is sponsored by CDS Global.
Three Lessons Online Publishers Can Learn from Facebook
Facebook's half a billion global users share, on average, 70 pieces of personal content per month, yet some publishers are still reluctant to initiate a brand presence on the platform.
Like it or not, Facebook is the present and future of communications, so here are three lessons you can take away, from Chris O'Brien of the San Jose Mercury News:
1. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg looks at the user side of the product before considering the business side. Despite early advertising offers and big-name buyout offers, Zuckerberg tinkered with Facebook until he created a product that users couldn't live without. Then, under his terms, advertisers agreed to be involved with the product that the audience had integrated into their lives. Lesson learned: If users don't like your digital offerings, you won't have a digital business in the first place.
2. Zuckerberg tweaked Facebook in anticipation of how user behavior would evolve over time, rather than listening strictly to what users wanted (or didn't think they wanted) at any current point in time. Facebook's Wall – now integral to the service – was once protested by users, but Zuckerberg knew that the Wall would eventually become what gives Facebook much of its stickiness. Lesson learned: Design your digital products with an idea of how your brands can be a resource to audiences now and in the future.
3. Zuckerberg, who wrote the code for Facebook, is a bona fide genius and sometimes must remember that it takes a little while for the rest of us to catch up with his ideas, as evidenced by Facebook's highly-criticized and recently-revised privacy settings. The controversial drilled down settings were intended to give users flexible and detailed privacy control, but proved confusing to many users, thus creating holes in those users' privacy on Facebook. The revised privacy settings are much simpler, and more static. Lesson learned: Create digital products with features that will make audience members' lives easier, not harder – according to demands on their time and other industry variables.
Read Chris O'Brien's full editorial, reposted in the Seattle Times, here.
The ABM Vital Guide to Metrics
The media industry is slowly moving away from its longtime obsession with page views and uniques as measures of success for digital properties. The key for many publishers is now translating audience traffic and engagement into real revenue from advertisers, subscribers or, increasingly, a combination of both. The good news is that we’re seeing pockets of progress – some of which is chronicled in the latest ABM Vital Guide. Check it out here.
Through a recent partnership with Vital Business Media’s eMedia Vitals, ABM is proud to deliver the ABM Vital Guide, a free weekly e-newsletter containing high-quality, actionable content on the hottest digital media trends affecting the b-to-b industry. Each week, the ABM Vital Guide tackles one specific digital media trend or product with the potential to dramatically influence members’ digital revenues. Previous editions have thoroughly covered such issues as audience development, content aggregation, database marketing, online event models, e-newsletters and subscription management. Click here to subscribe now!
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