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fipp.com Q4 2008 | Magazine World | 39
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amc
Unleashing the Power
In October, t
~
he Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) held its annual American
Magazine Conference (AMC) in San Francisco. It took place in the middle of a growing
global economic crisis, and many in the audience were constantly thumbing their
BlackBerries to keep up with market acrobatics. Don Kummerfeld reports.
T
he opening speaker, Nancy
Pelosi, speaker of the US
House of Representatives,
gave a slightly breathless account
of the passage two days earlier
of the $700bn bailout legislation.
Despite these distractions,
the AMC programme over the
next two days was packed
with relevant content and the
Eric Schmidt and Govenor Schwarzenegger addressed the audience.
overall mood of the editors and
publishers was subdued but not entitled ‘The most innovative thing ‘cheeseburger challenge’. Anyone than in television alone. A panel
panic stricken. I did in the last year’, which for the who volunteers to eat two fewer of circulation experts focussed
Many of the older magazine most part involved television cheeseburgers a year will get a free on the perennial problem of
executives seemed to be and/or digital initiatives. subscription to Backpacker. how to reverse declining single
philosophical: “We’ve been Paul Saffo, the Stanford There was also a lot of copy sales through innovative
through recessions before and University-based futurist emphasis on cause marketing marketing schemes.
survived and we will survive addressed the future of magazines and doing good. Several case The AMC usually attracts high
again”. But most of the speakers in a post-information age. Advising studies demonstrated that doing level politicians like Senator
focussed on how we can diversify us that we should “learn to be good in a credible manner is good McCain in 2005 and Senator Obama
our businesses to be less comfortable with uncertainty”, business. The founder of Good in 2006. This year, in addition
dependent on traditional print he said the name of the game magazine, Jonathan Greenblatt, to Nancy Pelosi, the closing
advertising revenues, which may now is creativity and peer-to- showed how the magazine built speaker was Governor Arnold
return to pre-recession levels. peer participation. A practical, a subscription base with zero Schwarzenegger, who charmed the
This year’s theme, ‘Unleashing affordable ebook is coming and direct marketing expense, by audience with amusing anecdotes
the Power’, presumably implied the Kindle is the first proto-type. offering to remit all subscription about his politically divided family
the power of magazine brands Sustainability – the new revenue to a good cause of the and certified his credentials as the
rather than the magazine itself, code word for environmental subscriber’s choice from a list of greenest and most independent
following last year’s theme friendliness – got a lot of attention some 20 good causes nationally governor of America’s largest state.
‘The Magabrand Revolution.’ in this year’s programme, mostly and globally. Since new magazines The final act of the conference
The programme reflected the in a positive light. Jonathan Dorn, in the US usually spend more on was a trip to the world
continuing emphasis on a two editor of Backpacker magazine, sub-acquisition than the revenue headquarters of Google in nearby
pronged approach for magazines: described how they had quantified they receive, this was a win-win Mountain View, where delegates
promoting and protecting the carbon footprint of the proposition powered by the heard CEO Eric Schmidt describe
traditional magazine revenue magazine in great detail, and took website and word-of-mouth. Google as a company focussed
streams while at the same time measures to reduce it from 1.12 While the focus of the not on search alone (although
seeking new, diverse sources pounds of CO2 per copy to .99 programme was on what’s new this is their bread and butter), but
of revenue largely from digital pounds per copy. This compares and innovative in magazines, on innovation across the entire
platforms and events. to 6.5 pounds of CO2 for a typical traditional themes also received information and entertainment
Three senior executive cheeseburger. Dorn then issued the attention. Rex Briggs, CEO of spectrum. He described the
discussed how their magazine Marketing Evolution, presented magazines he loves and reads
companies have achieved strong evidence that magazine voraciously as the ‘keepers
significant revenue and profit
“We’ve been
advertising is not only effective of quality content’, and urged
from non-traditional sources: 60
per cent for IDG, 40 per cent for
through recessions
for increasing brand awareness delegates to focus on what
and purchase intent, but is also they do best – create credible,
American Express Publishing and
before and
at least as effective as television entertaining and quality content,
25 per cent for Meredith. There was
a lot of emphasis on innovation, and
survived, and we
in driving actual purchases. It is which will stand out whether in
far more cost effective in doing print or online, which he described
several speakers gave case studies will survive again...” so in combination with television, as a “cesspool” of poor quality.
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