FOLIO: Section Blogs by Association and Non-Profit

Magazine Innovation Center Offers Valuable Discussion

Jason Fell — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:38:07 -0400

When Samir Husni launched the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi in August, he said its mission would be to “amplify the future and power of print and its place in the media realm of the 21st century.” He declared that the American publishing model is dead, but that print is not.

Husni [pictured] was no doubt referring to the emergence of online media and the corresponding decline in print.

But in the Magazine Innovation Center’s inaugural event, the question of the relevance of print was framed in a completely different context: The meeting, held in late September, was a strategic retreat for the Arthritis Foundation, which like all associations, needs to balance its information-dissemination role with the fund raising role.

The two-day meeting, which included key executives from the Arthritis Foundation’s publication and association leadership, plus representatives from several other major associations, was a rich discussion on the role of print, its costs, its effectiveness against other media and more.

It analyzed the association’s marketing efforts and posed the question of what would happen to the association and its mission should it not have its respected publication, Arthritis Today. The print magazine, like all print magazines, provides valuable brand-building attributes, authority and revenue-generation potential.

And the discussion was guided by Husni, an indefatigable advocate of print, who likes to offer aphorisms such as, “Our business model failed when we began to count customers, not seek only the customers who count.”

The Innovation Center, with its academic ambiance and its pro-print ethos, proved in its first event to be a valuable place to work through the key questions facing both individual publications as well as the big macro issues as well.

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Do We Really Need Two Audit Bureaus and Two Associations?

Matt Kinsman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:10:45 -0400

Heard around the industry in the last few weeks, mostly in quiet conversations, but in increasing frequency: Is the magazine industry, in its troubled state, best served by two or more audit bureaus and two or more major industry associations?
In the case of the audit bureaus, the argument goes that with a declining membership for all audit agencies, there's less need for two or more. In addition, it used to be that ABC served paid consumer magazines and BPA served non-paid b-to-b magazines. But that line has been blurred to the point that the distinction is almost meaningless. Now the key point of differentiation is that ABC has newspapers (good luck with that) and BPA has a significant international portfolio.

Also playing into the question for audit bureaus is that marketers are buying direct, in effect disintermediating ad agencies, which have historically been the key consumer of audit bureau data.

But the main thing affecting the audit bureaus is that their traditional reason for existing is declining. Audit bureaus have built a business for 100 years on putting the third-party stamp of credibility on print circulation. For a decade or more they've moved in the direction of integrated solutions, including trade shows and Web sites. But their bread-and-butter always was and continues to be, print.

And in an age when print has declined from 80-plus percent of the b-to-b enterprise to more like 60 percent or less, and from 100 percent of the consumer-magazine to 90 percent or less, the writing is on the wall.

In the case of the two main industry associations, American Business Media and Magazine Publishers of America, the argument is more compelling. They've always been split by b-to-b and consumer, but the truth is they should be split by large-publications and small ones.

The associations are valuable for a few reasons: They create a forum for like-minded publishers to share information. They lobby the government, especially on postal matters. They provide for networking.

Small consumer magazines have much more in common with b-to-b than they do with behemoths like Time Inc. and Hearst Magazines, and they'd be right to ask themselves why they're in MPA.

The challenge for both the associations and the audit bureaus is real. Membership in the associations is not cheap, and every single thing they do costs more money. And while being a member of an audit bureau is not too expensive, qualifying can cost tens of thousands or more.
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VIDEO: Stephen Colbert Eviscerates the Newspaper Industry

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:48:43 -0400

The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Better Know a Lobby - Newspaper Lobby
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

Colbert, explaining what a newspaper is to "my younger viewers": "A newspaper is like a blog that leaves ink on your hands and covers topic other than how much you love Fall Out Boy ..."
Now, now. Don’t laugh too hard magazine industry, you could be next ...
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Recession Boogeyman Starting to Claim Association Events, Too

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:23:03 -0500

Industry associations are feeling the economic pinch as much as publishers these days. Events are being scrutinized as one area for consolidation or cutbacks. After high-profile cancellations from MPA and ABM, the DMA has made another round of cuts, as well as some trimming of its event portfolio.

Below is the letter that president and CEO John Greco sent to DMA members yesterday, which states that the organization will have "less dependence on the more volatile parts of our traditional revenue stream, especially our large portfolio of conferences and events.”

