Subject: January 31, 2007 -- Low-Price Mag Dynamics/New Hall of Famer

From: "Circulation Management" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:49:17 -0500

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Your Circulation News >> Wednesday, January 31,  2007

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS
Low-Priced Titles That Sell Big
M2 Media Group Acquires BlueDolphin.com
Abbondante to be Inducted to Circ Hall of Fame
Schedule Change for Circulator Next Week
Circulation Management's SuperBook Debuts Online

BRIEFS
SI.com Relaunches With More Video, Gossip
WSJ, Post to Restore Stock Tables
Bonnier Buys 18 Time Inc. Titles
Carriers Test Mobile Ads
STUDY: Affluent Readership Rises
STUDY: Larger Custom Publishing Budgets
SURVEY: “Prior Value” Prompts E-mail Opens
Advantage Business Media Launches Science Network

MEETINGS & EVENTS

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NEWS

Low-Priced Titles That Sell Big

By Kristina Joukhadar

A recent study by John Harrington, “The Impact of Low Price Magazines,” argues that magazines priced under $2 can’t be profitable for mass market magazine wholesalers under the current terms of sale.

And industry consultant Baird Davis, senior VP CMG Richard Lawton and others have done substantial writing and research about the detrimental impact of a newsstand that’s over-saturated with magazines that don’t sell.

But what about the low-priced magazines that sell really well? We asked Rick Parker, senior VP, Bauer Publishing for his point of view...

[MORE]

M2 Media Group Acquires BlueDolphin.com

Magazine subscription agency M2 Media Group has completed the purchase of online magazine sales Web site BlueDolphin.com from Zinio Systems, Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The decade-old Blue Dolphin Group launched BlueDolphin.com, which consists of a robust ecommerce platform, a strong Internet brand and a large installed base of magazine buyers...

[MORE]

Abbondante to be Inducted to Circ Hall of Fame

It was announced today that The Direct Marketing Association Circulation Council will be inducting Liberta Abbondante into its Circulation Hall of Fame. The award will be presented on February 7 during the DMA’s 21st Annual Circulation Day at the New York Marriott Marquis....

[MORE]

Schedule Change for Circulator Next Week

We will be publishing our e-newsletter on Thursday of next week so that The Circulator staff can attend DMA’s Circulation Day event on Wednesday. We look forward to seeing our readers at the show, and to bringing you some great new stories in the Thursday issue.

Circulation Management's SuperBook Debuts Online

CM's 2007 Supplier Directory containing listings for all of the major types of circulation products and services, is now available online. Links are included to all suppliers' Web sites for easy searches and comparisons.

BRIEFS

SI.com Relaunches With More Video, Gossip

Sports Illustrated relaunched its Web site this week with video-heavy design, a widened layout and a personalization widget in a move to maximize readership and ad revenue.

“Digital is the future, so we’ve got to make sure we’re on top of things online,” Paul Fichtenbaum, SI.com’s managing editor, told AdAge.com.

SI.com’s main ad unit has been moved above the digital fold, which is now accompanied by a flash-based photo unit to allow readers to click through the day’s top stories. The widget has been added so users can access news relevant to their favorite sport.

A “truth and rumors” unit has also been added, which is filled with news nuggets from around the Web, according to Fichtenbaum.

He also says that SI.com has contributed between 15 and 20 percent of the franchise’s total revenue in 2006.

WSJ, Post to Restore Stock Tables

The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal both announced last week that they would bring back some of the stock market tables to their papers.

Intending to save money on newsprint, many newspapers, including The New York Times, began trimming stock tables from their financial sections because free and regularly updated stock indexes were available online. But a large number of readers—WSJ reported that complaints ran in the thousands— began to protest.

WSJ, which dropped an entire page of tables last month, will not go completely back to its old layout—only a quarter of a page will be restored. The Post restored some of its tables only a week after it cut an entire page in November. Another quarter of a page will be restored this month.

Bonnier Buys 18 Time Inc. Titles

Stockholm, Sweden-based Bonnier Magazine Group and its U.S. magazine partner, World Publications, have acquired Time Inc.’s Parenting Group and Time4 Media publications—a total of 18 publications. The fiancial terms were not disclosed.

Through this acquisition, World Publications will now publish 40 titles with annual revenues of $350 million. For now, the existing staff will remain in place in New York, California and Colorado. According to World CEO Terry Snow, some administrative functions may be moved to Winter Park, FL, where World’s headquarters are located.

This is Bonnier’s third acquisition in the U.S. in the past year and its first major purchase of a publication group since its partnership with World Publications.

Carriers Test Mobile Ads

Cell phone carriers including Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, are beginning to test advertising on mobile screens, possibly making cell phone advertising more common by next year.

According to NYTimes.com, not only will companies be improving their mobile Internet services and providing content free or at reduced prices, but some, like Virgin Mobile USA and Amp’d Mobile, are rewarding customers for viewing ads by lowering their cell phone bills...

[MORE]

STUDY: Affluent Readership Rises

The number of magazines targeting affluent consumers has grown from 90 in 1997 to 456 in 2007, according to The Standard Periodical Directory, published by Oxbridge Communications Inc.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in niche publications, including affluent publications, with new titles such as X-ology, covering technology and affluent lifestyle in southeast Michigan and Enclave, which features luxury homes in various upscale locations,” said Deborah Stiplin, editorial director of The Standard Periodical Directory...

