BtoB Media Business - September 2012 - (Page 14)

Production PRODUCTION More channels, more work Mobile devices, tablets offer challenging opportunities for content distribution BY MARK J. MILLER PRESSING ISSUES Production: Then and now hen Keith Hammerbeck joined Advanstar Communications back in 1982, it was still known as Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and he was a production manager for a healthcare title. Now corporate director of media operations, he’s running the show. Media Business: What are the biggest chalBIO lenges to the KEITH HAMMERBECK industry right Corporate direcnow? tor of media Keith Ham- operations, merbeck: The Advanstar Communications continued squeeze in ad pages, and the challenges of making content available in a number of different formats for different uses. With the reduction in ad revenue, making smart choices in how to reduce costs so that it is as transparent as possible to our end customers. MB: What recent success with your production department are you most proud of? Hammerbeck: We made a very major change in our operations about two years ago when we moved from in-house operations to offshore operations. Our staff level went from over 100 to five. We had to create everything from scratch, so it was a rather long transition period. I am now very proud of the progress we have made, things are going very smoothly, and a number of functions are working better than they did in the past. Obviously, the cost structure is much different and allows what used to be a marginal publication (to) remain profitable. I think that the b-to-b industry can benefit from this because there is now a viable offshore option for other publishers to use. —M.J.M. W M someone else builds the app,” he said. “That any b-to-b publishing companies limits your flexibility in making changes and are still taking a wait-and-see ap- adaptations.” proach toward offering content deHe also warned companies to look out for resigned specifically for tablets and creating apps curring costs. For most of the app platforms he targeted to their audiences. A few, however, looked at, costs were the same for the first year are forging ahead. but began to fluctuate after two or three years. “The mobile device and tablet are the chanBNP Media began its app production by nels of distribution for corporate decision-mak- placing content solely on iPads but has since ers,” said Joey Fortuna, chief technology offi- started to put additional effort toward reaching cer of Ziff Davis. “Think about the last meeting the Android market, according to Corporate you attended in which anything close to half Creative Director Mike Powell. the attendees walked in cradling an open lapMcGraw-Hill Cos. builds its print pages top, with its monitor wobwith the idea that they will bling around. Happens less eventually go digital. “We and less.” build our page layout temKey Communications, plates with styles and tagging publisher of USGlass magato meet both print and digital zine, puts out versions of its tirequirements, and minimize tles after the content has been additional production work,” sent to and finalized with the said Brenda Griffin, senior diprinter so there is no chance rector of integrated media opfor any differences between erations at McGraw-Hill Conthe two versions. Holly Biller, struction. VP-media services for the Isaac Sacolick, CIO of Mccompany, said there has been Graw-Hill Construction, also a lot of trial-and-error along the said that the company stores way,andshedoesn’tforesee that all content in XML and a changing. She also pointed Key Communications’ ‘USGlass’ searchable database. “Our finalizes print content before it out that the production de- puts it out on its iPad app. core strategy around content partment gets to be more creis to store it in databases and ative than usual when involved with app cre- develop [application programming interfaces] ation. “It’s exciting for us as a company, and so that content can more easily be repurposed we’ve found that their creativity and desire to in different ways.” The entire creative team is expand has served us all well,” she said. being trained in HTML5 to help facilitate app Edgell Communications’ production de- development, he said. partment creates apps for Apple and Android Ziff Davis has mobile content as a separate platforms for the company’s events. Edgell also work flow, Fortuna said. “The experience in produces a browser version of each app for mobile and tablet is so different from what we BlackBerry users. Robert Keenan, VP-online see in Web and direct … that the initiatives ocmedia, said that Edgell goes out of its way to cupy separate spaces in our work flow,” he present content on the app in a different way said. (Ziff Davis designs for the iPad because than in other media. The production depart- sales for the device outpace its nearest competiment also tags the content so personalized tor by 2 to 1.) schedules can be delivered to users. Fortuna also said that production departKeenan said companies starting to experi- ments shouldn’t think they can cleanly repurment in this area should look for a platform that pose existing content to tablets and recomis built around a content management system. mended using an HTML5 interface. “There’s “Some event app platforms are a bit like black no need to look for unicorns, or even zebras, boxes, where you provide the content and when a horse will do just as well,” he said. 14 | Media Business | September 2012 | mediabusinessonline.com http://www.mediabusinessonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BtoB Media Business - September 2012

BtoB Media Business - September 2012
Table of Contents
Upfront
Cover Story
Budgeting for 2013
Sales & Marketing
M&A
Production
People
Benchmarks
Endnote

BtoB Media Business - September 2012