TO: DMA Members

As the recession worsens, the economic activity of business and consumers is re-setting around the world, and taking the global economy into uncharted territory. In October, 2008 we took the necessary and appropriate steps to restructure DMA given our understanding of the economic downturn at that time. Now that we all have a better sense of what to expect over the next 12-18 months, DMA must be positioned to continue to provide outstanding member service with less dependence on the more volatile parts of our traditional revenue stream, especially our large portfolio of conferences and events. Like everyone else, we are re-setting to make sure we're prepared to ride out this recession. We are anticipating where the economic pressures will continue to affect us, and restructuring accordingly to ensure that DMA comes out stronger and smarter in serving the needs of the direct marketing community, and enhancing the direct marketing process—which continues to drive nearly ten percent of U.S. gross domestic product. At the same time it is very clear that we can further serve our members during these challenging times by being poised to take full advantage of opportunities appearing every day in emerging channels and markets.

DMA will survive and thrive because the direct marketing process remains vital and will play a key role in economic recovery. The direct marketing community needs its Association, perhaps now, even more than ever. DMA is aggressively controlling what we can control, while minimizing the risk of what we can't, and helping our members do exactly the same. Our actions reflect what's happening throughout advertising and marketing, and our membership - we are similarly affected.

We will be reducing our staff by an additional 19% today, affecting 26 people. Affected employees will be notified today. We understand that news like this creates uncertainty, but we are moving ahead to accomplish what is necessary for DMA's long term success. We will continue to make the right decisions to keep our association efficient and strong. This is a very difficult decision which we do not take lightly, and we are committed to treating affected employees fairly.

DMA will maintain strength in advocacy and reputation management helping to position the direct marketing community to participate in the re-set and recovery of the economy. We remain committed to keeping every channel open and economically viable. Our priorities continue to include issues that range from behavioral marketing, privacy and data security, internet, and remote sales tax, to Do Not Mail/Do Not Contact legislation. We will continue to address these issues through DMA's independent efforts, as well as by taking leadership positions within strong coalitions such as Mail Moves America (MMA), the Internet Alliance (IA), and The National Advertising Review Council (NARC). We'll be doing even more than we have ever done, and achieving that by taking a new approach to our mix of People, Process, and Technology. We are committed to honoring consumer preferences through dmachoice.org, to developing best practices, and self-regulatory guidelines for direct marketers.

In fact, across our entire value proposition DMA members can count on us to do more with less by being innovative and reinventing the way we do things. In Education and Professional Skills development we will do more for our members with fewer resources by using the latest "e-platforms" to quickly deliver the latest best practices, current information on what's working (and what's not) in direct marketing, and how everyone can leverage their resources for the best ROI. We also plan process change in Research, such as changing the service delivery model and outsourcing more of the process, but preserving the same high quality, mission critical knowledge our members depend on.

DMA's conference and event offerings will continue to meet a wide range of our members' needs. If you are asking "what will I get out of this?" we can assure an essential, "must-have" experience. Our events provide exceptional education and networking platforms, business development prospects and superior lead generation. Therefore, in order to serve the needs of our members we will proceed with our signature events such as DMA'09, DMDays, the Non-Profit Federation Conferences and the Email Evolution Conference, as well as our partner events such as ACCM, NCOF and NCDM. All other existing events will be cancelled or included within our premiere events.

We're confident we can continue to provide extraordinary value to our members. We will use this opportunity to reinvent the Association with a promise to continuously serve our members' evolving needs.

In the coming weeks, we'll be communicating with you to keep you informed of how we're doing in making these changes. We're committed to delivering the value that will keep your business healthy enough to survive this downturn and thrive over the long term. We thank you for your continued support.

Best Regards,

John A. Greco, Jr.
President & CEO
Direct Marketing Association
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Why the Newspaper Industry Cancelled its Annual Convention

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:43:13 -0500

With all the talk about magazine industry conferences being cancelled (or, in some cases, severely downsized, let’s say) it must give magazine publishers at least some perverted sense of justice that they are not alone.

