Catch up on the week’s news from SIPAlert Daily
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Don Johnston, Senior Vice President/Group Publisher, AHC Media, Atlanta
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
I was fortunate that my college newspaper, the Daily Californian in Berkeley, existed as an independent business operation. To a degree greater than a lot of college towns, the city and the
Not Your Older Brother’s Online Advertising
A recently designed SIPA banner ad (above) for the U.K. market led me to the website of InPublishing. It’s a massive all-media home base and knowledge center for magazines, newspapers, online, awards, suppliers, videos and podcasts. It’s nice to see one of SIPA’s own, Mayfield Solutions, as a “featured supplier”
Eleven Tips and the Sessions to Cover Them
Here are some excellent tips to keep in mind for your business – and the SIPA 2011 Conference sessions that will cover those topics.
1. Come up with a “value proposition” and sell it. Why is your publication valuable to the subscriber? What value will it continue to give?
Taking Advantage of Real-Time News
On the ESPN radio show “Mike and Mike” this morning, they played a tape from just before the start of this year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. It was a prediction from Liam’s mom—the English mother of the show’s producer—who supposedly knows very little about basketball. The tape played her forecast on the
Glenn Demby, Vice President of Editorial, Bongarde
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
I was languishing as a third-year, corporate lawyer on Wall Street making a lot of money and having no time to spend it when I saw an ad in the New York Law Journal:
By Nature, Awards Are Valued and Forever
I saw a new play this week called “Photograph 51” from Theater J—a Washington, D.C. company up for five Helen Hayes Awards this spring (our equivalent of the Tony or Olivier Awards). The play revolves around British scientist Rosalind Franklin, who conducted “crucial research” that led to one of
Rooms to Meet and Wishes to Tweet
It’s Wednesday and we’re talking wish lists—two kinds in particular. One is a new Internet model and the other is an additional way for people to meet at our June Conference.
The Internet Wishlist, developed by Amrit Richmond, a “community developer + creative strategist,” is a “collection of ideas for
LinkedIn Founder Offers Tips on Entrepreneurship
“Having a great product is important, but having a great idea for product distribution is more important.”
When Reid Hoffman talks about entrepreneurship, we should listen. The 43-year-old executive worked at Apple Computer and Fujitsu, founded a dating service called SocialNet.com, helped to found and then served as executive VP of
Kim Mateus, Educational Services Director, Mequoda Group, LLC, Hopkinton, Mass.
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
All through college and a year beyond, I worked at a tuxedo shop. Jobs for communications graduates in Rhode Island were tough to come by in 2003. But thankfully, nine months
SIPF Awards Put You in Good Company
Twenty years ago—the first year that the then “Annual Journalism Awards” were officially sponsored by the Foundation—Mine Regulation Reporter of Pasha Publications, Inc., won for its coverage of the William Station mine disaster in Kentucky. Ellen Smith was the editor and Tod Sedgwick publisher. Sedgwick is now the U.S.
Google Loses in Court; Expert Weighs in
Google’s plan to make millions of books available on the information highway hit a major roadblock yesterday. A federal judge in New York rejected a sweeping $125 million legal settlement that Google had worked out with groups representing authors and publishers, saying it would give the company the ability
Resurgent Direct Mail Featured in Thursday’s Webinar
Direct mail may not be all the rage right now, but it’s definitely some of it.
In the U.K., Royal Mail is considering a payment-by-results plan where direct-mail marketers would only get charged for the success they have—new subscriptions, sold books, etc. According to MarketingWeek, “Royal Mail media director Mark
Randy Coon, Vice President of Marketing, The Motley Fool, Inc., Alexandria, Va.
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
I worked as a fraud analyst for SBC phone company. I got into this business by chance. I love investing and marketing, so when a recruiter called for an
Video Strategy Starts With Being Open
Does anyone out there have a video strategy, a member asked me last week. We’re putting up videos but I’m not sure we have a plan yet.
According to Chris Anderson of the TED Conference (as opposed to the Chris Anderson of WIRED magazine), this member has embarked on a strategy
Tweets and Quacks Need More Sound Checks
I read a line this morning that is sure to become a catch phrase for 2011. “…think before you tweet.” It was said by Daniel Khabie, chief executive at Digitaria, an agency in San Diego, as part of a New York Times article about social marketing blunders and their
Richard Lucas, Chairman, PMR Ltd., Krakow, Poland
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
I set up a business selling “new students in town, start-up kits” for people who were living away from home for the first time. It didn’t work out, and I later got a job
Direct Mail Webinar to Show the ‘Personal’ Touch
Direct mail continues to be a very viable channel, but only if the direct marketing fundamentals are applied. Improving the levels of both personalization and relevance is the only way to increase response rates…Those who keep [direct mail] in the mix and ramp up the relevancy will be
Audience of Experts Awaits on SIPA Listserve
Today’s quiz question: Where did I find the following five discussion fragments?
