Content still king, distribution changes

The vocabulary of the modern mobile community has recently been enlarged with words like podcast, webzine, tube, blackberry, feed, widget, streaming, web 3.0, apps, … Perhaps the question is no longer  “will internet ever replace paper”, but rather when  this will happen, as Kathleen Kennedy,  head of Strategy at Technology Review, says. Is this expectation ahead of its time?

The mindframe of marketing experts is already shifting from traditional towards interactive media. The prominent research institution Forrester predicts that expenses occured by interactive advertising will  largely be covered by  the decrease in the purchase of printed adds. In USA, this will happen later this year. Research also shows that only 7 % of the marketers are not yet considering interactive media.

Readers too, are turning to the internet. There is simply sooo much content there. Some readers, of course will never replace their hard copy newspaper with the digital version, but there are also readers who will never go back to a printed newspaper again. They love the hyperlinked  media rich documents and spend more time on them than the conventional reader spends daily on the printed edition. Thus you have the chance to benefit financially from the high quality free content you put online.

If  new readers are not interested in the „dull“ printed edition, the highly structured „user friendly“ design of the web site won''''t win them over either. Content is still key, but this new breed of readers are not inclined to search the internet for the latest news. They want something cheerful, entertaining and new, all neatly packaged in an attractive way.

eDition – your chance to profit

Maybe you yourself have started with the deployment of your editions to the interactive graphics of internet publishing. Beside an interesting experience, the latter offers to its readers the  use of podcasts,  music players, YouTube and similar more or less  novel features while at the same time allowing the  publishers to preserve total control over  the final outlook/display of the edition.

This solution could not have come at a better time. The costs of paper and postal services have gone up and are still rising. The price of ink, paper, print and delivery can make up to half of the expenses of running an edition. This new option is also tempting for the advertising professional. Readers can, by simply clicking on the picture of a new sports car, experience the view from the car while driving in the Swiss Alps... or hear the demo from their latest record by clicking on the picture of a rock star. No elaborate teaser or free tester can ever surpass that full-on onslaught on the senses. This is where the money is – go get it!