Media buyers push back on magazine digital replica circulation

MEDIAWEEK reported yesterday  that the recent growth of digital magazine replicas used to extend print magazine circulation is giving fits to many media buyers. 

The growth has sharply increased, according to the article, "In the first half of 2007, 56 consumer titles reported fewer than 500,000 paid digital subscriptions to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. By the end of last year, that number had just about doubled with 110 titles reporting paid digital subs of nearly 1 million, as publishers expanded their appeal to tech-savvy readers."

But some buyers aren't buying

"Scott Daly, executive vp, executive media director, Dentsu America, said he sees “absolutely no value whatsoever” to digital editions and that if he were negotiating with a magazine that sells digital subs as part of its circ, “we would probably discount it, because a digital version of a magazine is not the reason we’d go into a magazine.”

Robin Steinberg, senior vp, director of print investment and activation, MediaVest, said while digital editions hold potential for marketers, more needs to be known about the difference in engagement and take-action levels between readers of print and digital editions. “To serve these copies as part of the rate base without understanding the difference is questionable,”  said Steinberg."

Until we measure the kind of reader experience digital magazines deliver, these problems will persist.

Read the whole article on MEDIAWEEK

Read about the Digital Magazine Ad Engagement Study

Comments

[A.R. Corley]

I started downloading mp3 files in 1999. I imagine Scott Daly was still clinging to cassettes. I find it to be very unsettling that such uninspired and closed-minded ideas actually spew forth- in a public forum, no less- from an "executive vp, executive media director" in the 21st Century business environment.

[Benjamin Edwards]

Hi all,

Digital Editions can be effectively used to outright or to supplement your web and print model. Interactivity is key, so utilising search tools within the publication, community links, bookmarking and rich media produces exceptional results.

PageSuite (http://www:pagesuite.com) publish bespoke digital editions for international publishers from Express Newspapers in UK to Metro (UK, Ire, Can) and Examiner (US).

Publishers can customise the user interface, use rich media content, link ad's, to analyse the customers, mass email and reach international audiences... digital editions have huge potential. One extremely successful magazine client of ours uses online publishing as a standalone title - http://www.airlineretailnews.com/

If anyone has any specific questions or thoughts, please get in touch!

Thanks,
Ben

[Benjamin Edwards]

Hi all,

Digital Editions can be effectively used to outright or to supplement your web and print model. Interactivity is key, so utilising search tools within the publication, community links, bookmarking and rich media produces exceptional results.

PageSuite (http://www:pagesuite.com) publish bespoke digital editions for international publishers from Express Newspapers in UK to Metro (UK, Ire, Can) and Examiner (US).

Publishers can customise the user interface, use rich media content, link ad's, to analyse the customers, mass email and reach international audiences... digital editions have huge potential. One extremely successful magazine client of ours uses online publishing as a standalone title - http://www.airlineretailnews.com/

If anyone has any specific questions or thoughts, please get in touch!

Thanks,
Ben