Study: High Reader Engagement Seen With Apps
A new report from digital publishing services provider Yudu suggests that people who download apps to read books and magazines are more engaged than your typical app user.
Magazine apps examined by Yudu saw repeated use among 64 percent of readers, who returned to the app an average of 3.7 times. This is a much higher engagement rate than seen for apps generally—findings from research firm Localytics show that one in four downloaded apps are used only once, according to a study cited by Yudu.
In addition, 40 percent of those who download reader apps opt to share contact details with a publisher, which Yudu notes “potentially alleviates a major concern from publishers about Apple’s insistence on maintaining control over users’ contact information.”
The Yudu study is based on an analysis of 80 apps developed by Yudu for publishers including Reader’s Digest UK, Newsmax Magazine, US Tech, The College Journal and Runway Magazine, and defines “reader apps” as “apps developed primarily for sharing written content such as magazines, catalogs, books or brochures.”
The study also finds reader app downloads increasing at a faster pace than device adoption, and a surge in in-app purchases—potentially an important future revenue source for publishers.
“Our findings suggest that branded reader Apps are achieving impressive levels of interaction with users across a number of criteria,” Richard Stephenson, CEO of Yudu Media, says in a press release. “The proportion of users supplying opt-in data, the number of return views, and the average number of edition returns all indicate a healthy level of interaction from users.”
Accelerating trends such as consumer movement to digital reading and the growth of the tablet market mean branded reader apps offer publishers the promise of a very good chance of ROI, Stephenson suggests.
The full report is available at www.yudupro.com/yudureport
This Year’s Conference Attracts ‘Critical Mass of [Industry] Leaders’
As the largest and most successful Publishing Business Conference & Expo to date, the 2011 event at the New York Marriott Marquis offered a host of compelling speakers, vendors and ideas. For those who were there, a just-released wrap-up video will bring to mind the compelling, cutting-edge keynote addresses from Steve Hannah and David Granger, the excitement and energy of the expo floor, the enthusiasm of attendees, and the range and depth of topics offered at conference sessions. Those who were not able to make it can get a sense of what will be experienced at next year’s conference, scheduled for March 19-21, 2012.
Watch the video below or by clicking here. More video, articles and information are on the Publishing Business Conference & Expo website.
Video Keynote Address: Esquire
Keynotes at the 2011 Publishing Business Conference & Expo kicked off with a welcome address by Esquire Editor David Granger. Granger’s direct and honest manner held the attention of ballroom full of attendees. His comment suggesting that most of what he does he does out of panic and fear rather than simply the desire to innovate got laughs from a roomful of approximately 500 industry executives.
Granger explained that he pushed his staff to innovate by saying that the printed magazine’s form has essentially never changed, unlike the ketchup bottle, which now has the “brilliant” plastic squeeze bottle form, he stressed.
He explained his quest for pushing the boundaries of what a print magazine is, reflected in the magazine’s electronic-ink cover in 2008 (for which Esquire was named Publishing Executive’s Publishing Innovator of the Year), fold out windows, mix-and-match cover images, augmented reality, etc.
Granger also explained that he and his team applied the same philosophy to Esquire’s iPad app, which recently won a National Magazine Award for Digital Media for the mobile edition category. The app features moving cover images, such as Liam Neeson punching the “screen” and “shattering” it.
One of Granger’s main messages: Print is still alive and well, and many opportunities exist for magazine brands to expand with digital content. He stresses his theme “Everything is possible,” several times.
Most media coverage of the event focused on Granger’s announcement of Esquire’s new online retail venture, Clad—an effort to bring the consumer closer to (and able to buy) what is featured in the magazine.
Video Keynote Address: Steve Hannah of The Onion
In a keynote address at the Publishing Business Conference, The Onion President and CEO Steve Hannah showed videos from the satirical news media’s website and new television shows (launched earlier this year), and told the story of how The Onion started in a dorm room and evolved into “the most powerful media empire in the world.” With books, online news and videos, e-newsletters, more than 2.8 million Twitter followers, shows on Comedy Central and IFC, and newspapers, it’s covering all of the media bases.
Hannah also explained The Onion’s relatively recent initiative to license the newspaper content out to major newspapers in various cities worldwide, so that The Onion would retain control of the content, but the licensors would handle ad sales and include local events listings and the like in the back of the paper. As Hannah explained, The Onion is about content—that’s what they do best; why not let someone else sell the ads?
