E-News : October 4, 2011
Top Media Moves
UBM’s Everything Channel, a division of United Business Media, has changed its name to UBM Channel. More than 1 million high-tech solution providers rely on UBM Channel's IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and sales and marketing services to navigate the IT channel industry. "Our name change strengthens our strategy and overriding mission to support today's channel executives by offering valuable and practical resources," said UBM Channel Chief Executive Officer Robert Faletra. "The alignment with the UBM brand allows us to more closely identify with, and leverage, the global strength of our parent company.”
Content Marketing Institute (CMI) has established a partnership with the Magnum Opus Awards, a content marketing recognition competition operated by McMurry. The Magnum Opus Awards recognizes companies, organizations and institutions, as well as their agencies and partners, for content marketing excellence in print, web, video, mobile, and other formats. The partnership was announced at the inaugural Content Marketing World Conference, held last month in Cleveland, Ohio. "Whenever people asked me about a content marketing awards program, I would always refer them to the Magnum Opus Awards,” said Joe Pulizzi, CMI founder and Content Marketing World creator. “McMurry was ahead of the curve in launching this program nine years ago."
Penton Media has announced that Sharon Rowlands resigned as CEO. Anup Bagaria, vice chairman of Wasserstein & Co., and Tyler Zachem, managing director of MidOcean Partners – the two private equity groups that co-own Penton – will act as interim co-CEOs during the search for Rowlands’ successor. Rowlands, who joined Penton in November 2008 and led the company through a bankruptcy reorganization, will join Altegrity, the parent company of businesses such as HireRight, Kroll and USIS that provide information, risk management and employment screening for corporate and government customers, on Nov. 1. Rowlands will remain a board member at Penton.
Job of the Week
Inside Sales Representative, ALM
In addition to the “Job of the Week” highlighted in each issue of E-news, ABM has 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!
Committee Watch
Digital Media Council
Thursday, October 6, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
ABM Headquarters
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ABM Adds Powerful Case Study Series to Mobile Drill Down November 9th
On November 9th in New York City, ABM will launch its series of one-day, topic-specific seminars with a Mobile Drill Down, a deep dive into the mobile and tablet trends that will ultimately drive revenue in this still-new media channel. Mobile was selected as the series' first area of focus because the rapid adoption of mobile devices by businesspeople presents an unprecedented opportunity for innovation in b-to-b content, sales and business models.
With the addition of three b-to-b case studies, the Mobile Drill Down agenda is now complete. Participants can view the agenda and register here. To provide a range of business experiences with mobile devices, the case studies come from a large and a small media company, as well as a custom media company.
Although a large company, McGraw-Hill had not budgeted for the groundswell of demand for iPad apps among its four Information & Media units that surfaced over the past year. Hitesh Chitalia, Director, eBusiness, McGraw-Hill Information & Media, will share his experiences in implementing a plan to quickly develop simple apps built on components that could be re-used by other divisions. This strategy lowered the cost of entry, maximized the number of apps that could be developed and provided Chitalia with multiple opportunities to experiment with features and monetization.
WTWH Media, a small five-year-old b-to-b company, has been rolling out a multifaceted mobile strategy that includes a mobile website and microsites, QR codes in Design World magazine, iPhone apps and an iPad app. WTWH’s Marshall Matheson, senior VP of Online Media, will talk about content and monetization while he reveals the successes, surprises and pitfalls he encountered. He will also share metrics on the financial and HR resources required—and the ROI.
As a custom publisher, Ascend Integrated Media offers a wide portfolio of mobile programs that can be accessed across multiple operating systems and include smartphone applications, SMS text messaging and couponing/gifting. Ascend has created mobile apps for more than 20 of its event-producer clients and Maria Arnone, VP Media Development, will share some of the key do’s and don’ts the company has learned in the events space.
In addition, experts from such organizations as Hearst Magazines, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Location Based Marketing Association and others will share how they’re leading the way in mobile strategy and implementation.
Participants attending the Drill Down will learn what mobile and tablet audiences and advertisers want, how media companies are experimenting with mobile apps without overinvesting, what’s coming in tablet and smartphone technology, how location-based technologies will affect media companies in the future and what techniques are being used to capture mobile audiences.
Register here for this full-day program packed with valuable networking opportunities, detailed case studies and innovative thought leaders.
