Inside ICI


Always Here for Our Readers with Both Short and Long Term Changes


by Joseph E. Fritz, Executive Director A


lmost 16 million people watched the NFL’s virtual draft the last weekend of April. The event shattered all ratings expectations and, according to one analyst, viewers


were about 40 percent more likely than last year to search for brands and products advertised during the event. The NFL’s success shows how hungry we all are for sports,


and normalcy. But it also demonstrates that it is possible to preserve time-honored traditions in our new norm. Even when every shelter in place order is lifted, events, travel, and operations will not look exactly like they have in the past. As a result, many of us are examining what that future will look like. Though I do not have a crystal ball, I am certain that many of the actions taken by the ICI and INCAST Magazine will have a long lasting effect and become our new normal. One such example is the ICI’s newly introduced webinar series.


The


first webinar with Rick Alaniz was a tremendous success, and just before sitting down to write this, I learned that our second webinar already had 53 attendees register just three hours after the invitation went out. Clearly, our webinar program is here to stay. There are other actions that we have to take that are clearly


temporary, such as working from home and having virtual daily meetings. Some organizations are having virtual happy hours and birthday celebrations. For the most part, the requirement for these will hopefully dissipate in the short term. There is however another action that I would like to address with you that will have both short term and long lasting effects. Due to the position in which we now find ourselves, it


is apparent that 2020 will not only be remembered for the pandemic, but also as a year of extreme economization. One major area in which we can economize is the circulation of our magazine. Our policy has been to afford Member companies the privilege of receiving multiple copies of the magazine, ensuring that all key personnel have access to the publication. Starting with the June issue, we will be reverting to the


former practice of limiting distribution to two issues per Member location. Additionally, you may have noticed that we said goodbye to the poly-bag with this issue. We will only be poly-bagging those issues with loose inserts and half page wraps. Both of these changes are necessary and temporary. Another related change is that we have decided to put


the digital version of the magazine in the public domain. Now anyone, Member and non-member alike, can access the magazine from the landing page of our website. This is a permanent change as it offers a number of benefits, outlined as follows:


In the short term, everyone will have access to the magazine during shelter in place orders, so you don’t have to worry about sneaking into work to grab that issue of INCAST


8 ❘ May 2020 ®


Magazine collecting dust on your desk. In the long term, the digital version will serve the industry at large, including students and end use customers. Other associations that have taken this action have found up to a three-fold increase in readers. So not only is this beneficial to the industry, but also to our advertisers. The ICI


is very serious about meeting and hopefully exceeding the expectations of our Members and as such, is also pursuing other avenues to ensure that we continue to not only serve the industry, but to become better at it. The ICI, in collaboration with its volunteer network, is looking into online learning programs, more virtual tools for operational support and the possibility of holding a virtual Technical Conference and Expo in 2020. It was a difficult but necessary decision to postpone the World Conference, as it left a big gap in our industry offering. Rest assured, we are doing everything that we can to fill that void. On behalf of the ICI and INCAST Magazine, I want to thank you for being loyal readers. Stay safe and best regards.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36