On hiring managing editors:
I can’t imagine any single test to give a managing editor. There are so many very different skills that they have to have—from people skills to judge and manage and motivate a staff, to strong
Procrastination and the Art of Risk Taking
We all know about ROI, Return on Investment, and ROE, Return on Engagement. Tom Fishburne, who blogs under the Marketoonist.com label, used the phrase Return on Indecision a couple weeks ago. His cartoon showed six people sitting around the conference table with the person in charge saying: “We hemmed
Bill Dugan, Vice President, StepByStepMarketing.com, Boston
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
My first job out of college was director of communications and membership programs for a trade association representing businesses using two-way radio systems. I was also editor of the monthly newsletter and became interested in
iPad 2 Reactions. Smile (if you’re Apple).
It was a big day in cyberland yesterday, of course, with the release of Apple’s iPad 2 and the appearance of chief executive Steve Jobs at the unveling. Here are some pertinent notes that I found while searching around this morning.
Writing for Poynter, Damon Kiesow focuses on the changes
Tips From Speakers Coming to SIPA Munich
In just over a month, SIPA Munich 2011 takes center stage. Set for April 6-8, the conference celebrates and delves into the international strands of SIPA and the specialized publishing industry. Here are preview highlights of 11 of the sessions:
1. “Apps will establish itself as a separate content category.
SIPA Members Appear in Popular Media Outlets
It’s not often that you see Justin Bieber and Charlie Sheen headlines above SIPA member articles. But that’s apparently what can happen when you post an article on the Huffington Post. Sean Smith, director of marketing for InfoDesk, published a direct/viral marketing article on huffingtonpost.com this past weekend, and
James Sinkinson, Publisher, Infocom Group, Oakland, Calif.
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
My first job out of college was as advertising manager at the King Size Sleep Shop. I learned that it really matters what you say in your advertising—for example, I discovered that people don’t
SIPF Awards Present Exciting Opportunities
Question: What did all of the winners of last year’s SIPF Editorial and Marketing Awards have in common?
Answer: They entered.
On Sunday, Oscar hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway will at some point review the nominees for Best Picture. They’ll say that one film traces the huge ascent of Facebook, another finds
The Benefits of Random Acts of Appreciation
It doesn’t take much for a business to make me happy—and loyal. A free oatmeal coupon from McDonalds will definitely lure me in this week. Comped iced teas at my favorite pizza restaurant—though not a surprise anymore—is still one reason I keep coming back. The Kennedy Center sends me
Apple’s 30% Take Triggers Outrage and Strategies
Let’s update where we are on the Apple “30%” issue. As you probably know by now, Apple announced a week ago that they will keep 30% of the revenue from new subscriptions and media purchases made in an iPhone or iPad application through its App store.
Wrote Rob Pegoraro in
Access Intelligence Acquires Red 7 Media
The WOW factor shot across the industry yesterday when it was announced that Access Intelligence, a B-to-B media company and SIPA member in Rockville, Md., acquired Red 7 Media, owner of the Folio, Audience Development and Event Marketer brands, among other event and media holdings. In January, AI (specifically its
‘Wine Guy’ Emphasizes That We’re Only ‘Human’
“Vaynerchuk, who hosts the Wine Library TV blog and runs a large wine-retailing business, said his extensive email list averages 97 opt-outs a day. Three months ago, he said, he instituted a program of telephoning every person who opts out, to try to re-engage them.”
I saw this item yesterday,
UCG Terminates Agreement to Sell OPIS
The agreement reached two months ago that had UCG selling its wholly-owned subsidiary, Oil Price Information Service, LLC (OPIS), to Platts, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, is no more. UCG announced on Sunday that it has decided to hold onto OPIS, a leading provider of news, pricing and software
Torry Burdick, Senior VP, Marketing, Mortgage Success Source, LLC, Holmdel, N.J.
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
After unsuccessfully trying to find a job in my hometown of Detroit, a town hard hit during the recession of 1982, my best friend suggested I hop on the midnight
SIPA Munich Spans Globe for Latest Ideas
It’s less than two months until the SIPA Munich 2011 Conference, April 6-8, in Munich, Germany. The Conference features an array of interesting speakers and topics, celebrating the international strands and insights of SIPA and the specialized publishing industry. Here are some highlights.
1. Annabel Koffman, group publisher, Fleet Street
Closing Gender Gap Can Open New Dialogues
Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs Wikipedia, recently told NPR’s “On the Media” (a wonderful show) that, “87 percent of Wikipedia editors are male, and so topics that would associate or correlate with being female are certainly less well covered than topics that
Are Your Customers Being Served?