ABM Members Offered Discount to Press+ Paid Subscription Tool
At the September Digital Media Council meeting at American Business Media headquarters, Gordon Crovitz, co-founder of Press+, demonstrated how b-to-b media companies can build online subscription revenue and increase advertising dollars by using the Press+ e-commerce system. Press+ enables newspapers, magazines and other online publishers to generate subscription revenues from premium content accessed through Web browsers, mobile devices or tablets.
Crovitz announced that Press+ is extending a special limited-time offer to American Business Media publishers. ABM members that launch one site with Press+ by Nov. 15, 2011 will pay a set-up fee of only $1,200 for the first site—less than one-third of the usual setup fee of $3,500 per web site. For publishers with multiple sites, Press+ will charge a total of $3,500 in set-up fees for all sites launched by Nov. 15, 2011.
A former publisher of the Wall Street Journal and former executive vice-president of Dow Jones, Crovitz co-founded Journalism Online, the company that developed Press+, with Steven Brill, founder of The American Lawyer magazine and Court TV, in 2009. RR Donnelley acquired Journalism Online in March 2011. While Press+ worked primarily with newspaper companies initially, the company is now more focused on the b-to-b media under its new owner, Crovitz said.
In addition to providing tools for publishers to monetize content, Press+ provides data and insights it has learned from its customers to help all of its clients become more successful. Crovitz said most publishers using Press+ are implementing some form of a “metered” subscription model, which allows users to view a pre-set number of articles for free during a month; beyond that limit, the viewer must subscribe. This model has been used for many years by the Financial Times and is now being employed by the New York Times. (Neither publisher uses Press+.)
“Based on our data so far, b-to-b publishers should be able to convert 10% to 15% of their visitors to paid subscribers,” Crovitz said. The majority of Press+ customers offer monthly and annual subscription plans. “We have found that the majority of subscribers will choose the annual subscription when that price is approximately 10 times the monthly charge,” he added.
Media companies that install a paid content model enjoy other benefits beyond the high-profit-margin subscription revenue, including an increase in advertising CPMs. “Sites such as the Wall Street Journal have been able to charge advertisers a 30% premium,” Crovitz said. Charging for online content also helps publishers maintain or increase print subscription revenue. One publisher, for example, was able to increase print subscription price by 10% when it was packaged with “free” online access. With the popularity of iPads increasing, Crovitz pointed out that publishers can use the Press+ system to sell access to their iPad versions directly, such as through their own websites, thus ensuring the publisher’s continued direct relationship with subscribers and avoiding the 30% commission to Apple. Press+ provides the required authorizations, authentications and commerce to make this possible.
ABM's 10 Newest Members: An Introduction
American Business Media welcomed 10 organizations into membership when they were voted in during the August 4th board of directors meeting. Focused on a wide range of products and services—from data and software solutions to marketing services and analytics—these new members represent ABM’s mission to broaden its scope, and they demonstrate how the industry is evolving with new capabilities, business models and platforms. Learn more about them below.
Bright Business Media (Media Member)
The Bright Business Media mission is to provide the tools meeting professionals need to make their job easier. Its monthly meeting publication, Smart Meetings magazine, is designed to be useful, easy to read, educational and fun. It provides an expert industry perspective and give meeting planners the information they need to be more effective. Click here for more information.
The Chronicle of Higher Education (Media Member)
The Chronicle of Higher Education is the No. 1 source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators. Online, The Chronicle is published every weekday and is the top destination for news, advice, and jobs for people in academe. Its audited Web-site traffic is more than 12.8 million pages a month, seen by more than 1.9 million unique visitors. Click here for more information.
GIE Media (Media Member)
Established in 1980, GIE Media, Inc. has grown from one publication into a leading marketing and communications business-to-business media company serving eight industries. The company goal of Group Interest Enterprises is to publish the highest quality business magazines, websites, e-newsletters, conferences, reference books and other forms of business media in growth industries, with a quality standard based upon editorial value and market leadership. Click here for more information.
Godengo (Associate Member)
Godengo provides magazines with a strong online presence, a networked advertising inventory and Web sales mentoring, thus enabling them to compete effectively online. Godengo’s Rivista™ is a proprietary content management system designed to increase site traffic through optimization of content for the search engines, thereby increasing profits at the magazine publisher’s web sites. At the same time, the Godengo™ Online Ad Network targets an affluent, upscale consumer audience while providing national reach with deep expertise in local markets. Click here for more information.