The ‘Thought-Provoking Edge’: Time to Step Up
The Marriott Marquis, Times Square, New York, was abuzz April 4-6 with more than 1,200 publishing industry executives attending the Publishing Business Conference & Expo, produced by Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines.
The event, which saw its highest attendance in its history, focuses on providing strategic information for senior-level executives in book and magazine publishing, with 40-plus sessions throughout the 2.5-day show and tracks dedicated to each publishing audience. This year’s theme was “Thriving in the New Media Universe.”
“I was so motivated by the number of people who joined us this year, and by the caliber of speakers who wanted to share their insights,” says Noelle Skodzinski, program director for the Publishing Business Conference & Expo, and editorial director for Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines. “I just read a quote that someone retweeted that said, ‘Digital revolution should be happening WITH #publishers, not TO publishers.’ I agree, and I think it’s why we had record-breaking attendance this year. Publishing executives are ready to take control of their futures with solid strategies, and our goal in both the conference program and the expo is to help them do that.”
The conference opened with two high-profile morning sessions on cross-platform publishing and social media strategy, followed by a welcome address by Esquire Editor David Granger, a keynote address by The Onion President and CEO Steve Hannah, and special guest speaker, Consultant David Aldea, who spoke on digital transformation and prioritizing financial investments going forward. Monday also featured the Third Annual Digital Magazine Symposium, now a staple of the show.
Tuesday’s keynote event was an executive roundtable—featuring Workman Publishing Group Publisher Bob Miller, Ingram Content Group Chief Content Officer Phil Ollila, LJK Literary Management Founder/Agent Larry Kirshbaum, McGraw-Hill Professional President Philip Ruppel, and Scholastic Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Development Jeffrey Mathews—which explored how shifts in the marketplace are impacting the entire supply chain, from distributors to publishers to authors and agents, and more. Tuesday also was rounded out by a half-day mobile strategy summit—which explored issues and solutions in mobile publishing, from the mobile Web to apps, from pricing to logistics and workflow, to business models, return on investment and more—and the annual Digital Book Printing Forum, presented by INTERQUEST.
Wednesday featured a half-day social media workshop run in cooperation with the Online Marketing Summit, which engaged the audience in success stories and tactical strategies, and provided specific solutions to social media hurdles.
“[The Publishing Business Conference] is the event horizon for the publishing industry,” said Robert D. Clouse, president and publisher, Triple Nickel Press. “Truly the thought-provoking edge. Trust me, you’ll wish you had brought your entire team.”
“The Publishing Business Conference & Expo is without a doubt one of the best professional events I have ever attended,” commented Barbara Dimauro, Circulation & Marketing Director at The Warren Group. “I came away energized, excited and full of new ideas from the many top-notch sessions. There is something for every publishing professional at this event, and I highly recommend it!”
Robin Coleman of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists noted, “The Publishing Business Conference organizers have done a wonderful job maintaining balance between innovative thinkers and speakers with knowledge grounded in experience. The sessions are simultaneously exhilarating and reassuring.”
“The 2011 Publishing Business Conference & Expo was an excellent conference and definitely worth the investment of attending,” said Jennifer A. Mojave, corporate services manager for Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. “Each session I attended exceeded my expectations, and I gained vast knowledge about the industry, best business practices, future predictions …, etc. I can now share the information I learned with my team and move forth in improving our own business practices, and offer our Castle Connolly publications to our customers over multiple platforms we are investing in.”
The Expo: Solutions for All Walks of Publishing
Monday and Tuesday also drew traffic to the expo hall, filled with 70 exhibitors of a wide range of publishing technologies, services and solutions. “It’s very helpful if you’re looking for an all-in-one publishing show,” said Stan Tracy, director, Capital Cities/ABC. “I found several vendors I will be contacting.”
According to the post-show survey distributed to show attendees, more than 60 percent of attendees found new, prospective vendors in the expo hall.
Marianne Calilhanna, marketing manager for Really Strategies Inc.—which provides content solutions and services to publishers, and exhibited in the expo—commented, “This year’s Publishing Business Conference provided the ideal forum to speak one-on-one with the thousands of publishing professionals who gather on the expo floor. It was no surprise to us that ‘e-book’ was definitely the hot topic this year. Because of this event, RSuite Cloud by Really Strategies was able to demonstrate how our solution automates e-book production to hundreds of people.”
