BtoB Media Business - January 2008 - (Page 6)

SPECIAL REPORT The state of b-to-b media Against the backdrop of a slowing economy, publishers are moving quickly to grow their online presence, ramp up integrated sales and build community BY MATTHEW SCHWARTZ B usiness media companies continue to recalibrate their brands for the Internet, where advertisers can get imme- Building events diate and measurable returns on their investments. But Face-to-face revenue has been growing in recent years, and ABM predicts a gain of while digital media and trade shows remain the primary this year. growth areas for publishers, print is still the core for most 7% to 10%capitalizingBusiness publishers have been on this growth in b-to-b media brands. ¶ Here are 10 key trends to watch heading into events, both in physical space and online. One of those publishers is Canon Com2008, a year expected to be marked by a slowing economy and increasmunications, which has 55 events targeting pressure on companies to justify their marketing spending. ing the advanced manufacturing sector. Coping with rising production expenses While there has been some moderate relief in postal rates under the recently enacted Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the same cannot be said for paper costs. ABM President-CEO Gordon Hughes II said business publishers face a 14% annual increase in paper prices this year. Millions of tons of capacity have been taken out of the market, said Mike Bennett, a sales executive at paper producer Bulkley Dunton Publishing Group, pointing to recent shutdowns of paper mills by UPM, Fraser and Tembec. “We’re still scratching our heads,” he said, referring to the closings. With chemical and energy prices continuing to rise, paper prices may rise even higher than predicted this year. them get their messages out. But with a squeeze on b-to-b marketing budgets expected this year, publishers will have to go the extra mile when crafting integrated marketing plans, said John French, president-CEO of Penton Media. Penton’s Registered Rep, a monthly publication aimed at independent financial brokers, offers integrated buys that include print, online and events. For its biggest customers, it can add customized research. “It’s not just selling someone pages and online space but information that can become part of the customer’s overall strategy,” French said, adding that in a tight economy, business publishers also have to be careful not to “unbundle” integrated packages and have the buyer pit the price of one medium against the others. Repurposing print Through August (the most recent month for which figures were available), b-to-b ad pages fell 3.3% compared with the same period in 2006, according to Business Information Network data released by American Business Media. Ad revenue declined 2% during the same period. Magazine revenue is expected to drop 2% to 7% in 2008, according to ABM. To wring more value from print, publishers are shrinking the size of their magazines and reducing their frequency. But in some cases, they’re also pumping up their investment. For example, Questex Media’s Travel Agent in September switched to a biweekly frequency from a weekly, while upgrading its paper quality, design and editorial content. Since the revamp, the magazine has seen a spike in advertising, both in print and online, said Questex President-CEO Kerry Gumas. “The changes could be a bellwether for b-to-b publishers in nontech markets on how to satisfy the needs of customers in a traditional print format,” he said. Integrated marketing marches on Integrated marketing is fast becoming the industry standard, as publishers strive to offer buyers what they hope is the right mix of media vehicles to help In particular, Canon has been out front with a co-location strategy. Last year it colocated three major shows: National Manufacturing Week, Assembly Technology Expo and Quality Expo. Buyers “are under more pressure to justify their time and money and, by offering co-located events, you give them an itinerary of primary objectives for attending a show but also a set of secondary objectives by visiting related events under the same roof,” said Charles McCurdy, CEO of Canon and Apprise Media. Reed Exhibitions, Americas, which has more than 100 trade shows and events, launched ISC365.com last March to leverage Reed’s ISC West and ISC East shows, which target security markets. The Web site includes news feeds from five publications covering security, a product database, a search engine and archives from previous ISC shows. It will soon add Web 2.0 elements. “It’s not about a trade show, or online or anything else, per se,” said Chet Burchett, president of the division. “It’s about contacts, content and community.” 6 | Media Business | January 2008 | mediabusinessonline.com http://ISC365.com http://mediabusinessonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BtoB Media Business - January 2008

BtoB Media Business - January 2008
Contents
Upfront
Industry Snapshot
Cover Story
Sales & Marketing
M & A
Events
Online
Production
Circulation
People
Benchmarks
Endnote

BtoB Media Business - January 2008

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