cover story / innovations
Innovation International Media Consulting Group/FIPP book which presents the most exciting and important industry advances. Now into its fourth edition, the mag- azine industry is showing no signs of running out of ideas. “Publishers and edi- tors are finally understanding that their audiences are consuming their publica- tions on multiple platforms at multiple times during the day. So we’re seeing a lot of innovations, in digital and print.” Some companies have adventure in their DNA, says Wilpers. “They’re constantly trying to do new things. They’ll have internal inno- vation labs, but others have been pushed into being innovative by advertisers willing to take chances. But that’s changing and the editorial departments, the digital depart- ments, the internal advertising people and publishers are pushing the envelope.” Publishers are pushing purses open too.
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According to Senor, they are wising up to monetising content – fee is the new free. He says: “Publishers were very fuzzy about monetising web content – now we see busi- ness models emerging. Now it’s all about reader revenue. It’s the 20th
anniversary of
the internet – an entity that was ‘born free’. Today, people are trying to make money out of their content. (they always have, from day one, that’s why ecommerce ). “So many digital fables have been debunked. The paperless office, person- alised content, etc. Now digital has been knocked off its pedestal – publishers are beginning to conceive of ways to get peo- ple to pay for their content. There isn’t a clear tactic – sometimes it’s as obvious as pay walls and restricting access – but it will be a big trend in 2013-2014 – ‘the end of free’ – because free is a very expen- sive practice. Those who still go the free route – relying on display advertising – are vulnerable, particularly in hard times. Wilpers is also keen to debunk some
digital myths. “No media has ever replaced another. When television came along peo- ple still listened to the radio. Print has plenty
INNOVATIONS SNAPSHOT
future of paper
The future of paper is ‘Paper Four’ which is in effect a paper version of an iPod touch. In essence, it is a special ink that can be printed on paper via specialised printers or screen- printing. The ink is touch sensitive allowing a reader to touch a spot and make audio play. It can also be folded up and it’s so durable you’ll never break it. Prototypes are underway with Paper Four, as well as for a ‘smart newspaper” which will read out loud to you. And technology’s next great revolution could be graphene, a wonder material that is flexible, conductive, translucent and hard as a diamond. When it becomes affordable.
fipp.com 05
The magazine as retailer: Is there a line between the two any more in the digital age?
of life left – and is introducing some great innovations. A page that folds down to become a bag – paint which can store elec- tronics, pages that can produce interactive features when the tablet edition is placed beneath it. We have rich layers of content.” And content is leading to sales of more than subs. Lead generation – click and buy – is an important, lucrative trend and one which has come into its own since the advent of tablets. Links can be intro- duced at the end of an article or review, or advertising can offer greater interac- tion and the ability to buy in a click. It’s all good news for the innovative publisher. According to Senor, QR codes are still
t the forefront of new industry trends are John Wilpers and Juan Senor, the editors of Innovations in Magazine Media World Report – the
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“Publishers and editors are finally understanding that their audiences are finally consuming on multiple platforms...”
Personalisation is becoming more and more ubiquitous with Loyalty Expert creating 12,000 individualised copies of Action Commerciale’s cover and Facebook Exchange taking it to its limits
strong – “but they’re viewed as an add-on, like many other bits and bobs”. “Generally,” says Senor, “innovations are veering away from the gimmicky. People are concen- trating on the real break-through – how to make money out of their magazines.” There is also a move back to packaged
content – away from the de-bundled trend. Says Senor: “People want a selec- tion of stories around a theme – whether that’s fly-fishing or fashion. In an age of abundance, people want to sit back and enjoy someone else’s editing.” And it’s not necessarily publishers doing the writing and editing says Senor: “At the forefront you have the tradition- al publishing houses, but you also have non-traditional players in the market like Red Bull and Cheerios. Food companies are commissioning their own content.” As far as suppliers are concerned, the
digital kiosks are trying new things, being innovative. And, in general, people are more inclined to try new things now and are becoming more adventurous – particu- larly with digital, as the costs are so much lower. You can afford to fail and move on. Are there legions of copy cats out there,
latching onto the next big thing? “There are,” says Wilpers, “But it’s not all coming from the publishing industry. They’re picking up ideas they see on line, on tablets and mobile.” Senor sees 2013 as a critical time for the
industry. “Publishers have rationalised the situation and there is now acceptance of the new order. The barricades are down.”
Retail opportunities Rather than focusing solely on print con- tent and two-dimensional ad space, Hearst and Condé Nast are partner- ing with selected advertisers to promote brands via editorial content. Hearst, the world’s largest publish-
er of women’s magazines and home to Cosmopolitan, is leading the way; three of its flagship publications, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, and Harp- er’s Bazaar, have recently partnered with major advertisers such as Haute
issue 76_2013 | Magazine World |15
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