“… The show coordinators have done a great job of recognizing the areas of our business that are rapidly changing and adjusting the show to facilitate and showcase those changes,” said Dan Deardorff, manager of client services for Advantage Book Binding, a longtime exhibitor at the Publishing Business Conference & Expo. “The show has been a good tool for us as a vendor to gauge where the industry is heading and how we need to grow to keep up with all of our customer needs.”
Ben Hoffman, senior account manager for MoFuse Inc., which exhibited its mobile website management solutions in the expo, said, “The Publishing Business Conference & Expo is an excellent opportunity to learn about innovative technologies in the field of publishing, as well as meet those who are leading these transformations.”
“I have seen the show evolve over the years as our industry has evolved,” said Jonnie A. Bryant, executive director of marketing and sales for book manufacturer McNaughton & Gunn Inc. “I believe that [Publishing Business] has kept a high degree of integrity and value to the exhibitors and publishers who attend. The show was very good for our company this year. The traffic was high, and I believe that was a result of the caliber of the event and speakers. The information was important and of value to the attendees. I attended a number of sessions where the energy was high because the topics were important to the audience,” Bryant said. “Thank you for all your continued work to make this show successful for all who attend and exhibit.”
Suggested improvements include: The show could use more available seating for attendees during breaks and lunch, according to some, and more opportunities to network with all the innovative speakers and attendees.
“With the show growing each year, the staff works hard to keep up with everything needed to accommodate the increasing numbers of attendees and exhibitors, and we will continue to listen to and respond to attendee feedback,” says Skodzinski.
“Most attendees said they’ll be back next year, so we’ll plan to have more seats waiting for them!”
Editor’s note: Additional coverage of the conference can be found on PublishingBusiness.com. And mark your calendars now for the 2012 Publishing Business Conference & Expo, March 19-21, in New York.
Scholastic Inc. and Bonnier Corp. Named Publishing Innovators of the Year
Publishing Executive and Book Business magazines, producers of the Publishing Business Conference & Expo, have named Bonnier Corp. and Scholastic Inc. as the Publishing Innovators of the Year. Bonnier Corp., recognized by Publishing Executive magazine for its innovation in magazine publishing, and Scholastic Inc., recognized by Book Business magazine for its innovation in book publishing, were presented with the awards at a special reception on April 4, during the 2011 Publishing Business Conference and Expo at the New York Marriott Marquis, Times Square. Approximately 70 VIP guests from the publishing industry—including executives from Esquire, The Onion, U.S. News & World Report, Merriam-Webster, Wolters Kluwer and Fierce Markets, were in attendance at the private reception, sponsored by Mirasol display technology by Qualcomm.
Scholastic Inc.
Global children’s publishing, education and media company Scholastic Inc. was selected as Publishing Innovator of the Year in book publishing for its leadership in multimedia publishing, such as the best-selling series “The 39 Clues,” which incorporates collectible cards, an online game, webcasts and more. It also has been a pioneer in developing educational technology with its READ 180, the technology-based reading intervention program that is used by more than 1 million students in U.S. schools everyday and helps struggling readers in grades 4 through 12 “do a 180″ turnaround from failure to success. Scholastic also has been leading in the mobile space with its highly rated “Touch & Tilt” apps for young children: “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” “I Love You Through and Through,” and “The Magic School Bus.”
The company also is making significant digital investments this year that will lead to its launch of its kid-friendly e-reader software and an e-bookstore for kids timed to launch this fall for back-to-school.
In addition to its business leadership, Scholastic was recognized for its global literacy campaign, “Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life.” The campaign’s social networking site, “You Are What You Read” (http://youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com/), celebrates the “great reads of our lives.” This worldwide online book community lets readers connect by sharing the five books that most influenced their life involving publishers the world over in the site, not just Scholastic. Nearly 200 noted celebrities, authors, business leaders and academics, including Bill Gates, Daniel Radcliffe, Oprah Winfrey, and even two former U.S. presidents have contributed their “great reads” to the site.
Scholastic also commissioned a literacy study, “The 2010 Kids & Family Reading Report,” examining kids’ reading behaviors in the digital world in which they’re growing up.