“How many times have you been impressed by a donation request and then given to the organization, only to not feel quickly and properly thanked—with your name misspelled. Or received the incorrect item, and the customer service department was unwilling to pay to have it reshipped? How long did you wait
Emily Sheahan, Group Publisher, HCPro, Inc., Danvers, Mass.
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
My first job out of college was as a marketing assistant for Addison Wesley Longman Publishing. I was at Ithaca (N.Y.) College and wanted to come back to Boston, my hometown, to work
All Subjects and No Kings at This Roundtable
The bicycling club Board that I sit on had our initial meeting of 2011 last night (a much more comfortable seat than the one on my bike). The restaurant where we went put the seven of us at a quiet roundtable, in front of a fireplace. Very nice.
BLR and M. Lee Smith Publishers Join Forces
If two heads are indeed better than one, then Fortis Business Media LLC will be a powerhouse.
That is the new company name for the merger of two longtime SIPA members: Business & Legal Resources (BLR) of Old Saybrook, Conn., and M. Lee Smith Publishers (MLSP) of Brentwood, Tenn.
Personalizing the Message
I’m talking to you today about marketing. Groupon, step aside, Facebook Deals has arrived—in the U.K. at least.
Starbucks, O2 and Mazda are among the first participants. Mazda is offering five free cars for five months, Starbucks is giving free coffees and O2 is giving away PS3s and Xbox 360s to select people at
Leslie C. Norins, MD, PhD, Publisher, Principal Investigator Advisor, Naples, Fla.
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
College was the prelude to med school, which led to post-doc immunology research in Australia, with Nobel Laureate Sir Macfarlane Burnet. First “job” after that was as researcher at CDC
Do-Not-Track Proposal Update: Mozilla and Google Respond
First, some background. On Dec. 1, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “issued a preliminary staff report that proposes a framework to balance the privacy interests of consumers with innovation that relies on consumer information to develop beneficial new products and services.”The report also called for a Do Not Track
What Makes Us Love Our Communities
A very interesting study was just released by Gallup and the Knight Foundation asking what attaches people to their communities. Now these communities are places to live but there still seems to be relevant data for those of us who seek to develop our online communities.
Gallup interviewed 43,000 people in
Finding the Right Words for Your Documents
Sponsored by the Specialized Information Publishers Foundation (SIPF), the Independent Publishers Legal Handbook is a free and downloadable 150-page book for SIPA members, filled with forms, contracts and guidelines to help you navigate through today’s highly regulated and litigious world. What makes this book special is that these are
Robert (Bob) Brady, Founder and CEO, BLR – Business and Legal Resources, Old Saybrook, Conn.
What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
My first job out of college was with the U.S. Army (1968-71). I was an enlisted man, am proud of it and served my entire tour
Social Networks Are for More Than Being Social
Networked individualism. What does that mean for businesses in search of keeping and attracting customers? As more and more people become social networkers, the rules have changed for marketing to them. While you’re still marketing to individuals, they’re different types of individuals now. They’re plugged in. They’re listening
It Pays to Listen to Those Selling Online Ads
“We’ve got to constantly be on the forefront, delivering what our advertisers need,” says Rob Nance, publisher of the newly minted Sift Media (formerly AccountingWEB). It’s interesting, that even for an advertising-based business model, cultivating relationships grabs the headlines. Donna Jefferson, publisher of Chesapeake Family, another ad-based
Chapters, Too!
SIPA Chapter meetings are another way to get strong value from your membership…
At a New York City SIPA Chapter Meeting a short time ago, consultant Matt Bailey was on hand to tell people how to get the most out of social media. It was an intimate setting and allowed for questions. He talked up
Trends That Publishers See Coming Your Way
Here is our quarterly review of trends or paths that your fellow publishers and colleagues want to lock onto in the coming months.
1. Rick Longenecker, president, Armature Group
It appears that small and mid-size companies are again focused on top-line revenue growth after two years of cost containment. There seems
New Online Disclosure Rules Reach the U.K.
A little over a year ago, the Federal Trade Commission set specific disclosure obligations for the sponsored online media promotion of products and services. Because the rules potentially imposed disclosure obligations on a broad range of companies, individuals and bloggers engaged in online reviews and word-of-mouth advertising, publishers were
Want to motivate employees? Feedback and autonomy.
Interesting coincidence. Had lunch with a close friend on Sunday to catch up. Midway through, he said, “Oh, I didn’t tell you my great news.” He works as a scientist for a government health organization and said he finally got the go-ahead to work on his project. I had
Rick Biehl, President and Publisher, Atlantic Information Services, Inc., Washington, D.C.
SIPA: What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
BIEHL: In the early 1970s, I graduated from Columbia with a master’s in Chinese studies, and the timing should have been perfect since Richard Nixon had just “opened the
