The report is a global look at the most innovative initiatives to increase magazine reach, relevance, revenue, and readership.
The survey highlights a series of magazine case studies and interviews showing initiatives that have a proven track record of being successful, focusing on identifying innovation in content-driven solutions. The study is co-published by Innovation Media Consulting, which has also produced the annual World Association of Newspapers World Report for more than 10 years.
Chris Llewellyn (pictured), FIPP president and CEO, launching the report said: “In considering their futures, it seems that today all publishers have pretty much the same objective in mind – to develop digital businesses while protecting legacy positions – but the methods chosen to exploit new opportunities are extraordinarily diverse and varied. This inaugural Innovation Report 2010 has collected examples from all around the world of magazine publishers who have created innovations that are often challenging, sometimes profitable, occasionally mad, but always interesting.”
Examples of how technology, out-of-the-box thinking and old-fashioned hard work are delivering new readers, revenues and relevance to magazines around the world include case studies on:
• Augmented reality, 2D tags, video
• Online payment models
• Tablets, e-readers and e-zines
• Reality TV, gaming, social media, blogazines, magazines as curators
• Paper made from stone, magazines on a t-shirt, on a Frisbee or in a can, scented pages…and much more
Interviews with leaders in magazine innovation include Jack Griffin, president of Meredith National Media Group and Bonnie Fuller of HollywoodLife.com. Case studies highlight the initiatives of Spain’s HolaTV, reality TV productions from Libelle magazine in The Netherlands, US-based title National Geographic games, Hungarian magazine Story’s 360-degree approach to horoscope delivery, and how Australia and New Zealand’s MagNation has shaken up the magazine retailing experience.
John Wilpers, senior consultant at Innovation Media Consulting and the publication’s editor, said: "If press reports were an accurate thermometer of the health of the magazine industry, publishers, editors and sales people would be out in droves looking for jobs in different industries. Instead, Innovation International Media Consulting Group found the brightest minds in the magazine industry to be bursting with innovative energy. Good news never makes the nightly television broadcast, but there is an abundance of good news as technology, out-of-the-box thinking, and old-fashioned hard work are enabling innovation that is delivering new readers, revenues and relevance to magazines around the world. The future of magazines is indeed bright, and we'll show how and why in the first annual Innovations in Magazines report."
The report is available in print and digital edition format at a cost of £69 for FIPP members and £99 for non-members.
For more information about the report contact Helen Bland or to order your copy visit fipp.com/publications.
About FIPP
FIPP says: “FIPP works for the benefit of consumer, customer and business media providers around the world, focusing its activities on freedom of the press, intellectual property, information provision, freedom to advertise, freedom of distribution and environmental protection. Today, FIPP has more than 800 members, including subsidiaries, across 68 countries consisting of 53 national associations, 560 publishing companies and 213 associate companies. FIPP represents more than 6,000 member magazine titles which include almost all of the world’s leading magazine brands.”
About Innovation Media Consulting Group
The Group says: “Innovation International Media Consulting Group is a global consultancy firm with a difference. It focuses exclusively on the information business – both editorial and management — helping its clients innovate and embrace new digital platforms, develop new storytelling and presentation genres, and find bold new strategies as well as new revenue streams.
And all this starting and ending with the premise that 'good journalism is good business.' Innovations understands that you cannot get different results by doing the same thing or with the same products – that innovation and renewal are essential to survive and thrive.
The company has been innovating with and for its clients for more than 20 years. And in all that time each and every project has been about helping clients to re-invent their content, transform the way they run their editorial and management teams, deliver demonstrable results, business objectives, loyal and engaged audiences. Teamwork, innovative ideas and best practice gathered the world over have established its reputation as a unique consultancy with unmatched depth and breadth of skills.”
