MagBlog

Does this article by James McQuivey (an analyst at Forrester Research) from PaidContent – which specifically refers to the plans of magazine publishers – throw light, heat or both on the subject?

In relation to Paul Lomax's tweet in my last post, I especially like this bit:

Apple is handing them a way to justify charging for content. And they like this very, very much. In fact, one publisher came dangerously close to scrapping Flash development altogether (before his internal tech experts talked him out of it) because he realized that in the end, Apple is handing them something the Web never has: a controlled, curated content environment where people pay for content, albeit in the form of software calls apps.

Labels: Apple, digital magazines, distribution, electronic magazines, Flash, HTML5, iTunes iPhone

Anyone tickled by Paul Lomax reporting from the iPad/digital future of magazines session at yesterday's PPA Conference:

PaulLomax: #PPA Consensus from panel (zinio, meredith/nextissuemedia,wired) is that iPad will not be market leader; Others supporting flash will win... - yesterday

might like to have a look at this article by Mark Sigal, in which he draws comparisons between iPhone/Android and Mac/PC.

There's also a slew of stuff emerging about Flash vs HTML5: http://slashdot.org/story/10/04/30/1037230/Microsoft-Tips-the-Scale-In-Favor-of-HTML-5

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/30/head_of_microsofts_internet_explorer_says_html5_is_the_future.html

Labels: Android, Apple, digital magazines, digital revenue, Flash, HTML5, iPad, iPhone, Periodical Publishers Association

Looks as though all that chat at the PPA Conference yesterday about "erosion" and the difficulty of generating revenue has made IPC pensive: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=45381&c=1

Sample: “As a result we need to review whether it is desirable for IPC to continue to publish the full range of brands that we currently own. This review may lead us to conclude that we sell some of our smaller titles to publishers where they would have a stronger strategic fit and will therefore benefit from a greater focus.”

A SECOND THOUGHT: Or are they making space for a partnership with some BBC Worldwide titles?

The BBC is seeking a partner for the magazines division of BBC Worldwide, its commercial arm.

PaulLomax: #PPA Consensus from panel (zinio, meredith/nextissuemedia,wired) is that iPad will not be market leader; Others supporting flash will win...

This video from Swedish magazine publisher (and major licensor of titles to the Baltic states) Bonnier is not new but worth catching up with:


Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

Here's a bit of a theme:

 KarlSchneider: #ppa Michael Dell at Janes: the big thing B2B publishers need to get their heads around is mobile platforms - 6 minutes ago

KarlSchneider: #ppa for Bauer's Kilbourne the big thing for the next 12 months is iPhone apps - 5 minutes ago

 sashers: What will be the big thing that has mainstreamed by #ppa 2011? Dell: mobile platforms. Kilbourne: iPhone apps. Prasher: tech 4 demand side - 5 minutes ago

  

This is an interesting stream from the session Bauer are involved in:

KarlSchneider: #ppa Andrew Kilbourne: Bauer won't be investing in websites with advertising as the only revenue stream - 18 minutes ago

 amayfield: #ppa Andrea Kilbourne, Bauer - would not invest in a title with an advertising only model. - 17 minutes ago

KarlSchneider: #ppa Kilbourne at Bauer: creative solutions & sponsorship, not CPM ads, are the future for ad - 9 minutes ago

sashers: Kilbourne: what are you good at? creative solutions, brand alliance, high maintenance stuff but premium activity. #ppa - 9 minutes ago

amayfield: #ppa Andrea Kilbourne, Bauer - about a year ago had to get over an obsession with scale and focus on what they could be great at. - 7 minutes ago

Update:MediaWeek's more considered take on the above: http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/rss/1000170/PPA-Conference-2010-Bauer-shifts-away-ad-funded-models-online-brands/



   

There is strong agreement among Consumer editorial types that Facebook and Twitter are at least as important in driving traffic to magazine sites as Google search.

• en sashers: Panel agreeing that facebook and twitter are primary source of driving traffic, not google. #ppa - 6 minutes ago
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  en PPAlive: #ppa @conormcnicholas "great social networking is the new SEO" - 6 minutes ago
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  en PaulLomax: #PPA @conormcnicholas "Don't obsess over Google... 20% of referral traffic on TopGear.com now comes from Facebook." - 7 minutes ago
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  en sashers: 20% of all traffic that comes to topgear.com comes through facebook @conormcnicholas at #ppa - 7 minutes ago

Follow proceedings on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ use hashtag #ppa

The official feed is: http://twitter.com/PPAlive but it's not as lively.

ADVISORY: It's based on magazine stats from the USA