Subscription revenues and The iPad
Magazines and Newspapers are again talking about digital subscription dollars and being met with less derisive laughter. iTunes already features several apps from magazines and papers – some are paid apps and doing well so far. Even Wired’s Chris Anderson – who makes good bank talking up the power of Free – now speaks openly about subscription revenues.
And Wired on the iPad looks gorgeous already:
Nieman’s got an interesting and informative take re getting in the game. Regarding one of their suggestions, we’ve already been doing a fine job here:
Work with marketers to invent new ways to interact with customers: to facilitate conversations, to blend news, social media and brand messages, to actually sell stuff and facilitate transaction — in short, to leverage those new relationships of trust into brand new streams of revenue.
In fact, the head of one of the largest agencies in the world has seen plenty he admires regarding our Ad Slants.
The new form factor and actual usage profile – where and what people do with the iPad – make possible things that are difficult to envision today because we’re not already immersed in it. The way we engage with our news and entertainment changed from print to the web, from the desktop to the phone, from browser to Kindle and Nook. It’ll change again with the iPad and not just for iPad users, but the entire halo of products and habits developed around it.
Richer advertising means more possibilities for ad sales and related revenue streams – sales commissions, advertorial, video shopping. A better editorial experience means subscription possibilities, too. Your local paper and favorite magazines have work to do: How to charge (monthly?), what to charge ($2? $10?) and other specifics are To Be Determined. Condé plans to have Wired, GQ and Vanity Fair ready for the iPad by summer, so determining quickly is imperative.
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Till recently the print media in my part of the world – India and the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan – thought it was immune from new IT developments.
The dream that print would continue to rule has been shattered by the mobile revolution.
The democratization of internet services is now demanding creative ideas from print firms as the advertising landscape is also changing in this region.
Overheard in the newsroom: CFO to Editor: ” How much money will today’s front page story make”
Thanks, Aby, and Welcome Aboard.
Mobile is “daunting” in the news and advertising space as offerings change rapidly and a lot more people have and use mobile devices than have laptops or desktops.
Vogue’s new iphone app is a step in the Editorial / Advertising convergence.
we’ve all got to move quickly – even in Bhutan.
In response to another comment. See in context »[...] devices more like they do with a laptop, or will they find themselves consuming more passively? Where and what people do with these next-gen tablet computers is difficult to envision completely today because we’re not already immersed in it. [...]