BtoB Media Business - May 2008 - (Page 12)

Top Innovators inBusiness Publishing I t’s a difficult environment these days for b-to-b media companies, as the slowing economy puts the squeeze on marketers’ budgets and added pressure on business publishers’ bottom lines. But where many see challenges, others see opportunities. As demonstrated by the publishing pros profiled in our fifth annual Top Innovators in Business Publishing, now is not the time to be reactive but rather to aggressively pursue new and often unorthodox ways to generate revenue and create fresh platforms for b-to-b media brands. Take Steve Howe, president of Financial Times,the Americas, who this year created a U.S. conference group that has already held three events, with more to come. On the editorial side, Bob Safian, editor of Fast Company, seems to have overcome the magazine’s association with the dot-com era’s boom and bust. He’s recruited new talent, punched up the design and added two special issues, among other things. The result: Through the first quarter, ad revenue was up 35% and ad pages grew 29%. To be sure, many of this year’s innova- Top Innovators awards luncheon Media Business will honor the winners of the fifth annual Top Innovators in Business Publishing Awards at a luncheon Wednesday, June 4, in the Mercury Ballroom of the Hilton New York. The program will start with a cocktail reception at 11:30 a.m. The awards luncheon will begin at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 each, or $1,125 for a table of 10. To make reservations, visit www.btobonline.com/Innovators. tors are moving aggressively online. Jeff Giesea, president of FierceMarkets, which was recently acquired by Questex Media, continues to grow what he calls a “vertical family” of niche newsletters. The Top Innovators Awards are given in six categories: top executive, publisher, editor, online, audience development and production. Most of the categories are broken into three divisions: large trade, small trade (less than $200 million in annual revenue) and general business. In terms of individual titles, the dividing line between small and large is $7 million in revenue. F rank Anton, CEO of construction publisher Hanley Wood, has moved aggressively in the last year to build up the company’s online presence against the backdrop of a brutal housing market. “When the [housing] recession ends and marketers’ coffers have more marketing expenses for Web products, we’re expecting a major shift to online spending, and we want to be ready,” he said. “It’s a bet we’re taking, but we think we’re right.” The shift in spending has to a large degree already started, with Hanley Wood’s online revenue up 50% last year compared with 2006, Anton said. Online revenue climbed 35% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. Double-digit increases in online revenue have helped offset double-digit declines in Hanley Wood’s print portfolio, which includes Builder, Custom Home and Pool & Spa News. Anton has spearheaded several online initiatives in the past year to create more electronic opportunities for Hanley Wood’s customers. These include the recent debut of ArchitectTV, the newest channel on HanleyWood’s BuildTV, and the relaunch of Builderonline.com and ePlans.com, EXECUTIVES Frank Anton Division: Large Title: CEO Company: Hanley Wood Comment: Anton continues to boost Hanley Wood’s online presence, with revenue rising 50% last year. Web initiatives have included relaunching Web sites and growing Hanley Wood’s BuildTV. an online resource for residential house plans. To stay ahead of the curve online, Anton said, he is recruiting online talent outside of traditional b-to-b circles and maintaining capital expenditures for the Web despite the economic slowdown. “We continue to push forward in areas where we think we have opportunities,” he said. “We’re not going to be ready for future prospects if we don’t build out our electronic properties.” Yet Anton is not shying away from print. In April 2007, Hanley Wood acquired from Spiderweb Publishing eco-structure and metalmag, two titles in the commercial construction space. In March the company debuted Green Products and Technology to cover the growth of “green” building practices. The magazine has since been renamed EcoHome to better align with Hanley Wood’s annual EcoHome Expo and Conference and EcoHome Web site. Referring to the name change, Anton said: “Everyone knows the housing market is a disaster, but one part of the market that has seen some life is sustainability construction, which may kick-start the market. Our sense is readers want it, and advertisers will follow.” —Matthew Schwartz 12 | Media Business | May 2008 | mediabusinessonline.com http://www.btobonline.com/Innovators http://www.btobonline.com/Innovators http://Builderonline.com http://mediabusinessonline.com

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

BtoB Media Business - May 2008
Contents
IMB, Microsoft Top Spenders in B-to-B Magazines
Our Annual Selection of Execs on the Cutting Edge
Publishers Strive to Protect Lists from Overuse
Sales & Marketing
M&A
Online
Events
Circulation
People
Benchmarks
FedEx on the Media Needs of Global Advertisers

BtoB Media Business - May 2008