[MORE]

STUDY: Larger Custom Publishing Budgets

Fifty-nine percent of chief marketing officers believe that custom media will capture a larger portion of their budgets over the next two years, while 41 percent report having already shifted funds away from traditional media in favor of custom, according to a study conducted by Roper Public Affairs and Media for the Custom Publishing Council.

The study also found that 79 percent believe that custom media should be an integral part of the marketing mix and 78 percent agreed that it represents the future of marketing. More than half of CMOs say that they use customized magazines, more than two-thirds use customized newsletters and 87 percent use Web content and Web sites in their marketing plans...

[MORE]

SURVEY: “Prior Value” Prompts E-mail Opens

According to Return Path’s Third Annual Holiday Email Consumer Survey, the top reason consumers open one email and not another is “prior value with the email program.” Other influences—including brand, subject line and discounts/free shipping—diminished this year.

“Consumers consistently tell us in this study that if they found value in a previous email, they were more likely to open the next email from that sender,” wrote Stephanie Miller, VP of strategic services at Return Path...

[MORE]

Advantage Business Media Launches Science Network

Advantage Business Media announced this week the launch of the Advantage Business Media Science Network, a “one-stop information resource for white papers, Webcasts, e-tutorials, new product videos and other online information based reference materials.”

The network is an online resource where scientists, engineers, laboratory and research and development managers/directors and corporate management can access ideas, tips, tutorials and workshops provided by leading industry professionals. Topics covered include scientific strategies and emerging technologies implemented in labs across 20 different industries, academic and government.

Advantage Business Media already covers the science industry with its publications, Bioscience Technology, Drug Discovery & Development, Genomics & Proteomics, Laboratory Equipment, R&D and Scientific Computing.

MEETINGS & EVENTS

Webinars
Feb. 1, DMA's How to Best Leverage Search Marketing and Web Analytics to Drive Leads, 1 p.m. EST Register here

Feb. 6, DMA's What is the Real Hispanic Market?, 1 p.m. EST Register here

Feb. 7, WFMA Webinar on Postal Issues, 2 p.m. PDT Register here

Feb. 8, DMA's E-Marketing Excellence: Keys to Campaigns that Deliver Killer Results, 1 p.m. EST Register here

Feb. 13, DMA's Removing the Lie in Loyalty Program Liability, 1 p.m. EST Register here

February
Feb. 5, AMA Training Series: Conjoint Analysis and Discreet Choice Modeling: Introduction,  Comparison and Evolution, Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/AMAUDF9CF435.htm

Feb. 6, 2007 Trillilum Software® Customer Conference, Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV  http://www.harte-hanks.com

Feb 8., AMA Training Series: Marketing ROI Techniques: Improving Campaign Measurements, Analytics and Profitability, Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/AMAUDF9CF435.htm

Feb. 12, AMA Training Series: Managing Customer Loyalty, Las Vegas, NV http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/AMAUDF9CF435.htm
Feb. 14, ABM Thought Leadership Breakfast Series - One Team. One Goal...Sucees: Sales, Editorial, Operations & Audience Development Working Together, New York, NY. http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com

Feb. 14, Lunch with the Audit Bureaus—Anthony Arena of ABC & David Terlick of BPA, National Trade Circulation Foundation Inc., The Penn Club, New York, NY. http://www.ntcfi.org

Feb. 19, AMA Training Series: Conjoint Analysis and Discreet Choice Modeling: Introduction,  Comparison and Evolution, Renaissance Scottsdale Resort, Scottsdale, AZ http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/AMAUDF9CF435.htm

Feb. 22, AMA Training Series: Marketing ROI Techniques: Improving Campaign Measurements, Analytics and Profitability, The Georgia Institute of Technology Conference Center, Atlanta, GA http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/AMAUDF9CF435.htm

Feb. 26, AMA Training Series: Managing Customer Loyalty, Philadelphia, PA http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/AMAUDF9CF435.htm

Feb. 27, MPA Digital Conference - "Magazines 24/7: Connecting With the Consumer." CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY. http://www.magazine.org/digitalconference

March
March 8, AMA Training Series: Marketing ROI Techniques: Improving Campaign Measurements, Analytics and Profitability, The Westin Seattle, Seattle, WA http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/AMAUDF9CF435.htm

March 28, Digital Velocity: Top, Bottom and Front Line Best Practices for Growth, New York, NY http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com

[MORE]

Contact us
Red 7 Media, Inc.
10 Norden Place
Norwalk, CT 06855
Tel. (203) 854-6730
Fax: (203) 854-6735

Editors:
Kristina Joukhadar, Managing Editor
Chandra Johnson-Greene, Associate Editor

Advertising Inquiries:
Tony Silber, Publisher
Gina Gavish, Advertising Director
John Ellertson, Regional Sales Manager
Karen Putrimas, Sr. Sales Manager, Directory Group

Exhibit & Sponsorship Inquiries:
Kelly Koenig, Dir. Exhibit & Sponsorship

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