Digital Magazines, 2008 - Supplement to Folio - (Page 6)

The State of Digital Magazine Delivery, 2008 By Jane E. Zarem igital magazines are booming. The anecdotal and statistical evidence is overwhelming. Why? Analysts point to a variety of reasons, from a new generation of readers wanting a “high-ﬁdelity” experience that combines elements of both print and online media, to the comfort level younger readers have with all things digital, to the natural synergy digital magazines have in the b-to-b space. Whatever the reasons, the effect is obvious. Digital magazines appear not to be the transitional technology that they were perceived as not too long ago but are, instead, a hybrid technology of choice for many publishing brands and consumers. There is no question that the growth has been remarkable, even putting aside the hype from the suppliers. Four of the major providers—Texterity, Nxtbook Media, Olive Software and Zinio—reported a combined 585 digital titles in 2005. This year, those FAST GROWTH FOR SURE, BUT DEBATE REMAINS OVER HOW MUCH CIRC SHOULD BE DIGITAL, AND WHETHER IT COMES FROM NEW SUBSCRIBERS OR EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS WHO CONVERT. same four suppliers report “I’M A MEDIA AGNOSTIC. I LIKE PAPER. I LIKE a combined 2,718 titles. And ONLINE. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE PUBLICAthat almost certainly underTION. I BELIEVE MORE ATTENTION SHOULD BE states the total number of PAID TO THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE MEDIA digital magazines, considTHAN TO THE SELECTION OF THE PLATFORM.” ering some longstanding — Steve Paxhia, Lead Analyst vendors such as Qmags or Publishing Strategy & Technology Practice Advanced Publishing weren’t The Gilbane Group included, nor were the slew of vendors that have cropped up in the last couple of years, nor were readers get from a physical magazine, and the increasing number of printers that of- it also offers scanability. fer such solutions, nor were the magazine companies that produce their own digital 2. Often what happens, and it could happen simultaneously, before, or after launching replicas, such as 1105 Media. Why do they opt to produce digital edi- a digital version, the publisher puts some tions? Many reasons. Consider Playboy, or all of the magazine’s articles on its Web for example. It has about 60,000 digi- site. That doesn’t preserve the formatting tal readers on a total circulation of more and navigation of the digital edition, but the than 2 million, and it’s mostly incremen- content is accessible and searchable. You tal readers. Phyllis Rotunno, senior VP of then have both ends of the continuum, but subscription circulation, is surprised more that often becomes an internal bifurcation magazines haven’t picked up on the digital of the publisher’s digital strategy. trend. “It’s a low cost of entry,” she says, “and you really don’t have anything to lose. 3. Having the two ends of the continuum Digital has been a great outlet for us, and start to come together—blending the digital magazine and the Web site—is what many we’re happy with it.” “The number of publications that are customers really want. Readers want to be moving into their initial digital effort is able to search when they want to search still very signiﬁcant,” says Steve Paxhia, and browse when they want to browse and lead analyst in the Publishing Strategy & contribute when they want to contribute. Technology Practice at The Gilbane Group. “While the base isn’t large, the number is SOME OF THE TRENDS actually growing quite nicely. It’s safe to say The digital-magazine market has been that it is growing in excess of 25 percent vibrant for less than ﬁve years, but it nevertheless has enough maturity to have per year.” And as that growth continues, Paxhia developed some interesting and important sees three predictable steps in the assimi- trends. Publishers are starting to realize, for example, that this isn’t simply a plug-in lation of digital-magazine technology: technology. It requires focus and attention 1. People tend to accept the technology with for the initiative to be successful. “It must which they’re most comfortable. That would be considered a standalone product that be a replica or facsimile—a post-process gets its own energy from the sales and digital version of a print publication. That marketing staff,” says Nxtbook Media’s preserves the browsing metaphor that print marketing director, Marcus Grimm. “That D 6 Digital Magazine Reader Survey Findings • 88% of digital readers are “very satisﬁed” or “satisﬁed” with their digital magazine. • Digital edition readers take action regarding a product or service 90% of the time, with over 65% visiting the advertiser’s website. • 89% of respondents read their issue within a week; 42% read immediately or the same day. • 44% of digital readers have decreased their use of print magazines and are relying more on digital. Source: “Proﬁle of the Digital Magazine Reader - 2007,” Texterity, Inc., May 2007, based on the “Business and Consumer Digital Magazine Reader Survey” certiﬁed by BPA Worldwide. Special Supplement to FOLIO: and Circulation Management

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Magazines, 2008 - Supplement to Folio

Digital Magazines, 2008 - Supplement to Folio The State of Digital Magazine Delivery, 2008 Printers Extend Their Services to Digital Key ABC and BPA Audit Rules for Digital Editions What Drives Publishers to Use, and Readers to Read, Digital Magazines? The Art of Enhancement: Digital Magazines 2.0 Spin Reaches Out to Young Readers What About E-Paper? And Mobile Delivery? With Growth Comes Many Competitors Digital-Only Magazines Offer a New Strategy for Former Print Titles Going All-Digital Spawns a New Business Approach

Digital Magazines, 2008 - Supplement to Folio

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