On Friday, the American Society of Newspaper Editors cancelled its annual convention. Here’s the memo [via Reuters]:
ASNE’s leadership has decided to cancel our 2009 convention because of the challenging times we face. The text of the press release that is going out this morning follows this note.
The Convention Program Committee had put in place an innovative and relevant program, and I am very grateful to them.
But it became increasingly clear in recent weeks that our attendance would be low because editors need to be in their own newsrooms during this difficult time. The board of directors will meet soon to deal with the financial implications of canceling the convention and map strategy for the coming year.
In the meantime, we will increase reliance on the Web to help editors share what they are learning as they reshape their news organizations for multiple platforms and operate with fewer resources. We plan to have our new Web site up this spring and we will produce more webinars and ramp up our recently developed newsletter, Editors’ Exchange.
As you know, we had planned votes at the Chicago convention on bylaws changes to drop “paper” from our name and expand our membership to include editors of online-only news Web sites and leading journalism educators. That, and the annual election of new board members, will now occur electronically. We will be touch with you soon on the details.
We will also move ahead with plans for our scheduled 2010 convention in Washington.
I want to thank you for your support and guidance. If you have any questions about the convention or other matters, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Charlotte Hall
President
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Following Dropouts, AMC Cancellation, MPA Appeals to Members

Vanessa Voltolina — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:34:58 -0500

RELATED: MPA Cancels AMC
Following the exits of some of its prominent members—including Hachette and New York magazine—and the startling cancellation of the American Magazine Conference—one of the magazine industry’s flashiest events—the Magazine Publishers of America sent a note to its members today criticizing articles about the dropouts (including, presumably, FOLIO:’s) and highlighting what it’s been doing for its dues-paying membership.

Here’s the e-mail:
From: "Nina Link and John Q. Griffin”
Reply-To: [REDACTED]
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:56:19 -0500
Conversation: A message from John Q. Griffin and Nina Link
Subject: A message from John Q. Griffin and Nina Link

Dear MPA Member: Your support of MPA enables us to accomplish so much on behalf of the industry during these tough economic times. Unfortunately, a few companies have withdrawn from MPA resulting in a number of articles in the press. This coverage has ignored or downplayed the benefits that MPA delivers to its community and done a disservice to all of our collective efforts. So let’s set the record straight on what we’ve achieved together and highlight some of the tough government affairs, advertising and digital challenges we will be tackling in 2009.
Represent magazines’ needs before Congress, the courts and state governments:
Saved the industry more than $4 billion in postal costs since 2000. We continue to fight to hold down postal rates.
Protecting more than $1.5 billion in annual prescription drug ad revenue by fighting government efforts to restrict DTC ads
Protecting the deductibility of advertising expense (disallowing just 20% of ad costs could cost the advertising industry, including magazines, + $20 billion/year)
Protecting First Amendment rights to free press and free speech, and defending our members’ intellectual property assets from legislative and judicial treats.
Support ad revenue:
Produced sales materials based on more than 50 independent research studies showcasing magazine ad effectiveness in increasing purchase intent, generating efficient ROI, driving web traffic/search and boosting word of mouth
Using this information, MPA has called on key agency and client executives seeing more than 1,400 in 2008 and nearly 400 already in 2009
Helped achieve almost a 1 point increase in consumer magazines’ share of the advertising pie between 2004 and 3rd quarter 2008 (full year not yet available), based on Magazine Marketing Coalition efforts
Encouraging the evolution of magazine ad measurement to allow magazines’ cross-platform offerings to be valued fairly relative to other media
Maintain viable distribution channels and address environmental concerns:
Spearheading industry efforts in protecting consumer magazines’ interests from Do Not Mail Threats in Washington and in state capitals, and by shaping the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service
Working to increase single copy sales via the annual Retail Conference and development of best practices, research and promotions
Providing resources to address environmental concerns through activities such as the Please Recycle Campaign, carbon footprint research and Environmental Handbook
Help the industry prepare for and navigate the digital transition:
Exploring emerging digital platforms and business models enabled by new technology
Sharing digital insights and best practices through conferences and more than 25 digital seminars addressing the editorial, advertising and financial topics related to our cross-platform business
Accelerating the development of effective online subscription marketing through seminars, committees, and research, as digital technologies evolve
Defending online advertising practices from legislative and regulatory challenges impacting the growth of the behavioral advertising market.
Like its member companies, MPA began making the hard decisions regarding the scope of its operations late last summer. We reduced staff by 20% and our operating budget by 18%. We also implemented an across-the-board dues reduction of 12.8% for all domestic members except those paying minimum dues. We recently conducted surveys of 2,300 of our members and are using these results to continuously sharpen our focus and deliver tangible benefits. Again, we want to thank you for your support. Tough times often bring out the best in people and in organizations. Your dues enable our magazine community to be stronger together than apart.