Infogroup (Media Member)
Infogroup delivers a flexible suite of data-driven solutions that add insight to every stage of the sales and marketing process. Whether you’re developing or introducing new products, entering new markets, expanding your offerings, or mastering new marketing channels, you can rely on Infogroup to help you achieve results. We give you the information, insights and advice to help you target, acquire, manage and retain customers. Click here for more information.
Knowledge Marketing (Associate Member)
At Knowledge Marketing we understand the success of your online marketing program is not just in the software, it’s also in the execution. Whatever your business objectives, our Professional Services team will work to help you succeed in a marketplace that is growing more complex and challenging. Our team is relentlessly dedicated to ensure Knowledge Marketing adds value to help you become the best online marketer you can be. Click here for more information.
PARS International Corp. (Associate Member)
PARS International Corp. markets a full suite of print, electronic, editorial permissions/licensing services and specialty products to businesses looking to extend the power of positive press. A leading innovator since 1994, PARS International serves as a full service marketing partner with extensive publishing and vertical industry experience. The company continues to lead the revolution of digital media opportunities in video, on the Web and in social media. Click here for more information.
Scout Analytics (Associate Member)
Scout Analytics™ is the leading provider of digital revenue optimization solutions that equip publishers to maximize their online revenue and profits. Our managed software-as-a-service (SaaS) offers patent-pending behavioral analytics that quickly uncover meaningful patterns of online engagement and reveal untapped sources of subscription, advertising, and transaction revenue. With keen, ongoing insight into user behavior, publishers can continually refine their digital packaging and pricing strategies for maximum revenue impact and customer loyalty. Click here for more information.
SGC Horizon (Media Member)
For over 75 years, the media properties in the SGC Horizon – Building & Construction Group have been leaders and innovators in delivering great content to our subscribers. We're the place where over 300,000 construction professionals come to for professional solutions, where their challenges are fully understood and the solutions are proven and practical. We're also the place where our advertising partners come to connect with buyers. These points of connection have grown rapidly over the past few years from traditional print media, to state-of-the-art eMedia platforms, award-winning events, and exclusive market intelligence products. Click here for more information.
Spiceworks (Media Member)
5 years. 1.5 million IT pros. 200 tech advertisers....what started as “the free IT” revolution has turned into a way of life for many. The IT world’s gone orange! “Orange?” you ask. Yep, orange - as in Spiceworks orange. Every day, in every country around the world, IT pros use Spiceworks to do their jobs and learn about the products and services they need to make IT happen. Making Spiceworks the fastest growing and most widely used network management app in history. Click here for more information.
B-to-B Magazines See Strong First-Half Results, Reversing 2010 Trend
With improvements across a variety of categories, b-to-b print media recorded a strong first half in 2011 and a solid month in June. According to BIN data, 14 of the 22 b-to-b categories showed an increase in advertising pages in the first half, with overall ad pages up roughly 2% for the b-to-b media group. In addition, 14 categories also showed an increase in ad revenue in the first half, with the overall b-to-b sector seeing an increase of 4.9%. The gains mark a reversal for the print sector, which endured a lackluster advertising market in 2010. Ad pages and revenue for b-to-b media declined 3.1% and 1.3%, respectively, last year.
The strongest individual b-to-b sectors in the January-June period included transportation/logistics, up 19.3% in pages and 18.8% in revenue, and automotive, up 15% in pages and 8.6% in revenue. Healthcare, the largest of the BIN sectors, recorded a 2.3% increase in pages and 4.3% gain in revenue during the half.
For the month of June, the Aviation, Aerospace & Military category was the top-performer as measured by both ad pages and revenue, with increases of 43.6% and 45.2%, respectively. The Movies, Radio, TV & Video category also fared well in June, with ad pages increasing 18.3% and revenues climbing 28.3%.
The June and first-half 2011 BIN data by category is available here.
ABM’s Business Information Network examines 22 markets comprised of all b-to-b magazines and newspapers tracked by IMS/The Auditor, except the healthcare sector which is tracked by PERQ/HCI.
Agency Speaker to Discuss Digital Media Trends
At ABM headquarters on Thursday, October 6th, Ted Kohnen, who oversees the integrated marketing and media services division of Stein + Partners Brand Activation (SPBA ), will talk about "Analysis & Trends in Digital Media from an Agency Perspective." Kohnen has created and deployed fully integrated global media campaigns for clients such as Towers Watson, TheLadders, AvalonBay, PR Newswire, Allmenus.com, BPA Worldwide, PC Magazine, Rodale and many others. To access the webinar, register here.
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