In the awards presentation, Book Business and Publishing Executive Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski explained, “Scholastic is a company that has long been admired by many, and for reasons that are too many to cite. This past year, however, Scholastic seemed to go above and beyond its usual standards of leadership and forward-thinking business strategy. It also has reached beyond the borders of business, and launched impressive and noble efforts to improve literacy worldwide.”
Accepting the award on behalf of Scholastic, among a number of Scholastic executives in attendance at the reception, was Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic Inc.
“Scholastic is honored to be chosen Publishing Innovator of the Year, especially because the staff and the advisory board of Book Business recognized us not only for our business innovations, but also for our global literacy campaign, ‘Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life,’” says Robinson. “The message of our campaign is that, in this technology-driven age, the ability to read well, analyze and interpret texts, and draw information and inspiration from books and literature has never been more important not only to succeed, but to survive in the 21st Century. We thank Book Business for this important honor.”
Bonnier Corp.
Bonnier Corp.—one of the largest consumer-publishing groups in America, with 50 magazines and related multimedia projects and events—was selected as Publishing Innovator of the Year in magazine publishing for a variety of reasons. The company has been a leader and example for the industry in digital publishing. Well before most, in 2009, the company launched the PopSci Genius Guide, a series of four fully interactive, special interest publications with entirely unique new content, to help lead and define the future of digital publishing.
Bonnier was exploring and testing ideas for the digital “magazine of the future,” creating its Mag+ prototype before the iPad even launched last year. The Mag+ platform will be enhanced with a feature set that will allow users to socialize and use content in new ways. A new ad platform, created in partnership with Crispin Porter + Bogusky, will facilitate the creation of highly interactive ads that are designed to be both entertaining and service-oriented.
The company also was one of the first to launch a magazine title on the iPad (Popular Science) last May, and has followed that up with aggressive R&D work on tablets of all kinds, apps and the launch of its iPad-only magazine, Roadtrip. The first major digital-only iPad publication is fully devoted to the joy and freedom of a great road trip, according to Roadtrip‘s editor in chief.
This year, Bonnier will launch more titles for tablets, bringing the total to more than 20 by the year’s end.
The company also launched the PopSci School Inventors Challenge for elementary, middle and high school students with the support of several sponsors. This has enabled Bonnier, and in particular its Popular Science brand, to support science in classrooms.
“Bonnier has been taking a leadership position in a time of significant industry transition, and setting the industry up to learn from its efforts,” says Skodzinski. “This is a great achievement, especially considering that today it can be difficult enough to keep up with industry changes, let alone to be a leader amidst them.”
Among many Bonnier executives at the awards reception who were involved in the company’s recent achievements was Gregg Hano, Vice President and Group Publisher of Bonnier’s Technology Group, who accepted the award on behalf of the company.
“We are in the early stages of what is certainly one of the most exciting, transformative times in the publishing industry, and Bonnier was thrilled to be recognized by Publishing Executive magazine as pioneers in this space,” says Hano.
About the Publishing Innovator of the Year Awards
This is the third year that Publishing Executive and Book Business magazines, published by North American Publishing Co., have recognized Publishing Innovators of the Year in book and magazine publishing. Previous award recipients include Esquire magazine, Harlequin Enterprises Ltd., Time Inc., and HarperCollins Publishers. Recipients often are nominated by readers of Publishing Executive and Book Business, and are selected by each magazine’s editorial staff and editorial advisory board.
Publishing Executive (http://www.pubexec.com) and Book Business (http://www.bookbusinessmag.com) are leading magazines serving U.S. magazine and book publishers, respectively.
The Publishing Business Conference & Expo (http://www.publishingbusiness.com) is the nation’s largest conference and exposition for book and magazine publishers, held annually in New York City.
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- Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic Inc., poses with Book Business Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski after presentation of the Publishing Innovator Awards at the 2011 Publishing Business Conference & Expo.
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- Publishing Executive Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski poses with Gregg Hano, Vice President and Group Publisher of Bonnier’s Technology Group, after the presentation of the Publishing Innovator Awards at the 2011 Publishing Business Conference & Expo.
Publishing Business Conference & Expo Photo Gallery
The Publishing Business Conference & Expo was full of exciting events and encounters, some of which are highlighted in the photo gallery below. Click on the thumbnails to see a larger version of each picture with a description.
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Sponsors