Sincerely,

John Q. Griffin
Chairman
Magazine Publishers of America
President, Magazine Group
National Geographic Society
Nina B. Link
President & CEO
Magazine Publishers of America
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Hachette Dropping Out of the MPA Just Tip of the Iceberg

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:49:55 -0500

I’m predicting that Hachette Filipacchi Media dropping its membership in the Magazine Publishers of America ("Hachette Drops Out of MPA") is just the tip of the iceberg. Publishers are feeling economic pain and, consequently, the associations, audit bureaus and others are as well. If this recession is long and as challenging as it is right now, there will be more high-profile dropouts.

Think of it from a publishing company’s perspective: Your revenue is declining, you’re laying people off, you’re freezing salaries, you’re not filling positions, you’re reducing frequencies, trim sizes, circulations, paper stock and more.

And as you comb through your budget trying to make the least damaging and least painful decisions, you see a line for association membership that may be $10,000 or may be $50,000. And in the case of the large companies, it’s certainly over $100,000.

There’s no way—no way—when you see that line that you don’t ask what the value is that you’re getting. Yes, you get lobbying for postal reform. Yes, you get research proving the value of magazine advertising. Yes, you get events with quality programs and valuable networking.

But in a time when all you want is to drive revenue with as lean a business as possible, those benefits are less compelling. Especially when you have to pay for virtually everything the association provides in addition to your dues. And that big, fat budget line becomes an easy target.

What publishers are looking for is not participation in committees and abstract reports and golf tournaments. Those are fine most of the time, but not now. Publishers want tools and resources that will keep them focused on effectively driving revenue in their markets.

It’s hard to overstate the message of HFM dropping out of MPA. Jack Kliger [pictured] was perhaps the highest profile and most effective chairman of the association in a decade or more. For his company to drop out within six months of Kliger stepping down as CEO says volumes about the extraordinary climate.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Red 7 Media, FOLIO:'s parent company, is a member of the MPA.]
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Unexpected Delivery: AARP Member Gets 1,000 Copies of Magazine

Jason Fell — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:21:55 -0500

As the saying goes: Ask and ye shall receive.

This, however, was a bit extreme.

When AARP member Tony Thomas first noticed he wasn’t receiving his copies of AARP Bulletin, the organization’s bimonthly news publication, he called to complain. That was 2007. After 18 months, and five phone calls, he still wasn’t getting the magazine.

That changed December 6 when the Post Office delivered not one but 1,000 copies of the January/February issue. “I called [AARP] back and said, ‘Thanks for the copy. I received it. What do you want me to do with the other 999,’” Thomas told the Las Vegas Sun newspaper.

Obviously, someone in circulation goofed. “A mistake occurred when the status of the member’s account was being updated–there is a code (999) that reflects Lifetime Member status and that was inadvertently entered into the number of copies to be delivered instead of the code field,” a spokesperson wrote in an e-mail to FOLIO:.

This time, AARP followed up promptly. The organization dispatched a staffer from its Nevada office to Thomas’ home to retrieve the 999 extra copies. They were to be distributed to various area senior centers and healthcare facilities.

“Anybody can make a mistake,” Thomas said, “but this was a big one.”
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‘Virtual Trade Shows are Like Virtual Sex’

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:37:40 -0400

[Photo by FOLIO: publisher Tony Silber]
CHICAGO—Before most people could finish their morning coffee on Day One of the Circulation Management show here, Don Pazour, CEO of Access Intelligence, delivered this perhaps-too-much-information line during his breakfast keynote:
“I hate virtual trade shows. Virtual trade shows are like virtual sex—you need the touch.”
Hey-oh!!! Everybody awake now?!?!
Pazour’s point, though, was that despite soaring gas prices and economic downturn threatening attendance, face-to-face events are still a thriving part of the publishing business, and publishers shouldn’t overlook the importance of live interaction in an increasingly electronic world.
But perhaps what should’ve been more viscerally jaw-dropping was Pazour’s admission that “flat is the new up” in magazine publishing. While everybody knows this, hearing it spoken nonchalantly, amplified, is no less troubling.
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The 2008 FOLIO: 40 Unveiled!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:31:27 -0400

