Schwartz: iPad Complements Rolling Stone as 'Great Discovery Platform'
by James SturdivantIn partnership with digital editions provider Zinio, Rolling Stone has launched an interactive version of its Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time special edition on the iPad. The digital version of this issue allows readers to sample and purchase music as they move through the app, adding a new dimension to the experience for music lovers as they read about the stories and personalities behind such rock, pop and R&B classics as "Stairway to Heaven" and "What'd I Say."
On the heels of Rolling Stone's website revamp, which puts most of the monthly magazine and its archives behind a paywall while offering robust social media and pop culture news and commentary for free, the top songs app represents another facet of the company's successful digital media strategy. Publishing Executive Inbox asked Steven Schwartz, chief digital officer at Wenner Media, for his take on the iPad's advantages, what the app means for readers and future possibilities for interactive products.
INBOX: Why do you feel the iPad offers a particularly good platform for this sort of interactive product? (I.e., why is "one swipe" a more compelling interaction than "one click"?)
STEVEN SCHWARTZ: This product is great on the iPad because it is a great read with the added interactive capability to preview and purchase the music that is featured. Generally, the iPad is a great device for a more "lean-back" entertainment experience. The Internet is different and it lends itself to quick bites and a lot more clicking, exploration and discovery. This is precisely why most of the content we produce for the Web is Web original—because the different mediums call for different content types and deliver different experiences for the consumer. The iPad is well suited to using the traditional magazine content and enhancing it from there.
INBOX: Is mobility really key to its success—the idea that, unlike a computer, when you've downloaded the song, it's instantly where you want it—your iPad, iTouch or smartphone?
SCHWARTZ: It is as much the utility of it as the mobility. Rolling Stone is a great discovery platform for learning about new music or what's the best of the best. When a consumer is reading about a great song or a great playlist, they want to be able to act immediately. Consumers are increasingly impatient so we want to enable them to take action from the quality content we deliver. It's a win/win scenario for the consumer. Once music is purchased, consumers want to be able to listen to it immediately as well as carry it with them so they can have it whenever they want it.
INBOX: What does this type of interactivity say about Rolling Stone's digital direction? Do you plan to offer more such features in your regular monthly digital editions?
SCHWARTZ: We are active in the space and, yes, we are now constantly evaluating what the value-add can be to complement the great content experience we provide.
INBOX: Any more special editions of this type in the works—best albums, greatest guitarists, etc.? I can see the latter working well with video.
SCHWARTZ: More to come, but premature to announce just yet.
INBOX: The ability to listen to and download music while reading a magazine is clearly a "value add." With the introduction of such multimedia offerings in publications like Sports Illustrated and Wired, there's been much discussion lately about whether digital editions of magazines should/can be priced higher than print editions. What's the feedback been so far from RS's readers about your digital editions as an independent value proposition?
SCHWARTZ: The feedback has been great—and the initiative has exceeded our expectations. I believe the consumer will be open to paying more for an experience that offers more.
INBOX: Are readers more likely to share digital editions on blogs and social media sites when multimedia is offered?
SCHWARTZ: Perhaps. I think readers will share what they love about the content when we inspire them and they feel the desire to share it. Multimedia can do this well as can a great article or review.
INBOX: Did you publicize the issue through social media, and if so, see significant traffic coming from those channels?
SCHWARTZ: We have seen a lot of activity about this product via Twitter and other social platforms. Although it is not tracked through to the purchase, it has certainly been a great marketing vehicle for the product.
Gartner: No sympathy for CIOs in double-dip recession
Memories of the recent global economic meltdown and the ever-present bane of sinking advertising revenue may haunt the publishing industry, but according to a new report by Gartner, it's time for CIOs to capitalize on their battle-scarred experience. Clear and decisive measures undertaken now are the best way to avert disaster if the economy were to plummet once more, the information technology research company's analysts say in a new report, "Plan for a Second Recession, Now."
"Just the potential for a second business downturn should be sufficient to compel CIOs to plan for another business downturn," said Ken McGee, vice president and Gartner fellow in a company press release. "However, most CIOs will not have a response strategy prepared if a second business downturn occurs."
Given that CIOs today are uniquely positioned to deal with a recession -- more than 90 percent possess recent and practical experience courtesy of the 2008 downturn -- it is imperative that they leverage this experience by proactively readying their entire enterprise to weather any potential financial storms within the next year.
Key measures identified in the study include:
- Enlist C-Level Action Now: Rather than waiting for an official national recession declaration - which often comes too late - IT leaders should urge enterprise executives to convene now to establish response guidelines. In the wake of bad economic news, the company will be ready to handle customers, suppliers and creditors without scrambling.
