It's Tuesday: 5 Things About the World of Magazines and Media - Issue #17
While you’re sipping away at your pumpkin spice latte and contemplating your next handful of candy corn, consider this: New Years’ Eve is only 87 days away.
Holy smokes! Where did the year go?
Please don’t worry. I’m not about to lay on you one of those “It’s time to think about what you didn’t accomplish this year and how you can do better next year” thought pieces. (I hate that stuff, don't you?) No, I really just want to sit for a minute and think about how fast the time goes.
In the consumer magazine world, we’re all holding our breath as we finish our prep for those “holiday” promotions we’ve all been planning. Will they work? Will new readers come on board? Click to commit? Sign up for a long term relationship? Pick up a copy from that special display and then sign on for more? Maybe even head over to the e-commerce platform and buy some stuff to give away for the holidays?
Or will our sub cards and e-mails and unsold copies be scattered to the winds like so many fall leaves?
Stay tuned…
Let's all dive in and see what's what!
#1. File under: "Whoa!" IAC is in talks to acquire Meredith.
Des Moines-based Meredith won't comment on reported sale negotiations with Barry Diller's IAC — www.desmoinesregister.com The iconic Des Moines magazine publisher already announced the sale of its local TV division earlier this year.
Barry Diller’s IAC Looking to Buy Meredith for More Than $2.5 Billion (Report) — variety.com Barry Diller's IAC is the leading bidder for Meredith's magazine and digital businesses, in a potential $2.5 billion deal, per the WSJ.
I get why companies buy and sell each other. I get the need/desire for mergers and acquisitions. I completely understand why shareholders look to sell for a nice, big, score. Heck, I’d want the same thing in a similar situation.
But I used to work for the circulation arm of Family Media. And for a little while, K-III (and later PriMedia) was a client. So was EMAP/USA. I consulted for Ziff-Davis under three entirely different sets of ownership that resulted in increasingly large debt-loads that stretched into the billions of billions. I had friends at Time and at Warner. A few more went to work for Time/Warner. I had more friends at AOL/Time/Warner. I have long lost colleagues who used to work at TV Guide during the Murdoch years.
So maybe you can understand why I’m just a tad skeptical?
#2. New USPS strategy could delay mail...
USPS slowdown starts today: What to know about delivery delays and price hikes - CNET — www.cnet.com Millions of Americans who rely on the US Postal Service will face longer delivery times for first-class mail and packages as well as higher prices.
Yes, you read that correctly. This article is from CNET.
#3. Retail Dive: BMO report suggests direct to consumer pivot more costly, less margin.
Analysts throw cold water on the great DTC pivot | Retail Dive — www.retaildive.com Retail industry news, voices and jobs. Optimized for your mobile phone.
Wait...Whut? How could that be? Analysts at BMO Capital Markets have some theories but the explanation, at least as the reporters at Retail Dive put it, suggests the obvious:
For startup retailers (Allbirds, Casper, etc.), the cost to acquire a customer and fulfill the order is very high. A wholesaler, on the other hand already has access to the market and fulfillment services in place, operational and well tested. Getting to market may not be as costly.
What would this mean for magazines? I suppose it depends. Many publishers, especially small indie magazines already have their own DTC operations that place magazines in specific retailers that cater to their markets. They may also sell magazines right into the hands of individual readers.
On the other hand, the traditional route to the newsstand is rather expensive if you can't sell efficiently and your cost to print is high.
From my perspective: If you don't have a "robust" DTC program, you're missing an opportunity to grab a loyal, paying reader (customer in today's marketing parlance).
Key fact: Loyal + Paying + Reader(Customer)=Income
You know, keep the lights on, the WiFi up, coffee warm...
#4. TikTok has One Billion readers. 1,000,000. If there's #BookTok, maybe it's time for more #MagTok?
TikTok hits 1 billion users - Axios — www.axios.com The video-sharing app reached the billion mark after five years of meteoric growth.
Just sayin...
Anyone want to test?
#5. Looks like Fortune will make it to its 93rd Birthday
‘Turbo-charge a legacy newsroom’: A Q&A with Fortune’s new editor in chief Alyson Shontell — digiday.com Alyson Shontell discusses bringing her digital media experience to a legacy publisher, and what it's like to be the first woman to take on the role.
The new EIC of Fortune talks with digital media pioneer, Digiday why she thinks keeping a print version of the "brand" is important.
And now, your moment of Magazine Zen
Hold on now, here's your moment of Magazine Agita
So that's all we've got for this week. Go out and have a good one. And if it's not, you can always try again next week.
Like what you read? Please like and subscribe.
Want to communicate? You can always reach me @ joe.berger at newsstandpros.com