The FOLIO: 40—our annual list of industry innovators and influencers—was officially unveiled today. We call it the oldest, most comprehensive and most distinguished compilation of its kind. Because it is. Obviously, it’s not an all-inclusive affair; rather, it’s roughly the result of two months of meetings, scouring notes, archives, old issues of FOLIO:, Wiki-researching, more meetings, spirited reply-all emails, paring down, another meeting, some brushing up on profile writing, then the actual profile writing, editing, copyediting. And, then, at some point, we get to this.
And, unlike other industry lists—perhaps unfairly—ours is Adam Moss free! (Though I’d admit that not including someone from New York magazine or its nymag.com juggernaut was one of our biggest oversights this year).
But, as every magazine editor knows, that’s the beauty of lists. They’re a jumping off point for a nuanced and overarching reflection on a particular slice of an industry. Or something.
So, let the commenting—and requisite arguing—begin!
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'Resumes From Craigslist Make My Skin Crawl'

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:26:19 -0500

FOLIO:'s annual, much-anticipated Magazine Job Report is out, and it's a great read (I should know—I co-wrote it!). It's choc-full of interesting, if not surprising, anecdotes.

Like this one:
Craigslist is a deplorable resource, according to ZweigWhite’s [Dick] Ryan. “Resumes from Craigslist make my skin crawl. Some have worked out but many have been unmitigated disasters,” he says. For entry level positions, however, he admits it can be useful, as people under the age of 30 are relying on social sites such as Craigslist and even Facebook and MySpace.
For the full PDF version—including charts—click here.

Click here for the online version.
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A Case for the Generalist—Specifically

Vanessa Voltolina — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:13:36 -0500

When I was kicking around the Manhattan in the 1990s, I was stupefied by some of the attitudes of the folks doing the hiring. For example, let's say I had an interview with the trade magazine Recliner Retailer Monthly.* The editor-in-chief or whoever was interviewing me would be concerned that I didn't have enough "recliner editorial experience" but was impressed by my freelance articles for Armchair Enthusiast* and Couch Aficionado.* I would do my best at convincing the interviewer that as a generalist, I could easily adapt to whatever subject I was dealing with. However, the mechanics of the ins and outs of a magazine were the same.
This attitude was not as prevalent in the world of not-for-profit or association publishing. After a two-year stint with a medical association working on its monthly and quarterly medical journals, I was deemed A-okay to be the associate editor for another publication at a trade association. In this case, the executive director had the foresight to know that there weren't that many people in the market with association experience, despite the fact that my experience wasn't exactly the same, topic-wise. Yet he knew that I could adapt to the environment within a not-for-profit a bit easier than someone from a strictly trade or even consumer background. (P.S. I got the associate editor job and became the magazine's editor eight months later.)

This is all to say that the efforts of the generalist should be praised, not buried. The first article I ever published in my professional career—while still in college—was with Marching Bands & Corps.-how's that for a specialty publication? I wrote another article for them before the magazine went belly up, but those first pieces (along with articles in Delta SKY, Alabama Alumni magazine, and Convenience Store People) got me interviews when I landed in New York City in 1990. In fact, I had more interviews my first month in the Big Apple than I did my entire life up to that point.

When I was hiring recently at Southern Breeze, the candidate at the top of my list had similar experience with another regional publication. She interviewed well and did great on the editorial tests (see my previous post, "Hiring—and Feeding—Competent Editors"). Guess what? She quit after four days because it wasn't EXACTLY what she had in mind even though I vetted all the interviewees better than Congress does with a Supreme Court nominee. But it worked out for the better because she did not exactly function well under pressure, a must-have ability as we juggle 40+ annual publications here!

So for those of you paying attention, I did not take my own advice, but live and learn.

In 2001, I became the managing editor of a trade publication published by one of the big New York trade companies. The EIC was smart, sharp as a tack, funny, and knew her industry backwards and forwards. Almost her entire work experience, however, had been at this one trade publication—an internship in college, hired as editorial assistant upon graduation, then progressed to associate editor, managing editor, executive editor and, finally, editor-in-chief. This rise took place over 15+ years or so and there was no denying she was one of the experts in her field.

Then, guess what happened? Exactly: The company folded the magazine after almost 30 years in print. Three editors were out of work. (By the way, the company—which had openings throughout—made NO effort to place us at other magazines. Some gratitude considering we received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Business Journalism the previous year. But I'm not bitter ... much.) I went on to work as managing editor with a website that is now a highly-revered monthly business magazine before moving back to the trade realm as the ME of two monthly design magazines. My former EIC is now a consultant, and from what I understand, doing pretty well.