- Focus on the Current Fiscal Year... and leap ahead to the Next: CIOs should examine projects scheduled and approved under the current IT budget to determine which could be postponed or entirely canceled while simultaneously identifying and determining which projects for 2011 are also relatively expendable.
- Zero-Based Budgeting is Key: In preparing 2011 budgets, zero-based budgeting must be utilized. All business unit executives should affirm complete understanding of the one-time costs incurred to implement new projects in 2011 along with the annual recurring costs for maintenance going forward. At the same time, zero-based budgeting should be applied to the inventory of existing applications.
Dr. Michael E. Raynor to Address Strategy at Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo
Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines announce special guest Dr. Michael E. Raynor—Distinguished Fellow with global research and strategy consultancy Deloitte Consulting—as keynote presenter at the Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo, Digital Content Day @ Your Desk, Sept. 16, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. (EASTERN).
Dr. Raynor will focus on the uncertainty in publishing, how the "strategies with the greatest possibilities of success also have the greatest possibilities of failure," how to create viable strategic options, how to avoid major mistakes, how to choose the right publishing path for your company, and much more.
Dr. Raynor works with senior executives in the world's leading corporations across a wide range of industries, including media. His first book,"The Innovator's Solution," co-authored with Clayton M. Christensen, was a worldwide best-seller. His second book, the critically-acclaimed "The Strategy Paradox," won several "best book of the year" awards and was named by BusinessWeek as one of 2007's"10 Best Business Books."
Dr. Raynor lectures widely, delivering more than 100 major presentations and workshops around the world each year. He is a columnist for The Conference Board Review, and publishes regularly in leading magazines and journals including The Harvard Business Review, Strategy & Leadership, and Time. Dr. Raynor holds a DBA in General Management from the Harvard Business School, an MBA from the Ivey Business School, and a philosophy degree from Harvard University.
ABOUT THE EVENT:
The Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo is a free, virtual event (attendees can access all sessions from their computers) that will uncover real opportunities in digital content for book and magazine publishers.
Topics of discussion will include:
- What is the real future of print?
- What opportunities truly lie in mobile content?
- How can publishing companies cope with an industry in flux and survive?
- Multiplatform content conversion and distribution options and best practices.
- E-readers and other mobile devices: Trends, Forecasts and Strategies
- What other new technologies/devices are coming and how do we prepare for them now?
- How can we drive revenue with digital content?
View the most-up-to-date agenda here: http://bit.ly/PBV2010agenda
In addition to the dynamic conference agenda, attendees can take advantage of this fully interactive event featuring live chats, social networking opportunities, downloadable resources and giveaways. Best of all, you can accomplish all of this and more for free and from the comfort of your own office.
The event also includes an exhibit hall fully staffed with world-class suppliers, including Ingram Digital, Nxtbook Media, Wright's Reprints and Zinio, to name a few.
Publishing executives can register for this FREE event here: http://bit.ly/PBV2010keynote
The Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo is backed by the following Supporting Organizations:
- American Society of Business Publication Editors
- The Bookbinders' Guild of New York
- Book Industry Study Group
- Book Manufacturers Institute
- Hawaii Publishers Association
- Magazine Innovation Center
- Small Publishers Association of North America
- International Digital Publishing Forum
Sponsors include Argi, Ingram Digital, Nxtbook Media, Wright's Reprints and Zinio. For information on sponsoring/exhibiting, click here: http://bit.ly/PBV2010sponsor_exhibit.
Produced by Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines, the Publishing Business Virtual Conference & Expo will be available on-demand for three months following the event.
Editor's Note: Free Publishing Executive Whitepapers Available Online
Publishing Executive's latest whitepapers are available to download for free. Offering strategic tips and advice on transitioning from print-centric to cross platform business models, "23 Tips for Adapting from a Print-Centric to a Cross-Platform World" includes expert opinion from a range of industry executives. "The Impact of New Media on Trademark/Service Mark Protection" features important advice on this topic from Joseph W. Berenato, III of the law firm Berenato & White, LLC.
Berenato's whitepaper explains why trademarks and service marks should be registered and the means to protect them, critical information for any company looking to build, maintain and control a proprietary presence on the Internet. It can be downloaded here.
The cross-platform whitepaper features actionable tips from a number of executives in consumer and b-to-b publishing, including advice on content management, ad sales, branding and choosing the best multiplatform strategy. It can be downloaded here.
Don't miss this opportunity to increase your knowledge at no cost - a significant return, and the only investment needed is your time!