Screen vs Paper: the future of magazines

18 May 2010

Smartphones and e-readers can drive print sales, according to Carolyn Morgan, media expert and panellist at the Great Print Debate on May 20th.

Carolyn believes the future is more complex than just print vs screens. Many publishers who have experimented with new digital platforms have discovered that they can use them to sell print copies. The Spectator believes that its iPhone and Kindle versions have directly contributed to newstand sales and print subscriptions, simply by helping the brand reach a new audience and sample the quality of its content. The Economist uses a mobile app to promote single copy sales posted direct to readers' homes.

So while publishers are excited about technology, they are taking a measured approach to new platforms from a business perspective. Print and paper will definitely have a place in consumer markets, if publishers can keep innovating in the format.

All the publishers at the PPA conference last week were hyper-excited about the iPad, and the few grey imports were passed around from sweaty sticky fingers like contraband. Especially for consumer publishers, the creative opportunities provided by a larger, colour screen put grey e-ink and tiny smartphones into the shade. But how quickly will magazines migrate from paper to screens? Very gradually, according to Carolyn.

Publishers are focussed on how to make all digital media pay

In the "future of specialist media" research commissioned for the Specialist Media Show, the top concerns keeping publishers awake at night are: how to charge for online content and how to make money from digital editons (both 38%). The impact of iPads lagged behind at just 19%. So the key issue for publishers is not the technology, it's the business model. They already have invested in online content and digital editions, and until they can see a revenue stream from these, most will be cautious about iPads, tablets and e-readers.

Consumer print will be more resilient than b2b

88% of publishers surveyed felt there will always be a market for well-produced specialist consumer magazines in print. However, the prospects for b2b magazines are less rosy - 25% believe they will cease to exist in the next 5 years, 18% expect this point to be reached in the next 20 years; while 34% feel we will never reach that point. This matches anecdotal evidence - with several business titles closing their print editions in the last couple of years. There are plenty of examples of creative use of paper and print in successful consumer magazines - such as Monocle or the Dutch magazine Flow.

Larger screens offer new commercial opportunities

While mobile is a difficult environment for ads, and online banners are easy to ignore, digital editions on e-readers can offer a more immersive experience for readers, for both editorial content and advertising. Add in simple data collection and interaction and you have much more appealing commercial opportunities for advertisers. Already some publishers are making online digital editions pay via advertising.

Experiment now, but e-readers will be slow burn

Cutting through the iPad hype, the high cost of these devices in the UK (£429-£699) will limit take up for some time. A surprisingly high proportion of publishers in the survey (39%) plan an e-reader version in the next 2 years, but on average they expect it to generate less than .5% of their revenues. So they are just experimenting with the format, often taking an iPhone app directly to the larger device.

Will an Ipod for publishing kill printed media? takes place on May 20th and again on May 24th. Carolyn will be an expert on the panel at the event on May 20th.

The Smithers Pira/Ipex Great Print Debates is a free-to-attend event taking expert commentary, lively debate and audience interactivity to a completely new level.

Where and When?
Taking place in the Printers Profit Zone in Hall 9 (9F 333) every day at IPEX from 1pm - 2pm
Each panel of experts - thought leaders and high-profile industry representatives - will debate the most pressing questions facing the printing industry today.

The full list of debates is:

More than ink on paper - how should printers be selling print? May 18 and May 22
What will the printer of the future look like? May 19 and May 23
Will an Ipod for publishing kill printed media? May 20 and May 24
Green print: is it worth it? May 21 and May 25

Audience participation and interaction using simple polling technology will allow real-time feedback and drive the questioning of the panel moderator and push the experts out of their comfort zone.

About the author: Carolyn Morgan has over 20 years experience in senior publishing, strategic and marketing roles across TV, print, events and digital. She has acquired, launched and sold publishing and events businesses, and recently launched a series of websites to complement Emap's specialist consumer brands. Carolyn now runs Penmaen Media, a consultancy advising media businesses on their digital strategy, and writes and speaks frequently on strategic issues for media owners. Carolyn is a co-Founder of the Specialist Media Show, responsible for the content of the conference programme, so she has great insight into how publishers are tackling their digital opportunities.

For more information, visit: http://www.ipex.org/greatprintdebates