The point is that since I had a varied and sundry background, I was never out of work in the magazine world. Others whose experience was concentrated in a single industry more or less left publishing completely. Is it survival of the fittest? Not necessarily. But it helps if you have clips/experience from as many different fields as possible. Plus, you get the chance to learn and prove yourself time and time again and believe me, that is a very good thing no matter how old you are!

* All magazine titles are made up. If they exist, I apologize ... and am very surprised.
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The New Yorker of Health Insurance Underwriter Magazines

Vanessa Voltolina — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:29:18 -0500

Baseball is the cover theme of HIU (Health Insurance Underwriter) magazine for no reason other than that October is a big month for the sport.
"There's no deep meaning behind the cover," says freelance illustrator Bruce MacPherson. "It may be the only light part of the whole thing."
Since MacPherson started working with HIU, which serves the National Association of Health Underwriters, the magazine's covers have had very little to do with its content. "I don't read it. I flip through it," he says. It's an intentionally light-hearted approach.
"The magazine is about health insurance," says managing editor Martin Carr. "Sometimes that just doesn't translate well into art. How many times can you see people sitting around a conference room on a cover?"
When we passed this cover along for commentary, we got mixed response. "I like seeing illustration on the cover. It adds personality to a topic," said Brian Taylor, design director for National Defense magazine. Donathan Salkaln, art director at Successful Meetings, said the illustration was wonderful.
But, aesthetics aside, the cover has issues. "The concept is out of left field, unless it's just trying to be self-promoting," said Salkaln.
The image of someone reading HIU while he or she is supposed to be working-in this case, the umpire-is an ongoing, inside joke. "Readers are distracted by their own magazine in the midst of other tasks. People appreciate that, for better or worse," says MacPherson.
MacPherson says readers are "in on" the concept, partly because it's an association mag. "It's a closed audience," he says. "There's kind of a ‘homey' feel."
Association or not, Taylor says, "There should be a connection. I find it misleading if the cover isn't representational of the editorial content inside."
Still, when your readers are members, not just subscribers or purchasers at newsstand, that might imply a sort of dedication that allows for a little more fun. It seems to work for HIU; Carr says readers are vocal about how much they like the new approach to covers since they started with it a few years ago.
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Association Publishers Keeping Score

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:30:14 -0500

At the SNAP conference today in Chicago, Richard Creighton, principal and co-founder of The Magazine Group, said that association publishers need to look to models "from the other side" in order to create a 360-degree platform to surround members with relevant, authoritative information in the same way that custom publishing surrounds customers.

Creighton suggested association publishers rate themselves in ten categories heavily drawn upon by successful custom publishers to communicate with their target audiences:

1. Print
2. Web site
3. E-newsletter
4. Blog
5. Podcast
6. TV/Video
7. Wikis
8. Mobile
9. Webinars
10. Multiple Languages

A 360-degree platform will widen the reach of an association publisher's content, which can help bring in new and retain existing members. If monetized, these channels can provide new revenue sources for the association and possibly help increase dues and donations as well as brand awareness. According to Creighton, many associations are already drawing on Webinars and podcasts, but less on more advanced technologies, as in the mobile arena.
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Are Association Magazines Just Flashier Custom Pubs?

Tony Silber — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0500

Last week at the SNAP conference in Chicago, keynote speaker, Roper Public Affairs & Media’s Justin Greeves, cited a 2005 study done by Roper on behalf of the Custom Publishing Council that reveals information about the custom publication reading habits of Americans. Greeves gave the impression that the results of the study, which reflected a generally positive attitude toward custom publications, could easily be allied to association magazines, as both types of publications are produced by a sponsoring company toward a targeted audience.
I questioned Greeves’ references and their relevance, wondering if the association publishing audience around me was doing the same thing. Finally an attendee asked Greeves if he thought of association magazines as passive member benefits. The audience stirred, and Greeves was caught in a pickle, answering the question to the best of his ability by trying to show the correlation between the results of the study and association titles.
While some associations work with custom publishers to produce their magazines, the publications they create are not marketing-based vehicles for a particular brand. To use a custom publishing study to explain habits of association magazine readers seems like a stretch. It’s comparable to a keynote at an ABM meeting presenting a research study done on the habits Conde Nast readers. I was surprised SNAP did not choose a more relevant topic for a session that sets the tone for the entire conference.
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